Don’t Toss that Deer Hide Away

The unfortunate legacy of West Virginia is to dispose of things by dumping them over the hill. That’s often what happens with the remnants of deer carcasses taken this week once the butchering process is complete.  Often, you’ll find the hide, ribcage, head and other unusable parts of the animal tossed away. The practice is illegal, leftover carcass parts should be left for the trash man and taken off to the landfill. 

However, the practice is also wasteful when the deer hide is discarded. The Elks Lodges in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky engage in a program that puts those hides to good use for a worthy cause.

"We collect deer hides to be processed for use in craft programs in the veterans hospitals and also to make useful things, such as wheelchair gloves, for the veterans," said Joe Wimer, of the Martinsburg Elks Lodge, during a recent appearance on West Virginia Outdoors. 

The International Fraternal Order of the Elks has been putting on the program since 1948. Nationally the program has been so successful, the Elks have been able to purchase a Wisconsin tannery that is operated exclusively to process the donated hides and create useful leather items for the vets.

"Nationwide last year there was something like seven or eight thousand," said Wimer. "In West Virginia, I’m sad to say, there were only about 400 donated. That’s because the word hasn’t gotten out." 

Wimer is hoping media attention will help their cause. A hunter who has completed the skinning process can donate the hide with very little effort. Hunters should spread salt liberally on the hide to keep it supple. The hide should then be rolled up and placed in a paper bag. Those hides can be dropped off at any West Virginia Elks Lodge where they’ll be sent to the tannery.

"This is a program for the veterans and West Virginia being such a patriotic state, I know the hunters will come through if they know where to take their hides," Wimer said.

To learn more about the program you can call Wimer at 304-671-6767 or click here to learn more about the program. Wimer is especially interested in those who may process deer commercially and may have a large number of hides they need to unload.