sorry taurus bill for not getting back to you sooner i just read your post i teach in region 8 wayne county and a'm pleased to announce my cuisin just shot his third deer opening day he is a good student that listened well.he got 2 last year before that he was hunting for about 10 yrs and then came to me to teach him basic's.I have a 60 acre farm that i have alot of hunters get there first deer and i teach them how to gut skin and butcher the deer i don't ever tell someone how to cook.The other thing i don't know is how to tan the hide but he looked it up on the internet and hope he has success so then he can teach me

The private land thing seems to be correct. Around here there's no place to shoot anything above an air rifle on private land. I'm sure I'll have my nephew shooting a .22 before he's 12, but there's still all the fundys of safety and shooting to teach. Air rifles are a pleasantly quiet alternative. Where in NY do you teach?

Tbear99 It's great to hear that your teaching a Lad not only how to shoot/hunt but also learning how to tan skins there is no conversation piece like that of a rug or wall hanging skin . you've tanned yourselfMany years ago when I was Young we used to make our own tannig preps up out of Wattle bark or (belive it or not ) cold tea (because of its Tarum content) or the tried & proven kerosine &bicarb of soda.Linseed oil was used to soften the finished product.Goat skins were always the worst esp old Billies as ,as there was rain around they would stink to high heaven again and my Mother would go mad at me & my Father! The only way to cure this prob was to wash the skins in petrol or kero.Fox skins also tend to become very oily after being 'lubed' ,The petrol or kero treatment gets rid of exess oil (just remember to wash the petrol /kero off after treatment.Trust me I speak from experiance ) These days the is a kit avbl in aust which makes the job of tanning quick clean & simple.I must admit my Lad is on to me to teach him how to tan now