Deer Legs

[BlueJae]

I'm working for a deer processor this year and got the brilliant idea of making something out of deer legs. Gun rack or coat rack or...other things.
I am wondering if anyone has an easy/simple method of preserving the legs without using molds or expensive tanning chemicals.
I have experience tanning with various natural tannin rich vegetation but don't have the desire to skin to the dew claw, flesh, and all the taxidermist type steps.
I understand covering the entire part of leg to be preserved in salt for a month would do the trick but not sure. Also, do I need to bore out the marrow? Pour Borax in the hollow bone?
Oh...and by deer legs I mean from the knee down.

[DiggingDogFarm]

The "high-knee" or the low-knee?

[BlueJae]

I was unaware deer had more than one knee, I apologize for my lack of deer anatomy knowledge.
From the hooves up there is an ankle (?) Then the next joint up is the knee I am referring to. I assume that would be a lower knee unless what I referred to above is a knee and not an ankle.

[NCLee]

Bluejae, around here, folks who do this simply cut the leg off above the "ankle" for the length they want.

Then, make a form of blocks of wood nailed to a board that will hold the hoof flexed at the ankle in a right angle. Kinda hard to explain. Easy to do. Flex the hoof and then put something in place to force it to stay in that position.

Then, just let it dry naturally somewhere with good air circulation and other animals can't get to it. There isn't much flesh under the skin. Low humidity and cool/cold fall winter temps here help it to dry faster than rot can set in.

Gun racks, hat racks, and even "pegs" to hang camp cooking pots are some of the uses around here.

Lee

[BlueJae]

Thank you, Lee, I appreciate the instructions.
A doe came through yesterday with white markings where there usually isn't and I wish I had my brilliant idea before it's unusable parts were thrown away.
I'll give it a go and see what happens.

[Mike LI]

I use borax and salt mostly for things like turkey fans, grouse fans, pheasant tails. Dries the stuff out and keeps the bugs away. Lee made sense with the form idea. Could salt it and borax it if there is flesh present, marrow will dry on its own, just gonna take a while. I wouldn't disturb it. Salt will take the moisture out of the marrow through the bone faster. Change the salt every few days at first so the moisture don't stain the skin on the leg. Big box of kosher salt for a dollar should do it. You'll know when to change it the salt will start to cake and settle. Let us know how it turns out.