Dying My Own Squirrel and Deer Tails???

[slabbandit]

Any advice on how to dye my own preserved deer and squirrel tails???

[ROCK]

been wanting to try it myself, I going to get a few of my friends that hunt to save me their buck tails, looking forward to see how this turns out.

[bassman356]

Maine Fly Fishing Hatches

[Fatman]

I've read all kinds of stuff on dying but I'm still being a coward about trying it!!!!!!!!!!!

[skiptomylu]

I just find it too easy just to buy the color I want. I know it cab't be all that hard, but it jus doesn't cost enough to make me do my own and I will not have enough natural to make it worth doing. So I would have to buy natural and then color them like I want. I guess if you have a huge supply for free it would be a different thing.

[willsjwills]

You can use "RIT" dyes from fabric stores. Might be able to buy it on line. I get mine at a fabric and sew outlet. Grey squirrel will dye up pretty good, but red fox is usually a waste of time. Bucktails and belly hair will dye up just fine. Another source for color is Kool Aid and Jello. Really.

[skiptomylu]

Have heard of all them willsjwills, but they claim the best is veniards and its main thing is to dye materials for fly tying.

[crappiedoc]

You can use "RIT" dyes from fabric stores. Might be able to buy it on line. I get mine at a fabric and sew outlet. Grey squirrel will dye up pretty good, but red fox is usually a waste of time. Bucktails and belly hair will dye up just fine. Another source for color is Kool Aid and Jello. Really.

We tried kool-aid and frosting dye for the machines, never got to try though because the mice sure liked it. We lost about 20 bucktails.

[Shine Runner]

Anyone else had a problem with bucktails fading after being in the sun a few trips? I have purchased quite a bit of bucktail and had tied a lot of hooks with it. Really like the color combos, but after they took a ride on the poles in the boat a few trips, they look faded. Same thing on some Zonkers too. What gives? How to prevent other than taking them off every trip to hide in a box?

[Redman]

One of the secrets of the dying process is to cure(?) the tails with vinegar to set the color. Been a while since I did my last batch of deer tails. Use enamel ware pots and s/steel or wooden spoons. A old hot plate sure helps. Oh and do it someplace that if you spill it won't make a mess like on the edge of a lawn or a old spot with some concrete. Veniard Dyes are the best as Skip says not cheap but the best. I have had good luck with Rit dye and there web site is very good for color recipes. You will have to do a bit of experimenting. Just remember to use the vinegar to set the dye. I always did my dying in the fall on a warm day I hung the tails on a clothes line with clip clothes pins in the warm windy day. In a few hours they will be ready to store away and are ready to tie with. Just make sure that they are good and dry that's why I did it on a warm fall day. FWIW Add mothballs to the bag or box that you put you deer/squirrel tails in.You will never have bug problems that way. Only other tip is to have all the fat removed from the tails before you try to dye them I always put Borax and salt on my deer tails and were dry and partly tanned before I started. Then I washed them in Dawn dish soap before and dried them before I started to dye them.

Hope this helps someone. Not hard but some what messy. If I can find my old folder on this will post all the links to let you get what information that I accumulated.

Redman