A little about Deer Sinew

 

If you've read "sword and sorcery" stories, you've probably read that the hero had mighty sinews.   You may remember the word from the Bible.   Nowadays, though, we call sinews "tendons".   Deer sinew makes a strong natural thread for tying your feathers and arrowhead to the shaft of your arrow as well as string for your bow.   You can buy artificial sinew, but why buy a fake when the real you can make?  

Because the white-tailed deer is the species that needs to have its herd thinned by hunters to keep from getting so big there is not enough food to feed them all, you will probably be using their deer sinew.  (We mean the white-tailed deer that is also called "Virginia deer," not the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer of Oregon and Washington State.)  White-tailed deer can be found in the southern part of Canada, most of the USA; through Mexico, Central America, and part of the north and [a little bit of the] west of South America.   It is the underside of the tail that is white and that is what you'll be seeing if it starts running away from you.  Flipping the tail up is the way the deer signal, Danger, time to flee!    Deer are most active at night.  After sunset to midnight and the hours before and after dawn are the times are the most likely your vehicle might hit a deer, which won't be good for the deer, your vehicle, or yourself -- particularly if you're not wearing your seatbelt at the time.  Do not ignore those yellow diamond-shaped road signs with the silhouette of a deer on them, but don't rely only on those signs to keep you safe. 

Back strap sinew is the tendon of a deer's spine.  Sinew from the back of the leg is also used.    Take the skin off with a sharp knife, but use a dull knife to remove the sinew.  You could also use the back of a knife or something else that does not have a sharp edge. 

You don't want to cut your sinew into a smaller piece than you intended.   You're going to have to clean off any meat, fur, or hide that's sticking to the sinew, so pulling and scraping it free from the body/leg will minimize the amount of stuff to be removed.   Do you have to clean everything off the sinew?   Only if you do not want that stuff to rot and stink.   Is your cat allowed in the house?  Make sure it cannot come near you while you're preparing your deer sinew.   It will be worse than when your cat "helps" you make the bed because the cat will want to help itself to the sinew.   The sinew will need to be dried before you do anything else.   Don't leave it outside to dry for birds or animals to steal.  It shouldn't be hard to store it out of your dog's reach, but cats can -- and will -- get much higher.  (You can tell when a curio cabinet was designed and built by people who don't have cats because they have open shelves, which your cat will consider an open invitation to knock your knick-knacks off.  Leaving a family member's hideous and fragile item where the cat can get at it is a dirty trick, though.)  Cats are also good at opening cupboard doors, so store the sinew in a dry place that can be locked or latches.  You'll want a round door handle instead of a straight one because cats can learn to pull a straight handle down.   Let the sinew dry at least a week.   If you spot bugs infesting your dry deer sinew, put it in the freezer long enough to kill the larvae.  You might also leave the sinew in strong sunlight.   Dry sinew keeps well if it stays dry.

The next step is to put the dry deer sinew on a smooth surface and use something smooth to pound it.  If you decide to use a hammer and , keep the sinew away from the anvil's edges unless you want to break some of it off.  You could lay the sinew on one river rock and pound it with the other.  Use smooth surfaces because a rough surface will make the sinew fray.   Turn the sinew over and over as you pound it until it breaks into threads.   Pull those threads apart slowly because haste will make waste.   When the thread, which should resemble dental floss, is the size you want, hammer any part that is still attached until it comes free.   When you want to use the sinew thread, chew it first.  Your spit will soften it so it will be easier for you to wrap it around your arrow.  You could use glue made from deer hide to keep the sinew attached, but you will need pine pitch to make it waterproof.