I’m a traditional tanner by trade, and eco-friendly hide processing can get pretty nasty. Fresh moose hides weigh around 150 pounds each and take up a ton of room, so the first task of the tanner is to get rid of the thick hair, making up most of the bulk. Several options are available, but one of the oldest and easiest is to “sweat” the hide, meaning a controlled rot that loosens the hair roots.
After a week plus sealed at room temperature, the not-so-fresh hide is ready to scrape clean, but at that point it emits an utter death stench, way worse than anything toilet-related. No matter, off to the beam with it, and after about six hours of intimately hugging the hide and scraping putrid stuff off it (some of it on you) you are done. Except for the foul smell that really sticks, and travels far. Unexpecting people literally turn their heads from 30 feet away, faces twisted with disgust. But one gets used to anything. (After a lye soak & neutralizing, any and all smell is gone from the hide, and they do fetch a nice chunk of change).