That's all good you saved them.After skinning them they should fleshed well [dew claw joint cleaned out well too] and then salted and dried for future use if you were'nt going to tan them after fleshing.
The elk legs I made a pouch from had been sitting around for years before I made a pouch from them.
After drying the hair will be set.Mix up some pickling salt and aluminum sulfate in a bucket [2 to 1 salt to sulfate] [1 pound of pickling salt to 1/2 pound of aluminum sulfate]and let them sit in that solution.Stirring it a few times a day.Until when you cut a sliver from the thickest area [about a week] from an edge that it appears completely white though the leather.
Pad it dry as much as you can.Massage in some 100% neats foot oil while damp.As it dries work it soft with your hands.The more you work it the softer it will become.
I've made a few different versions of pouches from deer and elk legs.