Rhythmhouse....EXCELLENT! I've used whitetail deer to skin some djembes before too and i love the sound. Almost like a calf skin but a bit softer. And yes, the fleshing and dehair stinks (literally and figuratively). I'd love to compare tricks of the trade sometime if your open....
I just refinished an little 9 inch African conga (tweneboa from Ghana) and skinned it with some Deer that my buddy shot. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCsz1PNbz5o