# Compulsion to trap, skin, tan and sew a skunk skin hat.



## moosebonsai (May 11, 2007)

I want to trap a big, stripped skunk. Many years ago, in Taos, New Mexico, I saw a skier with a "Mountain Man" style fur hat made out of a skunk. It looked a lot like a coonskin cap, but made with the whole skin of the skunk. You could see the detail of the face over the crown of the hat. The tail went down the middle of the skier's back. The front legs hung down over the man's ears. I was the coolest thing I ever saw on the ski slopes. Over the years, I have developed this strong compulsion to trap, skin, tan and sew such a hat. I have recently moved to Oregon and this impulse feels stronger than ever. However, I have never trapped. I have only skinned 3 squirrels and about 15 rattlesnakes. I have never tanned anything. I have sewed some homemade kites back in college. As you can see, my experience is quite limited. I plan to take a trapper's education course this summer.

I would enjoy reading you comments and advice about such a project.


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## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

I can't offer much advice, but can say it's great you want to do such a project. You can buy tanning solutions, I did a skunk myself this past season as a wall-hanger & I was pleased with the way it turned-out tanning-wise. I'd think you could find a pattern for the hat, you might ask on taxidermy.net how to locate a pattern.

Good luck & let us know how it goes,
Smitty


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