# Skinning and preserving a pelt (Please Help)



## Camo (Oct 28, 2005)

Im going up to my house in north carolina for christmas break, and my neighbor called last night saying he needed me to take out the fox and/or coyote thats eating his chickens. Im going to bring my 22 magnum up there and im going to try and save the pelt. I've shot predators while deer hunting with a 308 because the owner of the property I hunt wants them shot. When I've shot them that time there wasnt much pelt to work with after the 185 grainer went in them. Anyways if I shoot a fox or coyote how do I get the meat out of the tail, and how do I preserve the pelt without takin it to the taxidermist? I know how to skin them, I just want to know how to preserve it. Im sure one of you trappers could help me.

Merry Christmas, 
Curt Keith


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## cya_coyote (Aug 31, 2005)

first, on the tail when you have the legs skinned, pull down a little on the back so you can get all the way around the tail... cut it along the bottom side of the tail and pull the hide sown to the cut... then take a couple of sticks and push against the skin on both sides of the tail and pull down... don't squeeze too tight, because you can pull the tail off, you just want to let the skin slide off...

to preserve it you can use plain borax used for laundry, but you would be better off to get some tanning oil... it is actually a solution you can use to tan the hide instead of just preserve it. there is one called TRAPPERS TANNING SOLUTION that works very well, and is easy to use...

good luck

:sniper:


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## leadshot (Aug 2, 2004)

I've used a clothes pin that I took apart for the sticks. even has a grove in them to help them guide down the tail bone. It wont be easy, it will take some muscle to get that tail bone to come out. Just grab the base of the tail with one hand, and grip the sticks with the other hand with the tail in the middle of them and pull carefully.


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

you can use salt to preserve a hide, it will last about a year. after you skin out the critter make sure the flesh side is out, layout a bed of salt on a sheet of plywood or cardboard, would not recommend the cardboard, but i've seen it done. make sure the salt is about a 1/4 inch thick, lay the fleshed critter out nice and straight on the salt bed and dump a bunch more salt on the top side again about 1/4 inch thick. elevate one end of the board for juice flow, no to much or the salt will just slide off. leave for 24 hrs, then do it again for another 24 hrs, with new salt, then you're done. send it to the tannery and have it tanned or do it yourself when you get time.

as far as tails, fox can be pulled off really easily so you won't need to cut them down the back side, just use a stick and stuff some salt down there and the tail pretty much tans itself. as far as coyotes, little bit more work getting the bone out. just use the method used above. slit about 6 inches of the tail and use a couple of sticks and give it a yank.

xdeano


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