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Post by Ldsoldier on Jan 18, 2008 0:29:05 GMT -5
Anybody got any tricks for getting a fox's hide over his head? I skinned out 2 greys tonight and they seemed to get stuck just behind the ears where the neck meets the skull. It took some cussin' and gruntin', but I managed to get it done. Just wondering if anybody has any tricks or secrets. They had been frozen, and were thawed out except for parts of the head. Just wondering. Thanks.
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Post by cavscout on Jan 18, 2008 6:14:46 GMT -5
kwityerbellyachin and skin the fox.
I couldn't resist.
I just pull hard and work them with the little pelting knife. I agree, they are tough to get the shoulder over their head.
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Post by hamman on Jan 18, 2008 11:27:08 GMT -5
I watched a video a few months ago and the guy used a old rag to get a good handle on the head and skin and he seemed to have no problem with them. I haven't trapped any foxes this year in a county that I can keep em. That is going to change in a few weeks. Going on a 4 day trapping trip and targeting foxes and bobcats only( except for a few beavers that the land owner wants gone as well). Maybe then I can try this out and report back to you.
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Post by Ldsoldier on Jan 18, 2008 21:48:14 GMT -5
Yeah, that's pretty much what I ended up doing. I twisted the hide over one hand, pulled as hard as I dared, and then cut where the lines were. It worked, it just took forever. They got such a small neck compared to their head. Oh, along the same note, any tips for sewing a tail back on? When I put the tail puller on the first one, I don't know if I pulled too hard or if I didn't have it "preskinned" far enough down, but I snapped that tail in half. Any tips on how I can salvage it would be welcome. Thanks.  |
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Post by cavscout on Jan 19, 2008 9:32:16 GMT -5
No way that I know of. I have asked some of the greatest skinning minds there are. Just a keep sake, nail it to the wall in the shed. I read an artical once about tails and heads. It said they were the least used part of the animal. It should not bother the value of the pelt to much.
One thing I noticed was if the critter was not skinned far enough down the back to alow some slack in the tail when you pulled it, it would snap it right off. I have a couple like that as well.
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Post by Ldsoldier on Jan 19, 2008 11:22:12 GMT -5
Yeah, isn't the tail on a fox a real big item, though? Doesn't the trim trade use it alot?
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Post by cavscout on Jan 19, 2008 11:43:42 GMT -5
I'm not sure, but I think the big market for them now is the back.
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Post by TrapperTod on Jan 19, 2008 20:34:45 GMT -5
Well I just skinned my first ones this week and it seems to me that around the head you need to keep it tight with one hand and use a small sharp knife and take your time. As far as the tails go I just skin them out by hand, I tried to pull one on a coon and a fox and the ends popped off. I totally skin it and the last two critters I have kept the tail intact.
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Post by crawfish on Jan 20, 2008 13:11:44 GMT -5
I always on fox skin the tail out about half way.
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Post by Prune on Jan 20, 2008 18:35:24 GMT -5
If you seen how i pull on fur it would make ya cringe.Just grab ahold and pull the hide down Don't think anyone could pull a hide apart unless there was already damage or a cut in it.Shoot sometimes i'll get my leg up there to put more preasure on the bugger. ;D
As far as tails go.I split it down an inch or so then strip the bone out.
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Post by Ldsoldier on Jan 20, 2008 21:51:33 GMT -5
So was that just a fluke that I pulled the tail off? I was using a tail puller, and it was stripped not quite halfway down. I did the next one a little further and was a little more careful and it came out fine. Just trying to figure out what I did wrong.
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Post by Bottomline on Jan 21, 2008 17:03:39 GMT -5
Keep the tail stripper hand still, and pull the tail through with the other hand. Don't start pulling at a jopint in the tail......be in between.
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Post by Ldsoldier on Jan 21, 2008 18:29:12 GMT -5
Thanks Rodney, I'm gonna try that on the next one.  |
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Post by hamman on Jan 22, 2008 11:44:30 GMT -5
Make sure also that you have skinned down the back and belly far enough to give it the slack it needs to go all the way to the end of the tail. KNock on wood I have never had a problem skinning one IF I skinned it down enough to not have that pullback on the skin.
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Post by Ldsoldier on Jan 22, 2008 19:19:25 GMT -5
I think that was part of my problem. I skinned the next one down farther and didn't have as much trouble with it. I was alot more careful with the 2nd one, too.
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