how do you skin a cyote or fox so that the skin head and body is all one piece.
Do you start at the tail?
Also how do you stretch the skin. do you use a form of some type?
what do you use to cre the skin so it will keep for a long time?
Thanks Dave

A .300WBY shooting 125gn ballistic tips should do it, cook it and cut the firwood on the way too..

Seriously, I cut up the belly, to the jaw and out to the paws along the inside, then cut the tail off with the skin attatched.

Cut/peel the skin away from the cuts you make all the way out to the paws, skin out the head, cutting the skin off at the gums and the ears close to the skull. Then use a pair of pliers or even two sturdy sticks, held either side of the tail to peel slide down the tail and peel it off like a sock.

Afterwards you should clean the skin up, scraping off the excess flesh and fat, then split the lips and ears.

The guys who sell to fur buyers use a different technique that I'm not familiar with, someone else would be better qualified to explain that one to you.

The first method is fine for most applications, you can then tan the skin to keep it as a rug, or later mount it. Just don't separate the skin holding the bottom jaw togther.

It's kind of hard to explain in writing so if you can get someone to show you it will be much easier.

thnk express, It sounds pretty easy I guess I will have to try it.
What about curing the hide.
I saw some a trapper had and he had them on a board turned inside out?
I have heard you can use boraxo to cure do you know.
Dave

Hivilosity, Check out any trapper supply houses you have in Ohio They have lots of books etc. on skinning. Try: Sullivan's 429A Upper Twin, Blue Creek, OH 45616
BIG

HIVELOSITY, the method you are referring to is called caseing. You make your first cuts on the back of the rear legs and then make a triangle cut around the anal opening and a cut toward the tip of the tail. Keep the tail cut to about 3 inch max. You then use two wrenches or a special tool they make to pull the bone out of the tail. once that is done you work the hide down the body and cut as you go. The front legs and head are the hardest part to skin around. I can do this in about 40 minutes but my hunting pardner does in in about 30 min. I usually have to go before the cleaning starts. Careful cutting around the neck as the jugalur is very close to the surface on the underneck. It will shoot out blood about 12 inches I guess. Wear old clothes, rubber gloves and have a very sharp knife or as my partner does use a every day case knife and change blades when it gets dull.Hope this helps.

I've never skinned a coyote, but the best implement I have ever used for skinning an animal when saving the hide BY FAR was a scalpel I got for christmas as part of a dissecting kit (frog) that I got when I was about 12. It came with a couple blades that seemed to stay sharp much longer than my knife. Long after the frog was gone many squirrels got the scalpel treatment. After I lost it about two years later I found some specialty blades at the hobby store for my exacto that have a curved edge instead of the normal sharp triangular point. It worked alright. But since I was able to aquire a surgoen's scalpel from the gross anatomy lab with a box of surgical steel blades. It really kicks ass. Hides come off fast and clean with no sharpening. It really works well around the head and neck where the small size is a real advantage. Now granted, I wouldn't want to skin a deer with it, but for smaller varmints it can't be beat.

Carl

[ 12-09-2003, 09:30: Message edited by: Anvil63 ]

The scapel and exacto knife is a good idea I have a set of exacto knives I use for carving, wondered what those other blades were for,haha.
thanks

Case skinning is the way to go.

Start at the heals and skin down to the vent. Cut around the vent, and carefully run a cut ALL THE WAY to the tip of the tail. You need to take some care in skinning the tail as the skin is thin, and is prone to tearing. Work the legs and tailbone free. From here, you can hang the animal by a back leg if it is not already, and, for the most part, peel everything down to the shoulder blades using your hands and a steady pull. Hides tend to stick on the shoulder blades, and a little knife work will be needed to free the skin. You should again be able to free the hide from the shoulder blades to the ear butts using mostly your hands. The front legs are basically peeled down to the ankle inside out.

Once you get to the ear butts, a little care is needed. Cut the ears free by angling the knife at a 45 degree angle so that you are cutting directly along the skull. Follow the skull and your ears will come out fine. Free both ears and skin down to the corners of the mouth where the hide will hang up. At this point, pull down on the hide with a little tension. To preserve the lips, you need to free the corners of the mouth making certain that your knife is angled into the skull and teeth. You'll see ho everything connects. Just keep you knife blade angled into the skull and teeth, not parallel to the skull. Skin down to the root of the nose. Cut through the cartlidge of the nose on about a 45 degree angle and you're home free.

From here, you'll need to flesh the hide and remove all excess fat flesh and cartlidge from the skin.

Commercial coyote stretchers are available from trappers supply houses, or, you can obtain dimensions and cut your own out of plywood.

Generally, canine skins are dryed by first slipping them over the frame inside out and allowing them to dry for roughly 24 hours. The skins are then flipped hair side out after this time and allowed to dry completely on the form. Skins tighten as they dry, so a good idea is to insert a wedge along the frame. A shim would work.

I would suggest that you start with a fox skin before you graduate to a coyote. Take extra care in skinning the tail of a fox.

A note about the tails is that they should be opened up and dryed flat.

Good luck.