I have had some success, just finally gotten the time to work on photos. Still working on the fox issue, he hasn't been around lately but I am ready.

Nice mink, good job. Are you going to skin and sell it??

Eventually, but first I would like to get enough to make a nice neck scarf for myself. It is vacuum sealed and frozen for now.

Trapping is not easy here due to deep and continuous snow storms.

USA FOXX in Duluth Minnesota does a nice job garment tanning furs when you are ready to make your scarf.

Have you caught many mink in the past? Do you know how to skin it?

Nice job on the mink.

Plinker

Actually 22wrf I have not skinned mink before. I currently have them vacuum sealed and frozen. I don't have stretchers, etc and don't know how to scrape the hides and do so correctly. I figured when I got enough for my scarf project I would send them to someone who knows how to prepare them and then have them tanned.

Eventually I will take the time to learn the process but would prefer to watch someone actually do it.

It's not hard to learn how to skin animals but practicing on a rabbit or non valued animal helps.I had no experience with skinning but requirements for mammology class & wildlife mgt class required trapping and making museum mounts out of rodents,birds & carnivores,I became an expert in brief amount of time.ruined a few specimens but learned how not to make the same mistake again:I trapped deer mice,grasshopper mice,pocket gophers,rice rats,kangaroo rats,chipmunks,squirrels,etc.

~Ann

I agree with you. Mink are very easy to skin, but its way harder to explain how to do it then it is to show someone how to do it. You are much better off to try and find a local trapper and watch it done a few times.

They are skinned cased, meaning that when you get done they are like a pillowcase rather than split down the belly.

You should skin them, they will dry out in the freezer and be very hard if not impossible to skin after a year or so.