O/T Fox Pelt: Split the Tail?

Fergienewbee · Dec 11, 2012

I skinned a fox for my BIL this morning. It's been a while. I pulled the bone but can't remember if I need to also slit the tail.

Larry

Larry NEIL · Dec 11, 2012

If you don't get all the meat/fat out it will rot

jackinok · Dec 11, 2012

I used to have a hardwood dowel i wouuld stick in beside the bone to loosen it ,then turn it inside out. didnt ever tan one and try to keep it though.i would just clean /scrape it and sell them green. been a while though since i even did that.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2012

if you want it mounted or anything you need to slit the tail. but if you just want to do a basic preservation you can salt the hide, which will cure whateveer meat is left on it. i do it all the time with squirrel tails and coon hides. stretch the hide over a board and flesh the hide before you do it to get as much meat off as possible. best way to do it is with a dull knife, and run it across the hide with a little pressure at a 90 degree angle (i say dull because you will end up cutting the hide if you use a sharp one, then put mortons salt all over the hide, including a good layer over the meat on the tail and roll it up. check it every couple days and re salt it everytime it's wet, until you get no moisture in the salt

Pete_5959 · Dec 11, 2012

what are you going to do with it? Are you going to sell the pelt ie stretch or are you going to tan or mount? If you are going to stretch slit it as far as you have to to remove the bone. There is no fat/meat in the tail once bone removed. If you are stretchin remember skin side out for 1-2 days then turn it.

thurlow · Dec 11, 2012

Kilt a gray fox about 45 or 50 years ago.......a-sitting in a tree. There was an old man in the county who survived by hunting, fishing, trapping, etc. He didn't have a phone, so I carried the fox to him to see if he'd buy it. First thing he axed was did I skin it; "No". "Well, let's see it". Offered me 50 bucks which I gladly took. 50 dollars was about a week's wage around 'here' at the time. I asked him how much he would've paid if I had skinned it; said he didn't know, but probably about $5-$10.

Fergienewbee · Dec 11, 2012

Got it on the stretcher. Always hated turning them; always worried they would tear. Never tore one, but still didn't like it. I used to put up some pretty good fur years ago. Loved to trap mink; walked a little taller when a mink set came true. It's still in the blood but prices don't compensate for the cost of gas. Muskrats are supposed to be good, but a lot of marshes dried up this summer.

Larry

O/T Fox Pelt: Split the Tail?

Fergienewbee

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Larry NEIL

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jackinok

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Anonymous-0

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Pete_5959

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thurlow

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Fergienewbee

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