Gray Fox Put Up, Part 2 (Fleshing)

[cameron2]

Well, now our fox is skinned, and should look sort of like this (assuming it was nice and dry when you caught him, and you didn't blow holes in him and leak blood everywhere).





Keep the fur side in, and put the fox on your fleshing beam.

I split the tail first. Use a sharp knife, or one of those cute little razor blade thingys.



Split the tail all the way to the tip.

Apply a generous portion of Borax to the tail, ALL THE WAY TO THE TIP!!





Now skin out the ears a bit, at least to get rid of most of the meat and grisle. Then rub with Borax.





Now apply a handful of Borax to the entire skin. Using your fleshing knife, push the fat and flesh off toward the base of the tail.





Turn the hide over and do the other side.

Our goal is a clean, white, non-greasy hide.

[trappnman]

well- you wanted input- keep in mind, not critiquing, just commenting....

how come you only slit tails down that far? and btw- get one of those orange zippers- I'll never do it any other way again.

[cameron2]

Steve: No sugar coating necessary. I'm a big boy, I can handle it.

Why do I only slit the tail that far? I said "all the way to the tip" How much farther do you slit the tail?

Oh, and the orange zipper thingy? I've got a handful of those. Only problem I have is they grab all that long hair and it dulls the blade. They're great for the first half dozen fox, and then I start pulling the tails off the fox. I just use that real sharp knife and run it up to the tip likety split.

[trappnman]

is pic #5 all the way to tip? looked to me like it stopped..... optical delusion I guess....

[cameron2]

Read the text just about pictures 4 and 5. I just showed the application of Borax as I was sliding down the tail.

[trappnman]

gotcha

[ColdSteel]

Very good demonstration.I usually just flesh mine when they have some fat on them.I am very heavy handed ;D.I don't even worry about the red anymore most of my work is just trim with a knife about like a muskrat.

[cameron2]

I've found my fox fall into one of two categories: Fat like a pig or a coon, and lean like this one was. I picked an easy one for demo purposes.

Usually those fat porkers are older fox, and are taken in the early fall. As the winter progresses, their fat supplies become depleted to some extent.