Post by cameron2 on Feb 13, 2008 11:20:24 GMT -6
OK, I put this on another forum and had a lot of comments, but frankly, not much input. I'm looking to learn as much as I am to demonstrate how I do it. So I'm looking for comments, criticism (on this Board? No way!!), pointers, no-no's, etc. Go ahead, I've got real thick skin.
I'm going to do this in about 4 parts. Part one, if you missed the title above, is skinning. Pretty basic.
The first step is to cut the front feet off between the wrist and the elbow. I use an old pair of cable cutters for this task.
Now hang the fox up so his back legs are at about eye level.
Start your incision on the underside of the back leg, just up from the heel pad. Turn your knife blade up and take the incision to the vent area, staying on the "color change line" where the dark black hairs just meet with the lighter/buff colors.
Once you get to the anus area, start another incision on the other back leg, and make the two cuts meet between the anus and the tail. Then skin around the anus, right on the hair line. This will allow you to save the anal glands, which are found just below the skin surface under the anal ring (more on this part later)
Free the tissue from around the base of the tail.
Now run your knife up the tail about 3-4 inches to make it easier to pull the bone out of the tail.
I use a pair of pliers for a tail stripper, but you can use one of the commercial tail strippers. The trick is not to get too much "bite" on the tail with the pliers.
Place one hand on the fox's hind parts, and one on your tail stripper, and apply steady, even pulling to pull the tail free.
Now pull the hide down toward the head until you reach the front shoulders.
Once you reach the front shoulders, some trappers stick a rod in the very inside of the armpits to punch through to the other side, but I just push my thumbs through.
Now just pull on the front legs and they should pop right out, nice and clean.
Now for the hard part. Grays have big ears and a small neck, so its hard to get the skin over the ear butts. I apply a little Borax to help me get a grip on the skin here.
Now dig your thumbs down along the neck and free the skin.
Cut the ears at the base.
Keeping your knife at an angle parallel to the skull, skin out the eyes. I find it helpful to pull the skin away from the skull to help the knife cut between the skull and the skin.
Be careful not to make big ugly eyeball holes.
Pull the skin toward the nose, and separate the skin from the skull with your knife where needed. Cut off the skin at the base of the nose.
Well, there you have it. Your skin should look something like this:
The fox should be relatively blood-free. I know this might fall on deaf ears to some, but I never shoot my fox. I know, I know, I know. Everyone has a preferred method of dispatch, but I can put my fox down as quick as a bullet, and I don't have to get blood all over the fur, me, my traps, my truck, etc. But maybe the method of dispatch is a topic for another day.
I'm going to do this in about 4 parts. Part one, if you missed the title above, is skinning. Pretty basic.
The first step is to cut the front feet off between the wrist and the elbow. I use an old pair of cable cutters for this task.
Now hang the fox up so his back legs are at about eye level.
Start your incision on the underside of the back leg, just up from the heel pad. Turn your knife blade up and take the incision to the vent area, staying on the "color change line" where the dark black hairs just meet with the lighter/buff colors.
Once you get to the anus area, start another incision on the other back leg, and make the two cuts meet between the anus and the tail. Then skin around the anus, right on the hair line. This will allow you to save the anal glands, which are found just below the skin surface under the anal ring (more on this part later)
Free the tissue from around the base of the tail.
Now run your knife up the tail about 3-4 inches to make it easier to pull the bone out of the tail.
I use a pair of pliers for a tail stripper, but you can use one of the commercial tail strippers. The trick is not to get too much "bite" on the tail with the pliers.
Place one hand on the fox's hind parts, and one on your tail stripper, and apply steady, even pulling to pull the tail free.
Now pull the hide down toward the head until you reach the front shoulders.
Once you reach the front shoulders, some trappers stick a rod in the very inside of the armpits to punch through to the other side, but I just push my thumbs through.
Now just pull on the front legs and they should pop right out, nice and clean.
Now for the hard part. Grays have big ears and a small neck, so its hard to get the skin over the ear butts. I apply a little Borax to help me get a grip on the skin here.
Now dig your thumbs down along the neck and free the skin.
Cut the ears at the base.
Keeping your knife at an angle parallel to the skull, skin out the eyes. I find it helpful to pull the skin away from the skull to help the knife cut between the skull and the skin.
Be careful not to make big ugly eyeball holes.
Pull the skin toward the nose, and separate the skin from the skull with your knife where needed. Cut off the skin at the base of the nose.
Well, there you have it. Your skin should look something like this:
The fox should be relatively blood-free. I know this might fall on deaf ears to some, but I never shoot my fox. I know, I know, I know. Everyone has a preferred method of dispatch, but I can put my fox down as quick as a bullet, and I don't have to get blood all over the fur, me, my traps, my truck, etc. But maybe the method of dispatch is a topic for another day.
