Skinning Muskrats (pics)

[trappnman]

To clarify: Stand on the tail- pick up each leg and cut right on the inseam from the foot to the tail... repeat



Lay on bench on belly, pull skin free from back



Work your fingers around each leg, and "pop" them free



The rat should now have back free- work your fingers up under back skin and loosen. Still attached at belly.



Grab the head in one hand (like holding a tennis ball) and grab the back skin with the other..



PUSH through- keep pressure on the skin, not the belly





Start working your fingers around the rat- starting at the rib cage..working towards belly.



Slide a knife along skin, and cut free from tail



Hold tail in one hand and pull pelt until front legs. Work fingers around each leg and pop free



Hold pelt lose in one hand, put knife on cheek meat, and tighten pelt..this leaves cheek meat, etc on carcass





Cut ears, eyes and nose free- squeeze pelt in one hand, use knife with other. Small neat ears, eyes




Lori doing her thing



CoonDuke- this is the cut I meant on mink.

[dj88ryr]

That last muskrat has a very furry tail ;D

[woody]

Looks like a lot of work just to make a naked muckyrat and I never seen one with a furry tail, wish some of mine had furry tails woody

[BK]

Hmmm,......... My wife used to flesh and strech rats for me. In the early 80's I caught 700+ one year and she got carpal tunnel, had to have both wrists worked on.
Now she just takes them off the stretchers.

[packerfan]

Thanks Steve!
Very helpful!
-Dan

[trappnman]

took me a lot longer to make this thead than it does to skin one.

I'm no speed skinner...but about a minute per rat.

[packerfan]

Clean, simple, effective!
Can't wait to try this out in the morning.

[RiverRat]

BK - I belive I have gotten carpal tunnel a doc hasnt said so but I beilive I have it from talkin with others bout it - sucks all from workin fur too. I used to be able to do em in a min or so but with the pain I am down to bout 2-3 mins now.

BTW Steve how do you like those new knifes?

[dj88ryr]

When I worked for the furrier 15-20 seconds was considered acceptable, we sometimes did over 600 a day ( long day ) but now about a minute maybe a little less is what it takes me, maybe if we had more rats here I would get more practice.

[trappnman]

Those knifes are top notch! I could not be more happier. At end of the seaosn I'll send it back to Jim to sharpen and I'l lbe good to go next season..

[dj88ryr]

I have a birthday Monday, Lynn asked me what I wanted, I may have to wait to get it, but I told her, that was a perfect gift, I think she is going to contact him this weekend. She asked if she got me that knife, would I catch more critters....WTF? LMAO!!! ;D

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I do them similar.

One thing I do that saves a step is to insert the knife blade at the base of the left foot and push it clear to the base of the right foot then cut straight up.

Saves skinning down the back of each leg separately.

That's the last time I use the knife till I get to the ears

No trying to steal any thunder just contributing to the conversation.

Joel

[gcs]

Thanks Steve, I do it similar to your way, but see that I can refine the technique. I also do what Joel says, just one long cut to open .
I'm wondering if I'm leaving them to long before skinning.
I rough dry them then hang in front of a fan to finish drying in the unheated shed, Temps usually in the 30-40's, I skin late afternoon when I get back. The bellies sometimes already show a little green, and tear easily. Maybe I should skin then dry?
Anyway, thanks for the pic's!
Are you going to archive this?

[BK]

gcs,.....your rats won't get green bellies near as quick if you lay them on their backs to dry.

[trappnman]

Joel- thats basically what I am doing in step 1-

by doing it it 2 steps rather than straight across in 1 (btw- exactly how you describe it is how I do mink), you get those nice "points" in front and back... makes stretching a little easier and gives me that traditional look.

[dj88ryr]

Like Joel, once I make my two cuts from the heal to tail, I am done till I get to the ears. Two cuts there, two cuts at the eyes. two cuts at each side of the mouth, then through the nose, the rest is all pulling, with a lot of thumb and finger work.

[BK]

While were on the subject of muskrats,..........when we had rats and they were big money, I could never keep up skinning. I ended up freezing quite a few and had racks made to keep them appart.
Long story short, wet rats freeze much faster than dry ones, and they come out of the freezer a lot dryer than they went in.

[trappnman]

didn't know that bk- I assume the same for mink...?

I know same isn't true for coon...

[BK]

The same for mink Steve, while the frost build up can get real bad in the freezer they do freeze much faster wet.
The wet fur dosen't insulate like dry fur so they freeze faster, they come out dryer, and with a fan can be dry by the time they are thawed out.
Heads don't tend to pop off and guts stay in better this way. ;D

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Another thing I do on the mouth is insert the knife under the bottom lip then bring it up through the upper lip and pull the knife stroke back toward the ear.

Frees the lips and whiskers.

Saves dulling the knife on bone and teeth.

Joel