Curing Small Animal Pelts, Squirrels Rabbits etc..

To preserve small animal pelts leading to tanning and finishing. In this Instructable I'm using to excellent Fox Squirrels shot Thanksgiving morning. Some pictures may be graphic :
Materials:
" Sharp knife
" Large flat working surface such as an old work
bench or a sheet of plywood
" Non-iodized salt

note:

This will not make the pelt soft like tanning, only preserve it in a pliable state.

Step 1 Go for the head

If you decided to keep the head on, slowly work back the skin with your knife. Be careful not to cut into the hide or you may cause an unsightly gash in your pelt. As a reference, separate the silver skin from the hide. When you get past the eyes, cut around the check muscles then you can pull the rest off.

Comments

[misaethewolf]

Would this also work for a fox pelt?

[tincanz]

Does wood ash make a suitable substitute for salt, brain for alcohol, and extensive movement for Neatsfoot oil?

[stinna2]

I have personally gotten the tails out of gray squirrels by pulling them while holding the skin a few inches up from the tail. usually works well. most times you end up with and inside out tail.

[tywatters]

u get all the flesh and fat off it and salt good for 2/3 day the u can get the brain out of the animal mash it up then add 1/2 cups of water then rub it in it call brain tanning . ever animal has anough brain to tan its on hide beide bufflo

[stuff9]

 couldn't you just pull the bone out lengthwise

[ducktape.mac]

i think that connective tissue would hold on to it. now i have seen a way to skin a squirrel with an air compressor, and maybe you could put some air down in the tail.

[yaspeling]

can i inject the animal with formalin instead of skinning it

[kcampain]

what else can be used if the neatsfoot oil is not available? I don't usually use saddle soap... would a good lanolin lotion work?

[aasher]

You cannot leave that deer in the freezer for too long. If you do it will get freezer burned and the hair will fall out and the hide will disintegrate much faster than a fresh hide, even after it has been cured.

[bluepandabear]

does it make the pelt flexible and soft or does it make it hard and unflexible? and does it remove the hair?

[matt_and_nick]

how long do you soak it for?

[TheEbonyEmoFairy]

Hey, would this work for skinning a cat?

[harley_rly]

great idea man! im gonna start skinnin, all of our cats that get hit

[jamesbondd]

hey there, i was just wondering: my rabbit skins always seem to get really dry and brittle, and they tear quite easily.... do you think putting the dry fur into the alcohol, then putting neats foot oil on it will help, or should i change my curing process?

[cemetz]

Is your current curing process this Instructable or a different process?

[matt_and_nick]

how did the geer pelt go using this method?

[solarpolar32]

can you use regular salt idkk were to get uniodizzed

[skelloween]

Any salt is fine, unionised is just cheaper. You can buy it at animal feed stores and co ops.

[randone]

canning salt works. you can get that at walmart or grocery store

[EricGrace]

did you kill those poor animals

[ZachPosey]

you say poor, i say tasty.

[Thundertydus]

Poor? Its the circle of life. Deal with it

[Huray4Insanity]

i agree the circle of life, what a perfect shape

[heinzsinvt]

Does anyone know a local market for rabbit pelts...Montpelier VT... [e-mail]

[J@50n]

 Talk with people at your local sporting goods store, usually people make a round every few weeks buying pelts, you just need to know when and where they are.

[deer-slayer51]

can i do that with a deer pelt

[J@50n]

 i dont see why not, just got A LOT of salt :)

[iheart7s]

this came from http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_l/l-103.pdf

[cemetz]

iheart7s,
Yes, it mostly did. I aggregated it because I could not find it anywhere. Good catch and props to nmsu.edu.
r/
cemetz

[iheart7s]

it was a lucky draw on google... i'd been looking for a way to do this so thanks for being awesome and posting it for all!  I <3 U!

[lukechewypellets92]

Im pellet gun hunting squirrels, but anyway so I skin it get the fat off with salt then scrape off the salt and its permanently good right?? or wrong?? And I dont have the need or hope to tan them.

[cemetz]

Luke,
Skin it then do a very good job scraping it. After salting/curing making it pliable is a manual process. Look up how the Indians did it with a sharp corner. Tanning makes it soft but a decent job can be done with elbow grease.

[cemetz]

scrape, scrape, scrape, salt, salt...... and its good. You want the moisture out.

[evanthehunter]

hmmm, im wondering that too. I heard that some people rub eggs mixed in water into the skin to tan them. ill try it on my squirrel once its done drying

[tgeary00]

After step 4, do you rinse the plets off, then put them into the solution of alcohol. Do you scrape off the salt? Then put them in the alcohol? Very nice instruction and photos. I need a hobby and see these guys on the road all the time. I figure it will not be an expensive hobby.

[cemetz]

Yes sir, rinse off in mud-room sink with plenty of water and a bit of soap.

[Huray4Insanity]

could you try a nutira?

[cemetz]

Of course. I'm trying a deer this year.

[cemetz]

Solarpoler32,
Recommend un-iodized salt.
r/
cemetz

[3-4-t]

I think this is great.  If someone is going hunting for food one should make use of all parts of the animal.  I believe we can be too touchy about those who just 'trophy hunt' and I think they should be regulated to do something constructive with the meat, I think folks should be congratulated for using every part - even the -..gasp- fur!!