SKINNING AND STRETCHING.
Much importance should be attached to the skinning and stretching of
all kinds of skins so as to command the highest commercial value. The
fisher, otter, foxes, lynx, marten, mink, ermine, civet, cats and
skunk should be cased, that is, taken off whole.
Commence with the knife in the center of one hind foot and slit up
the inside of the leg, up to and around the vent and down the other
leg in a like manner. Cut around the vent, taking care not to cut the
lumps or glands in which the musk of certain animals is secreted,
then strip the skin from the bone of the tail with the aid of a split
stick gripped firmly in the hand while the thumb of the other hand
presses against the animal's back just above. Make no other slits in
the skin except in the case of the skunk and otter, whose tails
require to be split, spread, and tacked on a board.
Turn the skin back over the body, leaving the pelt side out and the
fur side inward, and by cutting a few ligaments, it will peel off
very readily. Care should be taken to cut closely around the nose,
ears and lips, so as not to tear the skin. Have a board made about
the size and shape of the three-board stretcher, only not split in
halves. This board is to put the skin over in order to hold it better
while removing particles of fat and flesh which adheres to it while
skinning, which can be done with a blunt-edged knife, by scraping the
skin from the tail down toward the nose--the direction in which the
hair roots grow--never scrape up the other way or you will injure the
fiber of the skin, and care should be taken not to scrape too hard,
for if the skin fiber is injured its value is decreased.
[Illustration: SINGLE AND THREE BOARD STRETCHER.]
Now, having been thoroughly "fleshed," as the above process is
called, the skin is ready for stretching, which is done by inserting
the two halves of the three-board stretcher and drawing the skin over
the boards to its fullest extent, with the back on one side and the
belly on the other, and tacking it fast by driving in a small nail an
inch or so from each side of the tail near the edges of the skin;
also, in like manner the other side. Now insert the wedge and drive
it between the halves almost its entire length. Care should be taken,
however, to not stretch the skin so much as to make the fur appear
thin and thus injure its value. Now put a nail in the root of the
tail and fasten it to the wedge; also, draw up all slack parts and
fasten. Care should be taken to have both sides of the skin of equal
length, which can be done by lapping the leg flippers over each
other. Now draw up the under lip and fasten, and pull the nose down
until it meets the lip and tack it fast, and then the skin is ready
to hang away to cure.
Do not dry skins at a fire or in the sun, or in smoke. It often burns
them when they will not dress and are of no value. Dry in a
well-covered shed or tent where there is a free circulation of air,
and never use any preparation, such as alum and salt, as it only
injures them for market. Never stretch the noses out long, as some
trappers are inclined to do, but treat them as above described, and
they will command better values. Fur buyers are inclined to class
long-nosed skins as "southern" and pay a small price for them, as
Southern skins are much lighter in fur than those of the North.
The badger, beaver, bear, raccoon and wolf must always be skinned
"open;" that is, ripped up the belly from vent to chin after the
following manner: Cut across the hind legs as if to be "cased" and
then rip up the belly. The skin can then be removed by flaying as in
skinning a beef.
* * *
Another experienced trapper says: The animals which should be skinned
open are bear, beaver, raccoon, badger, timber wolf and wolverines.
The way to do this is to rip the skin open from the point of the
lower jaw, in a straight line, to the vent. Then rip it open on the
back of the hind legs, and the inside of the front legs, and peel the
skin carefully off the body. Beaver, however, should not have the
front legs split open and the tail, having no fur, is of course cut
off. If the skin is a fine one, and especially in the case of bear,
the feet should not be cut off, but should be skinned, leaving the
claws on. I would also advise saving the skull, and the proper way to
clean it is to scrape the flesh off with a knife. When the animal is
skinned, roll the skin up with the fur side out and put it in your
pack.
See that there are no burrs or lumps of mud in the fur, before you do
any fleshing. My way of fleshing furs--there may be better ways--is
to draw the skin over a smooth board, made for the purpose and
scraping, or peeling, with a blunt edged knife. Commence at the tail,
and scrape towards the head, otherwise you may injure the fibre of
the hide. Over the back and shoulders of most animals is a thin layer
of flesh. This should be removed, and when done, there should be
nothing remaining but the skin and fur. Raccoon and muskrat are
easily fleshed by pinching the flesh between the edge of the knife
and the thumb.
For stretching boards, I prefer a three board stretcher, but a plain
board will answer. For muskrats, use a single board. Open skins are
best stretched in frames or hoops, but it is all right to stretch
them on the wall on the inside of a building. The boards shown in the
cut are, to my notion, the proper shapes, and I would advise making a
good supply of them before the season commences.
[Illustration: SOME STRETCHING PATTERNS.]
To use these three board stretchers, insert the two halves of the
board in the skin, draw the skin down and fasten the hind legs, with
tacks, to the edges of the boards. This stretches the hide long. Then
insert the wedge between the two boards, which will stretch the skin
out to its fullest extent, and give it the proper shape. Finish by
fastening with tacks, pulling the nose over the point of the board,
and drawing the skin of the lower jaw up against the nose. Hang the
furs in a cool, dry place and as soon as they are dry, remove them
from the boards. Fox skins should be turned with the fur side out,
after removing from the board.
In using the hoop stretcher, the hide is laced inside the hoop, with
twine, the skin of the coon being stretched square and the beaver
round. All other furs should be stretched so as not to draw them out
of their natural shape. If the weather is warm and the furs are
likely to taint, salt them. A salted skin is better than a tainted
one. Put salt in the tail, and punch a hole in the end of the tail,
with a pointed wire, to let the water drain out, or split the tail up
about one-half inch from tip.
The skin of the bear is, perhaps, more likely to spoil than any
other, and the ears especially, are likely to taint and slip the fur.
To prevent this, slit the ears open on the inside, skin them back
almost to the edge and fill them with salt, also salt the base of the
ears, on the flesh side of the hide.
* * *
In stretching, says a North Dakota trapper, we use a one board
stretcher as follows: Put on the fur after you have fleshed it, the
four feet on one side and the tail on the other. Tack down the hind
feet and the tail, then take a piece of board about 1 x 1/4 inches
(this would be about the correct size for a mink) rounded off except
on one side. Put it below the fur on the side where the feet are, tie
the front feet. When you are going to take off the fur, pull out the
small board and the fur will come off easy.
[Illustration: DAKOTA TRAPPER'S METHOD.]
A contrivance which I have found useful in skinning is made of a
piece of stiff wire 18 inches long. Bend this at the middle until it
has the shape of V with the ends about 8 inches apart. Bend up an
inch at each end to form a hook and when skinning, after cutting
around the hind feet, hook into the large tendons, hang on a nail or
over limb, etc., and go ahead with both hands. The wire must be
nearly as large as a slate pencil and will work all right from foxes
down to mink. Trappers will find this a great help in skinning
animals after they have become cold. Young trappers should use this
simple device as they will be less liable to cut holes in the skin.
It pays to be careful in skinning animals properly as well as to
stretch them correctly, for both add to their market value.
[Illustration: HOLDER FOR SKINNING.]
How many trappers save the skulls of their larger game? All the
skulls of bear, puma or mountain lion, wolves, foxes and sometimes
those of lynx and wild cat are of ready sale if they contain good
sets of teeth. Several parties buy these skulls for cash.
To prepare them the bulk of the flesh should be removed and the brain
and eyes also. Probably the easiest way to accomplish this is to boil
the skull with flesh on in an old pot until the meat begins to get
tender. Then, while hot, it may easily be cut away, and by enlarging
the hole at the back of the skull the brain may be scooped out. They
should be watched carefully as if boiled too long the teeth drop out,
bones separate and render the skull worthless. It is safe, but more
tedious to clean them with a sharp knife without boiling.
The dealers pay from 50c for a bear skull to 15c for a fox, tho
taxidermists and furriers often pay much more. The British Columbia
Government pays bounties upon the skulls, only I think this is a good
idea as the skins are not mutilated and depreciated by scalping,
punching or cutting as usual. Save a few good skulls and add dollars
to the value of your catch.
* * *
Take two pieces of No. 9 fence wire about 30 inches long, writes an
Ohio coon hunter and trapper, file one end sharp, then commence at
each hind foot and punch the wire thru close to the edge as in
sewing, taking stitches an inch or so long until you get to the front
foot, then pull the hide along the wire just far enough so the top
and bottom will stretch out to make it square, or a few inches longer
than the width is better.
[Illustration: WIRE COON METHOD.]
Put 3 or 4 nails in each side, then commence at the top and tack all
but the head, then pull the bottom down even with the sides, not
tacking the head, which lets it draw down into the hide, then tack
the head. This is an easy and good way to handle coon skins making
them nearly square when stretched.
Many inexperienced trappers stretch coon skins too long and draw out
the head and neck. This can be avoided by following instructions
given here. Coon can be cased but most dealers prefer to have them
stretched open.
* * *
Get a lot of steel wire, says a Missouri trapper who uses old
umbrella wires, the round solid ones. Sharpen one end, take your coon
skin and run one wire up each side and one across each end.
In putting these wires in do it like the old woman knits, that is,
wrap the hide around the wire and stick it thru about every inch. Now
cut six small twigs, make them the proper length and notch the ends,
and you will soon have your hide stretched expert trapper style.
[Illustration: WIRE AND TWIG COON METHOD.]
The advantage of this is you can carry stretchers enough for
twenty-five skins in one hand and don't have to hunt up a barn door
and box of tacks and hammer every time you want to stretch one. You
can stretch in one-fourth the time it would take to tack up on a
board, and you will have it in first class style the first time and
not have to pull out a tack here and stretch a little more there.
* * *
I have always used the whole board (not split into two pieces and a
wedged shape piece as some do), writes a Massachusetts trapper, and
made as follows:
For mink I use a 3/8 inch board about 40 inches in length, 4 inches
wide at the large end, tapering to about 2 1/2 inches at the small
end with the edges planed down from near the middle of the board to
the edge, leaving a thin edge and sandpapered down smooth. I make the
board of this length for the reason that it sometimes happens that a
mink may have laid in a trap for several days before being taken out,
and if under water it is not always easy to determine the exact
length of time it has been in the trap, and there may be a
possibility that if put on the board to dry that having laid so long
it will taint before it will get thoroughly dry. I have seen them in
a case of this kind where several and perhaps nearly all the hairs on
the end of the tail would shed or pull out thereby damaging the skin
to a greater or less extent.
Now when I get a mink in this condition after pulling on the board
and tacking all around, I split the tail open after which I lay it
open and tack all around the same way you would with an otter skin.
By employing this means you will often save the loss of the tail by
thus tainting and a corresponding loss on the value of the skin. The
value of the mink skin is in no way damaged by this process. Some
dealers prefer to have all the skins they buy cured in this manner.
For stretching the muskrat skin I also use a board of the same
thickness as for mink, about 20 inches in length, 6 1/2 or 7 inches
at the large end with a slightly rounding taper to a width of about 3
inches at small end, the sides planed down to a thin edge the same as
for the mink boards; in fact, I prefer the same manner of stretching
all cased skins, using care not to have the boards so wide as to
stretch the skins to a width much exceeding the natural width before
it was placed over the board, but giving them all the strain they
will stand with reason, lengthwise. If stretched too wide it tends to
make the fur thinner and lessens the value of it.
I usually pull the skins, especially muskrats, onto the boards far
enough so that the smaller end will extend through the mouth of the
skin for perhaps 1/2 inch, and when the skins are sufficiently dry to
remove, all that is required is to take hold of them with a hand on
either edge of the skin and give it a sharp tap on the small end,
when the skin will come off at once. By stretching the skins on the
boards with the back on one side, belly on the opposite side, they
come off the boards looking smooth and uniform in width, and command
a great deal better price than if thrown on in a haphazard way on a
shingle or an inch hoard badly shaped, as a great many beginners do.
I have seen some shameful work done in this respect.
It is always necessary to remove all surplus grease and fat which can
readily be done immediately after the skin is stretched, otherwise
they will heat, sweat and mold to a certain extent after they are
removed from the boards, which injures both the appearance and sale
of them. It is well to look after all these little details. These
descriptions are given with the desire to help some of the beginners.
If they will start in by using a little care in stretching and having
pride in their work they will find the business both more pleasant
and profitable.
* * *
If convenient when going into camp, writes an old successful trapper
who has pursued the fur bearers in many states, you should take
several stretching boards for your different kinds of fur with you.
If not, you can generally find a tree that will split good and you
can split some out. It is usually hard to find widths that are long
and straight enough to bend so as to form a good shaped stretcher.
You should always aim to stretch and cure furs you catch in the best
manner.
In skinning you should rip the animal straight from one heel across
to the other and close to the roots of the tail on the under side.
Work the skin loose around the bone at the base until you can grasp
the bone of the tail with the first two fingers of the right hand
while you place the bone between the first two fingers of the left
hand. Then, by pulling you will draw the entire bone from the tail
which you should always do.
Sometimes when the animal has been dead for some time the bone will
not readily draw from the tail. In this case cut a stick the size of
your finger about eight inches long. Cut it away in the center until
it will readily bend so that the two ends will come together. Then
cut a notch in each part of stick just large enough to let the bone
of the tail in and squeeze it out. It is necessary to whittle one
side of the stick at the notch so as to form a square shoulder.
You should have about three sizes of stretching boards for mink and
fox. For mink they should be from 4 1/2 inches down to 3 inches and
for fox from 6 1/4 inches down to 5 inches wide, and in length the
fox boards may be four feet long, and the mink boards three feet
long.
The boards should taper slightly down to within 8 inches of the end
for fox, and then rounded up to a round point. The mink boards should
be rounded at 4 or 5 inches from this point. You will vary the shape
of the board in proportion to the width. Stretching boards should not
be more than 3/8 inch thick. A belly strip the length or nearly the
length of the boards 1 1/4 inches at the wide end, tapering to a
point at the other end and about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Have the
boards smooth and even on the edges. Other stretching boards should
be made in proportion to the size and shape of the animal whose skin
is to be stretched.
You should not fail to remove all the fat and flesh from the skin
immediately after the skin is on the board. If a skin is wet when
taken from the animal it should be drawn lightly on a board until the
fur is quite dry. Then turn the skin flesh side out and stretch.
* * *
Beginning at the left, dimensions and skins stretched on the various
boards are given:
No. 1. Mink board, length 28 inches and 4 wide.
No. 2. Mink board, length 28 inches and 3 1/2 wide.
No. 3. Weasel board length 20 inches and 2 1/2 wide.
No. 4. Muskrat board, length 21 inches and 6 inches wide.
No. 5. Opossum board, (small), length 20 inches and 6 1/2 inches wide.
No. 6. Skunk or opossum, (medium), length 28 inches and 7 inches wide.
No. 7. Skunk and opossum, (large), length 28 inches and 8 inches wide.
[Illustration: SIZE OF STRETCHING BOARDS.]
Old and experienced hunters and trappers know about the shape and
size to make the various stretching boards for the fur bearers, but
for the guidance of beginners and those who are careless about
stretching pelts, the above description is especially meant.
Trappers in Southern sections will no doubt find the boards as
described here too large for most of their skunk. In the Northeast
the mink boards will also be too large, but for this section (Ohio),
they are about correct. The general shape of the boards can be seen
from the illustration.
* * *
One of the best ways, writes a Minnesota trapper, to take off the
skin of an animal is by cutting the skin around the hind legs or
feet, and then slitting the skin down inside the hind legs to the
body joining the two slits between the hind legs, then remove the
skin on the tail by pushing up the thumb nail, or a thin flat piece
of wood against the bone of the tail and draw off the skin.
Now commence to draw the body of the animal through the slit already
made without enlarging it, drawing the skin over itself, the fur side
within. When the forefeet are reached, cut the skin away from them at
the wrists, and then skin over the head until the mouth is reached
when the skin should be finally removed at the lips.
One thing to be borne in mind when stretching a skin to dry, is that
it must be drawn tight; another, that it must be stretched in a place
where neither the heat of a fire or that of the sun will reach it too
strongly, and it should not be washed. Large skins may be nailed on a
wall of a shed or barn.
The board stretcher should be made of some thin material. Prepare a
board of bass wood or some other light material, two feet three
inches long, three inches and a half wide at one end, and two inches
and an eighth at the other, and three-eighths of an inch thick.
Chamfer it from the center to the sides almost to an edge. Round and
chamfer the small end about an inch upon the sides. Split the board
through the center with a knife or saw, finally prepare a wedge of
the same length and thickness, one inch wide at the large end, and
taper to a blunt point. This is a stretcher suitable for a mink, or a
marten.
Two large sizes with similar proportions are required for the large
animals, the largest size suitable for the full grown otter and wolf,
should be five feet and a half long, seven inches wide at the large
end when fully spread by the wedge, and six inches at the small end.
An intermediate size is required for the fisher, raccoon, fox and
some other animals, the proportions of which can be easily figured
out.
These stretchers require that the skin of the animal should not be
ripped through the belly, but should be stripped off whole. Peel the
skin from the body by drawing it over itself, leaving the fur inward.
In this condition the skin should be drawn on to the split board
(with the back on one side and the belly on the other), to its utmost
length, and fastened with tacks, and then the wedge should be driven
between the two halves. Finally, make all fast by a tack at the root
of the tail, and another on the opposite side. The skin is then
stretched to its utmost capacity and it may be hung away to dry.
* * *
Not alone the skulls of the larger animals, but the skulls of any
game, the skeleton of any bird, or fish, has a ready market, provided
such specimens are properly cleaned, and in perfect condition.
However, the hunter or trapper must bear in mind the fact that it is
the perfect specimen that is in demand, and that a bruise on the bone
literally spoils it for the curator.
If you will look carefully at any skull, you will notice that some of
the bones are very thin and frail, almost like a spider web. These
fine bones must be preserved if they are to be of any value to the
Comparative Anatomist, and boiling or scraping simply ruins them. So
much for the explanation. Now the method of cleaning, is by "rotting"
rather than scraping or boiling. Take the skull (or whole head) and
fix it solid in some can or jar, then fill it, or cover with water
and put away for three or four weeks. At the end of that time, pour
off the water and the bulk of the flesh will go too. Fill in with
clear water again, and repeat as often as necessary. I have found
that twice will do the work, and leave the bone in good condition.
There is a market for most animal skulls, if not damaged, and it may
pay to preserve all. In the Hunter-Trader-Trapper, published at
Columbus, Ohio, usually will be found advertisements of parties who
buy them.
* * *
I have never had much luck with two-piece stretchers, but use thin
board stretchers in one piece with a "sword stick" on each side to
fully stretch and admit the air to both sides of the skin. This cures
the skin faster and better than when only one side is exposed to the
air, says a Maryland trapper.
[Illustration: POLE STRETCHERS.]
When off from home, I use stretchers made from saplings, as boards
suitable are not to be had everywhere, and cannot be bothered with
when going light. To make these, cut osier, willow or hickory
switches, straight and thick as the finger, about four feet long; cut
two short pieces for rats 4 and 6 inches long and carefully bending
the long piece. Nail these in with a small wire nail at each end. A
handful of shingle or lath nails and a clump of osier sprouts will
make a full outfit of stretchers for a temporary camp.
* * *
I know it is as much value in stretching your furs and preparing them
for market as it is in trapping, writes a trapper. If you have no
boards, go to your grocer or dry goods store and you can get all the
boxes you want for 5 or 10 cents apiece. They must not be over 3/8 of
an inch thick; if they are, plane them down smooth on both sides.
I make what I call the two piece stretcher with a wedge for muskrats.
Take a board 20 inches long, 3/8 inch thick, 6 inches wide large end,
2 1/2 inches small end. Taper back 5 inches from small end. Now take
block plane and chaffer off each side an inch or more up and round it
off. Round and chaffer small end the same, almost to an edge. Now
draw a line thru the center of the board and saw it thru.
Make a wedge the same length and thickness, 3/8 of an inch wide and
tapering down to 1/10 of an inch. If a large skin, push it in between
the halves. Bore a hole in large end and hang up in a cool ventilated
place to dry. After three days pull out wedge, and your fur will slip
right off without tearing. If the boards should warp over, tack a
strip across the large end.
The mink stretchers are made on the same plan. A board the same
thickness, 30 inches long, 3 1/2 inches wide, taper down 2 1/8 small
end round chaffer. For large mink insert wedge made one inch wide.
Taper down to 2/8. For skunk and coon they are also good, only they
are made on a larger scale.
Now a word about casing. Pull your hide on so the back is on one side
and the belly on the other. Pull nose over small end 1/2 inch. Put
two tacks on each side, now pull down tight to large end and put two
tacks each side, lay board on bench and take an old case knife,
scrape off all meat and fat and be careful not to scrape too thin, so
as not to cut the fibre of the skin. After you have scraped the flesh
off, insert the wedge and your skin will be tight. Do not stretch
your hide so it will make your fur look thin.
* * *
This is my way of stretching coon hide; use four-penny nails and use
either the inside or outside of some old building, inside is the
best. Drive the first nail thru nose. This holds the hide for
starting. Pull each forward leg up (not out) on a level with nose and
about seven or eight inches from nose according to size of the coon.
Drive next nail at root of tail, and pull down, moderately tight.
Now pull each hind leg out about one inch wider than the fore legs
and a little below the tail nail. Now use a nail every inch and pull
the hide up between the forward legs and nose, until it comes
straight across. Next, treat the bottom of the hide the same as the
top. Use plenty of nails. To finish down the sides, drive a nail
first on one side and then on the other until finished. You will find
when done that the hide is nearly square with no legs sticking out
the sides and no notches in the skin.