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Skinning question

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Swamp Bow:
I relocated yet another raccoon away from the chicken coop and to the bottom of one of my gator holes.  I decided that he should donate his fur coat before he left.  Instead of my normal split down the belly and appendages skinning, I tried to case skin for the first time.  I have always not bothered with the head.  All went well except I haven't figured out how to get the cartilage out of the ears.  I got most of the way up to the tips on the back side, but just could not get any further.  I finally gave up and just severed the whole ear from the skull.  So what is the trick, or is it just left in? Thanks

Swamp

DanaM:
I hear ya swamp I just tanned a fox and I had the same problem, I managed to get the outside of the ear only >:(

Hillbilly:
You leave the whole ear on when skinning, just cut through it at meat level. If you're stretching the hide to sell, that's all you need to do to it. If it's being tanned or mounted, you need to get the cartilage out, which is a lot easier to do after it's skinned. You basically turn the ear inside out. Taxidermists use a special tool that looks like a smalll shoe stretcher on deer and bigger critters to pop the skin loose from the cartilage. You can use the end of an old spoon handle or something similar on smaller critters.

Swamp Bow:
Dana, your post made me think about casing the coon to start with.  I have a steady supply  ::), and if I screw a few up it's not a big deal.  Thanks

Hillbilly, thanks, I will work it some more when I rehydrate the skin to tan it.  Oh, same thing with the nose, probably about a 1/4" left in there, but I think the tanning solution will penetrate it (?).  I can always use a syringe to get tan in there I guess.

Thanks guys,

Swamp

Lombard:
This tanning stuff sounds pretty interesting.

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