took in my first beaver...

[ryan rhodes]

It's about 40 pounds.  A couple questions:

Artificial tail or original?  If original can they be skinned open and cleaned well enough.  I will be sending this to the tannery.  I also prefer a dorsal cut on everything I mount.  Any tips or advice would be appreciated.  I hope I charged enough too

[mk]

ryan i've done a couple, i always went with an artificial one you can use the real one but its a bit of a biatch to skin it out and unless your up real close you wouldn't notice the hairs on it anyways.  dorsal is fine, keep the teeth and put them back in the form when mouting.  and i try to split the webbing on the feet then use apoxie sculpt in the webbing thin layer is all.

[Hoytman]

Another option is to make a mold and cast of the tail.. You will get the exact size that came form the beaver.. Airbrush it.. attach and your done..

[Gary B.]

I would use an artificial tail- I also would case skin the beaver as they are easy to slip the skin on over the head by simply removing maybe one front leg on the form. Then with a small incision at the back of the front leg you can reattach the leg to the form.  This way most all of your sewing is underneath the beaver and can not be seen.  Also if you are commercial tanning the skin, leave the webbing between the toes- it will tan up fine and is easy to stretch back to normal and pin with a little clay underneath it so it doesn't wrinkle-  I will email you a photo of the one I just completed

Good Luck

Gary B.

[ryan rhodes]

thanks guys.  It's frozen solid and will take a good day or two to thaw out.  I thought about case skinning it, maybe i'll do that.  It's gonna be on its hind legs so that would make sense. 

[trapperfred]

i also jus t skinned a beaver out and i tryed to keep the real tail but the darn thing ripped. Im thinking about just apoxieing the rip and blending it in but im not sure if its worth the hassel

[Hoytman]

i also jus t skinned a beaver out and i tryed to keep the real tail but the darn thing ripped. Im thinking about just apoxieing the rip and blending it in but im not sure if its worth the hassel

  If you insist on using the real tale.. the rip is an easy fix.. Take a glob of silicone, squirt some on the tail in a good area.. once it dries, take it off.. it wont stick.. now you have a impression of a beaver tail texture.. Once you get it mounted.. Fill in the rip with all game, epoxie sculpt or what ever you use.. wait about 20-30 minutes.. Wet your silicone impression and go over the area.. Walahhhhhh... Will look like the real thing..

[cwt]

I skinned one out the other day and he just wants it tanned tail feet and all so I had to flesh the tail anf mk your right it is a biatch.

[trapperfred]

i also jus t skinned a beaver out and i tryed to keep the real tail but the darn thing ripped. Im thinking about just apoxieing the rip and blending it in but im not sure if its worth the hassel

  If you insist on using the real tale.. the rip is an easy fix.. Take a glob of silicone, squirt some on the tail in a good area.. once it dries, take it off.. it wont stick.. now you have a impression of a beaver tail texture.. Once you get it mounted.. Fill in the rip with all game, epoxie sculpt or what ever you use.. wait about 20-30 minutes.. Wet your silicone impression and go over the area.. Walahhhhhh... Will look like the real thing..

thank you hoyt

[John Bellucci]

Case skin the animal -- you can always open it up if need be depending on the pose -- and use an artificial tail, either "store bought" or mold your own.  There are some good looking Beaver tails on the market.    The natural tails can be mounted, but it takes more work than it is worth.  Keep the original tail to pick some of the hairs from to attach to the artificial one.  Good luck to you!

John.

[ryan rhodes]

just skinned and fleshed that thing today, what a hideous disgusting creature...

[John Bellucci]

just skinned and fleshed that thing today, what a hideous disgusting creature...

Welcome to the World of Taxidermy!

John.

[dugart]

Kinda like skinning a big booger ain't it?