to psycho and all you gator taxis

[alan webfoot]

well I started on the shredded gator today and after an hour and a half of cutting scraping chiseling and nearly shredding my thumb,[on a toth] its in the salt right now just to draw some juices out of it. My hat off to you gator experts or anybody who takes them in reguarly. WOW what a bloody watery mess! I skinned out the palate and saved the skin to tan chiseled out the lower jaws for all that muscle in there. The brain area is gone almost like doing a giant fish. I had more waste than head when I was done but it sure was cleaner. Thanks again for questions answered and all the free advice on this site ,,next is the belly skin,,I'm going for a full mount I like the challenge.

[bullwhipcracker]

We are at 80 gators skun and fleshed for commercial tanning this year so far, and a dozen or so hornbacks. A fish scraper works best on the tail area. Use a steel and put a bit of an edge on it. You will have to put your back into it, and go both forward, backward, and side to side. Believe it or not a utility knife works better than a scalpel for for rough fleshing these guys. Careful of the chin meat it is kind of gooey and the skin is super thin.
I am getting pretty fast... 2 7 footers only took 2.5 hrs with two of us working as fast as we could. This total includes butchering.
A 7 footer is not even in the same ballpark as a 10fter though...not even the same sport. 

[Redwolf]

A 7 footer is not even in the same ballpark as a 10fter though...not even the same sport. 

Gators are funny. When most think because they've done a 6 footer, a 10 footer couldn't be much different they get a rude awakening when they see how much bigger it really is

[psycho]

Wait until you do a croc.  Gators are childs play.  LOL  Gators are a lot of work and I try to tell people that but some don't believe it.  Look forward to seeing yours when you are done.  If you have any question someone here will answer them for sure.  Later, Dan

[alan webfoot]

psycho I took 3 pictures today of what I've got to work with ,,the feet skinned out preety easy right down to the last toe bone,even those funny one without a toenail,the back skin I had to open up some more where the ''spikes'' are .It felt like a lot of cartilage in there and I wanted good penetration of the pickle,,I was even able to save the skin off the palate before I chiseled it out. Tried posting pictures on this site but they wouldn't download [too large image]  Right now Iv'e got 4 pieces ,head, belly skin, back skin,palate skin

[alan webfoot]

well I got him in the pickle today ,,pictures to come later on!!!

[lakejessup]

i use photo bucket as an image host it makes posting pics awhole lot easier

[psycho]

Alan, were you wanting me to post the pictures you sent to me?  Let me know and I will try to get them posted for you.  Dan

[bullwhipcracker]

looking forward to the pics.

[psycho]

These are pictures that Alan sent me in an email.  He asked me to go ahead and post them for him so here they are.  My response when seeing them was YIKES!   

[alan webfoot]

that was the same response I had when I first saw it too!!! now he's pickled in the tanning oil and the body carved and fitted [lots of  trial and looking at pictures og gators to get the body shape right] It will be a resting pose with just the head out of the water ,and the rest of him submerged at an angle eyeing a meal on the bank

[bullwhipcracker]

You've got your work cut out for you for sure...
but I am betting it turns out just fine. Apoxie and black paint works wonders on gators.
Ron

[psycho]

You've got your work cut out for you for sure...
but I am betting it turns out just fine. Apoxie and black paint works wonders on gators.
Ron

Dang it Ron!  I hope Yeager doesn't see that.  He won't shut up if he does.  LOL

[RTPBearcat]

LOL

Took me a second glancing at the pictures to see the yikes....  then I saw it - YIKES.  I could not match all that back up very well.

[psycho]

LOL

Took me a second glancing at the pictures to see the yikes....  then I saw it - YIKES.  I could not match all that back up very well.

You could Mike but who in the hell would want to.  LOL  I think I am going to have to pass my screen name on to Alan after he does this.