skinning and tanning raccoons

[ponybillp]

We have recentlly been infested with raccoons in our feed room. Five in freezer now and #six watched from bucket as #5 was carried away. How do we skin and tan and hopefully save skull? We need step by step instructions for beginners. We  would like to have these skins and skulls and tails for mountain man rendevous reenactments.

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

Step by Step instructions? You want a a taxidermy school then. There is plenty of reading in the archive, ( upper right at the old forum) Or you could purchase a skinning & tanning video, but I don't think they make one for coons in general. Because you will not be mounting them, you can skin them any way you want to, flesh all the meat and fat off, then freeze until you get your homework done on tanning. But nobody is going to type out step by step insturctions here when there is a pile of information in the archive already. Have fun researching, that is how you learn.

[Josh K]

are any of them babies if so I might be interested in buying some of them. Thanks 

[WOODS TO WALLS]

One, I skin all my coons with the ventral incision about 7 - 8 inches long from the rib cage, do not cut into meat, just the skin, then I skin the coon going around the sides then to the rear legs and rump area. Then start skinning up the back until you reach the front legs, invert the front legs while skinning and skin all the way to the toes, then go around the neck to the head. I stop there and then go to the face. I turn the lips, nose eyes, ect. then i return to the back of the head and carefully cutting close to the skull cut the ear canal away from the skull, once done on both sides thats it. Just flesh, spit and turn every thing, I then salt the hide for two days or so, then tan. I use Krowtann most of the time, but about any would work, just buy a tanning kit and it will come with instructions. 

               This is just a short go on what to do, your best bet is either a taxi school or videos. Hope this gets you started

 One more thing, Degrease, Degrease!!!  Use Dawn dishsoap or a degreasing agent after skinning, and fleshing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WOODS TO WALLS]

Good call 4000fps, I should have mentioned that..

[Maddog]

You may purchase a tanning kit and a skull cleanung kit, both for begginers, from the WASCO site.  They contain all the materials needed except for common things like salt or peroxide, and instructions.