I am currently tanning a porcupine in Krowtann and I am wondering about grooming him when I mount him. Will using compressed air "fluff" him enough or do I need to brush him some how? Also during the drying prosess, do I need to primp on the quills and hair for the first day or two to get them to stand up? or will I just end up pulling the quills out?
Also if any one knows were I can get some good refrence photos of porcupines (Alaskan) it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for any input,
Steve
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http://www.micktravels.com/alaska/highways/78b-porcupine.jpg Peace-Jeff F.
Or you'll have quills all over the place. Many quills have been shed and are trapped in the wooly fur underneath. Air would blow them free. I use a wide curry comb and try to taxi the skin forward so that they set up naturally. Use a good epoxy hide paste underneath to hold the skin forward.
Use plenty of good hide paste and hang the porky upside down till quills are dry and set. Don't groom, the quills come out soooooo easy!
Thats what I use, and two of them. You can bring the skin forward with it and adjust, plus shingle the quills with fewer falling out, like these guys mentioned.
Would a regulating needle be sort of like what I use to adjust bird skins? I use a piece of stainless steel wire sharpend on one end to move my bird skins.
Will the quills set and not be as fragile when the porcupine dries completly or will they allways be easy to pull or fall out?
I know from the "orange button" every body was saying that porcupines smell but I think that was a little bit of an understatement.....WOW!
A bicycle spoke with a wooden handle as a regulating tool.