over the past years, I've never found an easy way to slit the tail on a coyote or a fox. Thats the part I dread most with each one. I just can't get it straight and though I never have, I'm afraid I'm going to pull the end off. Any advice?
Thanks in advance
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I always skin the tail down as far as possible (the base of the tail)
then clamping around the tail bone with pliars to hold the skin, pull out the tail bone.
Then it is very easy to run a scapel down the cavity, splitting all the way to the tip of the tail.
Bill,
That sounds like suggestion I'm going to try, but what makes the bone turn loose of the skin...does it turn it inside out and is it likely to break off the tip if it does?
When you pull on it hard enough, it will just turn loose and slide
out . The bone comes out all the way to the tip.
Larry, that's the method I use also. I take a pair of COMMON pliers, the ones with the pipe jaws inside the noses and I hold just the head of the pliers. I let the pipe wrench grasp into the meat slightly and I pull down and compress gently until the tail comes completely off. The constant pressure keeps the hair from turning under and pulling through as you get near the tip end of the tail. Then as Bill said, I slit it open. Of course, this won't work on raccoons or otters and the like.
I might explain that you must pull the tail through the Middle
part of the pliars. The bone will slide through, but the pliars will hold the skin. It will bunch up somewhat, but doesn't hurt it.
At one time, there was a "tail puller" on the market,patented by a
friend of mine, but I don't know if it is still available.It was made to hold the skin around the bone while pulling it out. Pliars work
fine.
may be the "tail puller" described by Bill. It is available through Research Mannikins. It has diminishing hole sizes and is so simple to use even I can do it.....
sounds a lot quicker and easier than the way I've been doing it.
I don't know if you are going to read this article again Larry but pick up a Fur-Fish-Game magazine. It has a lot of trapper supply places carry tail strippers and they are very cheep.
Try trapping suppliers,get the tail puller tool and the tail slitting guide and you are set to go.And you CAN use the puller on coons,but you have to skin the tail down some more than you do on fox.With a fresh fox you do not need to make any cuts to the tail at all before pulling.The tail slitter is great,its a peice of shaped aluminum with a groove all the way down,you insert it into the tail skin and put the knife tip to the skin and slide it down.The guide has the metal back of the groove to keep you from cutting the tail to heck,all it allows to be cut is the underside and its perfect.
do you have a web site or a phone no. for a trapping supplier?
Thanks
Larry
http://www.snareshop.com/Fur_Handling.html
tail puller is 2.95,slitter 2.00,look more towards the bottom of the page
Snareshop is a good company too.
pick up a pair of crab claw crackers(red lobster ext...)works great as a tail puller for me .