I am going to do my first chipmunk mount pretty soon, and i was wondering what to use for the tail. Do i just use a wire? Also when deboning small mammal tails i know that you use like two dowls/screwdrivers or what ever, but then do you pull the hide up of the tail, or do you pull the tail down out of the hide. Please explain this. In the archives they just say grab and pull which is not very descriptive. thanks -Sam
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Usually it's not a problem and the tail won't completely pull through
but on something the size of a chipmunk when you are ready to pull the
tail bone out, use your other hand and just use your thumb and forefinger
to hold against the base of the tail/hide and it shouldn't invert anyway.
You can use a wire in the tail but I would add a little caulk in the
tail as well.
Good luck.
Bob
Hi.
Chipmunks are my specialty!
Okay, here's how I de-bone the tail.
1) Fill a very fine needle/syringe (no larger than 25 gauge) with .5cc saline. Using pickle is ok too.
2) Grasp tail in non-dominant hand. Inject the tail about 1/16" after where your cut ends (assuming a cased or open approach).
3) Watch the tail. When the end curls automatically, you've filled the tail.
4) Scoot the skin a little. Make sure to work that saline in.
5) Take a forceps or locking tweezers, and grasp the tail bone in them with dominant hand. With non-dominant hand, hang on to the tail.
6) Gently rock the tail bone a tiny, tiny bit each time. If you do this often you will be able to get the tail bone out perfectly in 10 scoots or less. You will spend approx. 1 min. or less on the tail "skinning".
7) Fill the tail sack with pickle or saline now.
- this method will not necessarily break the tail end off. If you're careless, you may break the tail, but chippers are so small that you can just super glue the tail back onto the form without the seam showing at all. Or you can sew it back on like I do. I use extra fine cotton/nylon thread and a 7/0 (tiny) needle.
Use cotton batting around a wire for the tail, or use a tiny bit of apoxie-sculpt around the tail wire. It will need to be a tapering or very small wire as the end of the tail is only 18 gauge "in real life".
Tan the pelt, you'll be very happy with the results.
Only the base of the tail needs heavy fleshing. If you split the tail to the tip, you can flesh/shave it all the way to the tip if you're bored. Careful of the hair roots.
You can turn the ears using blunt tip forceps with or without injection. If you split teh ears, just super glue the split shut once on the form. Easy as pie.
Chipmunks are great. Mount many.