I have a couple questions about air drying pelts for hanging on the wall. If they are are dried and not salted wont bacteria build up and cause hair slip? Also how come some are stretched fur in and some are stretched fur out. Is there a certain list for which way an animal should be stretched? thanks-Sam
Return to Lifesize Mammal Taxidermy Category Menu
Because air dryed skins are tanned. After the fur buyers receive the pelts, they're sold to an auction house. The auction house then sell the furs to garments manufactures all over the world. The garment manufactures then have the fur tanned, then made into garments. As for stretching fur. Coyote, fox, bobcat, lynx, wolverine, and wolves are stretched fur side out. They're first stretched fur side in, but just so they're partially dryed. Then they're turned fur side out to complete the drying. Mink, raccoon, muskrats are dryed skin side out. The only thing different is the raccoon. Where a 4" window is cut out of the belly so the fur buyers can examine the back fur. Also you'll get better furs for your fox, coyote, bobcat if you use wooden expandable stretchers. Beaver can either be stretched on hoops, or nailed to plywood. I personally use 1/2" plywood which is cut 4x4 sheets. These then are stored in racks to allow the air to circulate around them. They must also be wiped off everyday while drying to remove the grease that will leach out of the skin. All fur should dry in a temperature of around 60 to 62 degrees.
Coyote
Thanks! But why does it matter which way they dry?
Air drying in of itself does not cause bacterial buildup. It's air drying in the wrong conditions that can cause bacteria to start eating a pelt. This can happen to a salted or an air dried skin. If the skin is not tanned, it's not safe. If you store an air dried skin in the proper conditions, it will hold up for years - but a house or a hunting cabin is NOT proper conditions!
Addition to coyote's list: skunks and weasels are fur-in. Fisher are fur-out. The size of the raccoon window is a matter of taste, some will only slit the belly, some will cut the fur away.
Skins are sold fur-in or fur-out based on fur buyer and auction house demand.
If you don't know how to put up your fur, sell it green or don't trap.
i have a deer shoulder mount that my kid brother tried for his first 1 he never washed the cape in a degreaser or dish soap and the mount is finished 2 days ago now it is drying will it hurt it or stay grease looking.
If you plan on air drying a fur pelt, I would like to advise that you shoud be aware that air dryed pelts kept for a longer period of time are suceptible to insect damage. I had a beaver pelt that I trapped in the winter and kept over the summer in a open air dried condition in my basement.
Unfortunately, the bugs decided that they preferred it as an easy meal. Thankfully, they didn't get into a salted bear hide, which was laying adjacent to the beaver pelt. I would recommend that if you are storing pelts that are normally greasy, do not keep the skin out over more than a season. Usually trappers in our area in Canada, freeze their beaver and racoon pelts if they plan on selling them the next year at a fur sale. Unfortunately, I learned that lesson the hard way!