Always wanted to tann/taxidermy i admit to bringing road kill home this morning it seems to have come out of riggermortis (sp) since then. can i freaz it or something 'till i can learn how to clean it? i'v only had expierience with porcipine quills that ended in black chigger things all over me so i'm a bit tenetive! (this one has'nt spent a weak on the black top) Please help
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Where do you live? What kind of animal is it? Unless you live up close to the north pole, your roadkill will not be good. In the middle of the summer the hair on mammals is just not suitable for taxidermy. Just one hour in the heat at temperatures of around 80 degrees induces hairslippage. Your critter was most likely killed during the late evening or night hours. It may have been killed sooner than that. No way of knowing unless you drove along that patch of road the day before and it wasn't there yet. Either way it layed there in the heat for several hours. You can use it if you want to practise on skinning and maybe fleshing, but that's about it. Don't even bother with tanning it. It's not going to work. For that get a good fresh specimen in the wintertime.
Take your fingers and grab the belly hair. I bet they will still be in your hand when you pull them away from the animal. If so it is shot! it is slipping. If you do pick up road kill it is best to pick up freshly killed. Not to mention not smashed into a pancake. The next thing is to freeze solid until you have time to work on it. This will also kill any little critters that may be living on it such a ticks and fleas.
Hope this helps you out.
Later
Me
If it still had the riggers, it couldn't/shouldn't/wouldn't be THAT bad!?! Oh Dear...
You might be surprised what delinquency can/has/does occur...
I know, cuz it took me WAY long with my first roadkill!
Yes, freeze or skin it ASAP - there's a good chance it will make it!
Be aware that you can freeze the skinned/unskinned hide regardless if the carcass is in or out!
If your feeling lucky, try skinning & freeze only the hide...
Hence, minimizing precious freezer space **AND** possible determent of those nosey refrigerator police!
WINK!
P.S. If you can freeze the carcass separate, it is a good idea. This will allow you to purchase, build, or cast a form for it at a later date. If you can't, take measurements & pictures for reference!
Best Wishes!
:-D
thanks to all for answering my question(it was a verilly fresh kill) i got a little spooked by it going out of rigger just before sticking it in the ice box so i got rid of it, but now i seem to be sizeing up at all the cute little animals in the yard.
i'm hopeing to get good enough to tann a red deer hide in scotland next month so that i can bring it though customs, does anyone know the fastest way to preserve a hide?