/ Register

  1. Welcome to Taxidermy.net, Guest!
    We have put together a brief tutorial to help you with the site, click here to access it.

Salting A Possum

Discussion in 'Beginners' started by Katie T, Nov 11, 2019.

  1. Nov 11, 2019 #1
    Katie T

    Katie T Member

    30
    11
    Hello, y'all have helped me out a ton in the past so I figured I'd ask another question!
    I case skinned a possum and I'm salting it now, but it isn't drying near as fast as I'd like. Is there any way to speed this up? At this rate I'm worried about it rotting
     
    MixedupMel likes this.
  3. Nov 11, 2019 #2
    Frank E. Kotula

    Frank E. Kotula master, judge, instructor

    3,792
    1,881
    wilkes barre
    Not to worry, salt is removing the moisture from the skin. If your not of the process I’ll help you out
    Salt, fold and drain on an incline 24 max hrs, next day, shake off salt ( you don’t need to get it all off) then resalt the cape again and just hang to dry. now if it’s over three days and your shop is very humid, just place a fan near it as it’ll dry faster this way.
    Always remember this , it may be salt dried but any moisture near it will cause the hides , capes etc to rehydrate till that moisture it gone. hope thus helped ya
     
    MixedupMel, pir^2h, Tanglewood Taxidermy and 1 other person like this.

  5. Nov 11, 2019 #3
    Katie T

    Katie T Member

    30
    11
    Thanks for the reply! I've salted and tanned flat skins just fine, but how do I fold a case skinned hide?
     
    MixedupMel likes this.
  6. Nov 11, 2019 #4
    Frank E. Kotula

    Frank E. Kotula master, judge, instructor

    3,792
    1,881
    wilkes barre
    I just fold the head in the center, then ( hopefully you get my drift ) invert the the back end over the fold and prop it on my incline to drain.
     
    MixedupMel, Katie T and Micah Howards like this.
  7. Nov 12, 2019 #5
    Katie T

    Katie T Member

    30
    11
    Does it need to dry completely hard before going in the pickle? It's a little better but still a little flexible in places
     
    MixedupMel likes this.
  8. Nov 12, 2019 #6
    pir^2h

    pir^2h Retrievers give you the bird

    4,684
    5,055
    Tennessee
    I never did a opossum but I have done many foxes. I never let them completely dry. After the second salting and a twenty-four hour wait I place in the pickle and continue from there.
     
  9. Nov 12, 2019 #7
    Katie T

    Katie T Member

    30
    11
    That makes me feel so much better! I can't get it to completely dry for the life of me