Road kill fox tails

[jkilroy]

How long does it take to get the smell out of road kill fox tails? I have two that I've had a few months that still have some smell to them.

[William Fitzgerald]

Most tails I debone,slit under the tail and get out most of the bone scrape the flesh then dry with twenty mull team Borax. I do skins squirrel and buck tails this way. No smell BILL

Also wash in Dawn to remove dirt and blood

[James Smith]

Occasionally I will not de-bone a squirrel becasue they are small and the tails have minimal flesh so they dry out okay. A fox tail however has much more flesh and must be de-boned to prevent rot. You may find that the fur is starting to "slip" on you already if you've waited that long. with a fox tail. I always slit the tail, remove the bone and scrape as much of the flesh as I can off the skin. I then apply lots of 20 mule team borax and let it dry in a cool dry spot for 3-4 weeks.

Jim Smith

[EdD]

That will also depend on what the smell is...
(seriously)


Ed

[Lake Erie High Ball]

Freezing it will kill the bacteria that cause the smell. Defrost in the borax to de odorize, and like said before clean and get all the meat off of it FRIST.

[Gringo2]

Foxes stink unless chemically tanned.

[jkilroy]

I bought a full red fox tail that was not de boned, I think and it dosen't stink. I know borax was used on it.

[EdD]

Freezing it will kill the bacteria that cause the smell. Defrost in the borax to de odorize, and like said before clean and get all the meat off of it FRIST.

Actually, freezing probably won't kill off a lot of the encapsulated bacteria. It's one of the reasons that they encapsulate. Steam is the best thing for that. Steam is NOT, however, the best thing for fur/hair. Dehydration is certainly a good thing. If the tails are contaminated with urine or excrement, then washing well is in order. If the flesh is rotten, discarding might be the best plan.

Ed