"Harvesting" Tying Materials

I am not an amateur taxidermist, nor do I want to become one, but I am a hunter and outdoorsman in addition to a flyfisherman, and as such I was wondering how to use the game that is harvested more fully. Specifically what needs to be done to say furbearing animals to use the fur for tying. Do you need to tan the hide or a portion of it in order to keep it, or could you shave the fur from the skin to be stored in ziplock bags (dubbing)? Would there be a specific area of the animal only that you cuold do this with? I saw somewhere a reference to “red squirrel belly fur”. Is there reference material on this subject anywhere, diagrams showing areas to be harvested, etc?

Scrape it well, wash it in mild detergant, streatch and dry. Under most conditions that is all you need to do. In warmer weather you can coat the flesh side with borax although, this is usually not necessary. Store the clean, dry material in zio-lock bags with a few moth balls that contain paradychlorobenzine as the active ingrediant. I have handled several hundred pelts over the years as a trapper. I can tell you that clean fur is a joy to work with.

Just make sure air can circulate well around both sides of the pelt while it is drying.

You might also check with your local state game laws about keeping raw fur past the trapping or hunting season.

Enjoy

fishbum

I never kept any whitetail skin so I don’t know about that.

With rabbit, squirrel and birds I’ve skinned them, gotten as much of the flesh from the skin as I could and then salted and dried the skins. I’ve had some for years with no problems at all.

I’ve read that Borax works well too.

Hi Wizard,

Fishbum has it down to a science and sums up the harvesting process very well. If you would like some more detail, there is an excellent book published by Frank Amato that goes from start to finish with small animal, large animals, birds, etc.—you name it. The book is called “From Field to Fly” by Scott J. Seymour. The author even include some suggested patterns for each type of material. Only $10 bucks a couple of years ago. Good luck. 8T :slight_smile:

Wizard

It’s not difficult, the book mentioned I’ve heard is excellent although I have Eric Leisers book Fly-Tying Materials: Their Procurement, Use, and Protection

The last skin I did was a winter rabbit a neighbor gave me and I went to work on it quickly, I got the inner membrane off and washed the skin with dish soap and hot water. After rinsing I put hair conditioner through it and combed it out and rinsed it. I got my piece of plywood out and tacked the skin to it and then covered it with borax.

After checking for any wet spots for the next three weeks I brushed it off and the skin was like wax paper no smell and into a zip lock with a piece of flea collar and into my regular quarantine bag.

Didn’t get a single partridge this year so I never got totry doing a skin.

Fatman

Great info. In a post apocalyptic 21st century, these are very soon going to be necessary survival skills.

I’ve picked up fresh road-kill in season many times. If its dirty, wash it with warm water and washing detergent AFTER you skin it. Take off as much fat and meat as you can without expossing the hair roots. It will help dry it faster. Then, spread it onto a flat board using nails (hair side down). Spread salt(It will help dry the skin, keep off bugs, and help keep the hair on the skin) onto the skin. You can use borax to dry the skin too. Be sure to take off all the salt after the skin dries, because it will actract water and soak the skin during wet seasons. Seal it into a bag with some insect repelant( I use cloves) I have used this method on a few skins and still don’t have a problem.

I use this method for small skins. Tan larger skins. Hope tjis helps.:slight_smile:

Thanks guys!