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FossilFeather — Coyote Skinning Process
Published: 2009-11-15 23:38:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 9029; Favourites: 55; Downloads: 0
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Description
This is the coyote that was found as roadkill a couple nights ago. She has nice, thick winter fur and, since this is the largest animal I have yet skinned, she took five hours to skin out completely.
First picture is me and my friend after having only gotten one leg done!
Second picture is the fully skinned pelt of the coyote. I love her colors and thick fur.
Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! It was found already dead on the side of the road where it would have simply rotted away to nothing. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.
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Comments: 156
Like I said, it's just birds that are tricky. At least sparrows are. e_e Mamals are very easy to skin. Rodents are the easiest. If you want to learn mice and rats are best to start with- and bonus you can often get them free if you know someone with a rodent problem. Long as they check the traps often and get it to you right away or freeze it. Assuming they are using snap traps anyways. Glue traps are both inhumane and result in nothing being salavageable. Poison you can only save the bones since it thins tissues. But if you know anyone who is using snap traps you can ask them for their mice or rats.
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Cool I will have to look into that!
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A lot of people also buy frozen feeder rats as a starter point.
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cool I will have to see about getting some rats ^^
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You should be able to find them at any pet store in their snake food section XD
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thanks for the help
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No problem 
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Humans are buttheads... It's just for money, afterward money for nothing. I hate the humanity.
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what the fuck are you talking about?
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Can't believe you're 20, please, grow up.
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Whats your problem???
Skinning a coyote (or another animal) for money??? Cool... Be a proud animal abuser then... Grrrr.
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I would rather see a roadkill skinned than rotting
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The coyote was already dead when she found it.
Also, capitalism.
also also, I don't see why you're getting your panties in a bunch, letting it to go to waste would be even worse
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She's a butthead for scavenging and not wasting?
Also she doesn't sell her collection so where does this money come from?
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By chance do you remember how much this female weighed? Just out of curiosity. She looked fat, but it could just be the angle of the picture.
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If I remember correctly, she was about 27-29 pounds.
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It's kinda neat how you can see the muscle structures, probably very helpful for those seeking to learn more about anatomy. Beautiful fur too, I love those earthy shades and the floof <3
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Very nice coyote.
I've seen dead ones on the road, but see them too late or the roadkill crew pick them up. I'm waiting for spring to a retrieve an almost if not complete roadkill coyote skeleton on a highway by me.
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Cool! Good luck with your coyote skeleton!! 
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FIVE Hours to skin a coyote? HOLY CRAP. Sorry! Just had to say that... Cause thats a REALLY long time for a yote... Even for your first... 2 things that will make your next job easier... Razor Blades (like for paint scraping) and Hang that thing up by the back legs... They will both make your life WAY easier...
Anyway.... Looks like ya did a nice, clean job. Have fun with the tanning! Get a good Degreaser! Coyotes have ALOT of oils/fats in their skin as well as oils in their fur that all need to come out.
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Yesh. Five hours. *looks up guiltily* Do you use the razor blades to make the incisions? Or do you use them to cut the skin away from the body too? I think I'd prefer something rather dull for that part but I'd LOVE to have a nice sharp tool for the major cut lines.
I've always wondered about how one would go about skinning the hind legs of an animal hung by them. Do you skin out the body and front legs then take it down and finish off by doing the hind legs and tail?
And thanks! I did use a nice degreaser for her and she turned out beautifully.
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Sharp Knife to make the first cuts. One with a good point and a nice taper works best. I usually use a 6" boning knife(kitchen knife). Then a razor blade for most everything else. Or a shorter sharp knife. Dull Knives are annoying and dangerous.
My process is as follows...(I'll remember to take photos for a tutorial one of these days....) And this applies to everthing... From rabbits to Horses.
Make Incision from Back foot to Back foot. Skin out hock joint and disjoint the rear feet. Hang by a hook or gambrel from my hoist. Skin down as far as you can, Disjoint tail. Make Belly incision or rug cut (if that's what I'm doing) or make a relief cut on the front legs if I am leaving it cased. Peel, Skin all the way down to the head. Disjoint front feet, And either Skin out the head or Disjoint the head. Depending on the speices and age of the animal sometimes I will skin out the feet on the carcass and not disjoint them. But I have back issues so its easier for me to skin sitting down so I would rather skin out the feet and head while sitting, than argue with the whole critter standing up to get the toes out...
Then I Skin out the feet, split and Skin the tail and skin out the head if I haven't already. Turn the lips, eyes, ears and nose, Flesh if I'm gonna salt or Wash and put them into a pickle and shave/flesh then.
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if you do this again, you'll do a fleshing progress?
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I have some info on fleshing here: [link] and here: [link] Hope that helps!
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A lousy ex-table knife. I really need to invest into getting something more appropriate for the job.
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on taxidermy.net i saw someone say they used a mezzaluna
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Ah, I need a good skinning knife. I'd think the mezzaluna would be better suited as a fleshing knife.
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i only have one. i found it in Target
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>: aww i wants a skinning buddy.
but the closest one that would do it lives in FL.
beauuutiful~ coloration on the yote!
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She looks so soft!
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I put it under a big wooden box so nature can clean the flesh off for me. Once that's done, I collect the bones and after cleaning them, add them to my collection.
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LOL that's clever
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That's interesting. Does the skin kinda peel off or do you have to tug at it a little?
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On tiny animals like the mouse or the chipmunk, it kind of peeled off but anything larger, you really have to work at it and, while tugging, cut gently away at the membrane holding the skin to the muscle.
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That's interesting. I told my mom i might want to do that stuff and she said no! *sighs* Mothers
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Now I have a question...
How is it handled in your laws if you find a roadkill? Do you not have to inform the local ranger? I just wonder.
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I'm not sure, I haven't researched it thoroughly. I tried to find some info on it online once but didn't turn anything up and haven't pursued the information since.
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by god thats a amazing yote! you did such a good job skinning her and she was road kill so of course thats makes the world happy!
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Thank you very much! She was an incredible find and I too am thrilled to be able to make use of something that would have just gone to waste on the side of the road.
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ya i wish i could find one i see them always to late maybe i might stop by again on the skin thats left to pick out the skulls and clean them out.
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Oh, definitely! Be warned though, many of the skulls from roadkills are shattered. It's always worth checking though.
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ya , i'll still try i know this is illegal but im also going to pick up some hawks and owls for their feathers.
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Heh, I don't blame you. I'd never, ever try hunting them, but I found a dead one, I'd collect the feathers and bones too. Do you know if you have barn owls in your area?
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i bet we do i just see them along side the road i live in the vally outside of town in a small housing track so we get alot of yotes and rabbits running around hawks every where.
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That's lucky. We have decent wildlife here, I guess, but I wish there were more hawks and owls!
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i guess since i have them they dont seem that spectacular i hardly see anything other then cows.
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