So this morning I caught my first "keeper" coon. While skinning I hand split the tail for the first few inches then put on the tail puller. With one stiff pull I puller the spine down the back instead of the tail coming free. From there on out I tried to hand split it and ended up losing the last 2 or 3 inches of tail. I was heated! Amy advice for a rookie?

same happend to me..idk how to avoid it but a lose on the tail off a coon will not affect the price from what ive heard..i used 2 nails and it happend to me

I hand roll/skin (but no slit) them a couple inches down. Think of rolling a sock down your leg a couple inches. Then I grab the base of the tail and pull straight down with the puller, while pulling straight up with the other hand on the tail base.

It may take a couple times to get the hang of using the tail puller...but once you do...you won't even think about how you use it. I had a couple of my firsts that ended up "short" tailed too...LOL. Now it's a no brainer.

I think of it as pushing the fur off the bone. Hold the bone in one hand and tailpuller in the other then push in opposite directions, Later Longear

Thanks guys.

A split tail shouldn't result in a downgrade at auction, no matter how far down. As a matter of fact, coons at auction without tails should in theory be worth no less than coons of the same size with tails. That being said, you'll find that stripping a tail comes much easier if you split it a couple of inches, start to "roll" it like was mentioned above (past the split) and then pull it off. If you go far enough a puller is an uneccesary tool - I've got a couple laying around, but just used my middle and ring finger to strip. Hope that helps.

you're supposed to split the tails in order to flesh and dry them properly according to all the fur prep information i've read. so why not split the tail 1/2-2/3 of the way right at the start and then peel it? that's what i do and it's very easy. in fact, when i don't split the tail more than 1/3 of the way and then try to pull it i usually have hair pulling through, or the tail just pulls free from the spine.

You split it the rest of the way after its pulled from the bone.

i dont even use a puller if tehy are still somehwat hot i just cut down about 4 inches on fox and then use my hand to pull,if theya re a lil cold i cut down about half way and do it with my hand,and i can probly do it as fast as someone thats usein a puller if not faster as long as my knife is sharp

I did the same thing twice this morning.. split about 3 inches down and then tried to pull the rest free and ended up busting off the bottom couple of inches. I was thinking I was loosing money by doing it so I just cut the tail off on the next two and put it in the freezer until someone with more knowledge couple teach me the right way.
Glad to know i am not alone!

If you end up breaking the tail bone off, use a large pair of vice grips to hole onto the tail where it broke. Skin down the tail a little farther and use your tail puller. The vise grips will give you something to hold onto.

When using your puller, pull the tail bone out of the puller, don't try to pull the tail off with the puller. I stand on one hind foot, grab the other foot and pull, then make my first cut from one foot to the other. Then keeping my foot on the coons foot, I roll the coon so I can step on the other hind foot. I am then looking down at the south end of the coon. I grab the tail and pull tight, cut from halfway up the tail to the anus, then from the anus to the first cut on both sides, hang it on the gambrel and get down to buisness. For me it saves a ton of time and cutting the tail halfway like that makes even the tough old boar tails easy to pull. Hope this helps.

Tons of good advice here Livetrap. I can't add anything but to sum up; skin or roll down as far as you need to to make it easy to pull. Like was mentioned, old boar coons can be tough. Might have to skin or roll 3/4 of the way down before you can pull the tail bone out.

And one hand and on the puller, one hand one the base of the skinned tail. Don't just yank down on the puller. Oh, and I grip the skun tail with a rag, makes it a lot less slippery.

wow, i'll try these on the next one i get. thanks again.

I just a cloths pin to pull the tail off first I skin half way down then hold the tail in 1 hand cloths pin in the other then pull.