Just finished skinning my first otter and I'm not so sure I want to skin another. It seemed fairly ignorant the whole way thru.
Any tips would be appreciated.

Helps me to use a ball peen hammer between the front legs on the chest area, have to cut em the whole way, nothing easy about skinning otter.

Hang them so the back legs are a bit higher than your waist.Once you get them skinned around the back legs and tail you can use your fist and upper body weight to push the skin right off up to the front legs. Sort of curl the skin around your fingers as you make a fist then punch it right down.Then a few cuts with the knife then use your knee to push the skin the rest of the way to the ears.

Thanks fellas. I'll maybe try one more time lol.

When your skinning the tail start your cut at the very tip of the tail. It's a lot easier to maintain a straight line up to the vent.

Beav, I’ve got one to skin this afternoon, I’m going to try it, your hammer trick is the best.

Yep otter and coyote are the worst. With coyote number 1. The ball peen sure helps though.

Not sure I understand what you're doing with the ball peen hammer?

I tried the opening tail cut on the otter, I didn’t like it going against the hair, I did it base to tip.

NW, when you get to the front legs, it’s hard to know were to cut between them on the chest, with a ballpeen hammer you can gently pound the hide down so you can poke your finger under leg, release the legs and then continue with neck and head. The Beav is who taught us.

Thanks newfox. At this point I don't gaf to catch another one.

And after skinning, you have the fleshing to look forward to!
Thats always fun, the tail especially

Lol. I know. All that for $40. Good money. Lol

Skin and put -up otter like a mink. Keep the fur damp/moist while skinning and fleshing, NOT WET. It may also be boarded mildly damp. ------To facilitate ease in fleshing the tail, slit and cross hatch the beads of fat being careful not to cut the leather.------ Keep the tail a natural shape when boarding. Rather than pinning out the tail use ¼ inch wire mesh or cardboard to hold in down while drying. Dry Otters slowly in an area that is away from heat. Proper drying temperatures range from 40°f–60°f in an area with good air circulation.

You can cleanskin otter.
Rough skinned otter can also be fleshed over your knee like rough skinned beaver.Its easier on the delicate guardhair than beaming.

I also skinned my first otter today and plan on fleshing it tomorrow. If a person plans on self tanning one, is it necessary to board it and dry it first? Can you just go straight to the tanning steps?

I've skinned and fleshed 1000s of otter In fact In a few weeks we will be at It again. I find fleshing the tail to be very easy. With your fleshing knife just take off one edge at a time. Then you can go down the middle.
Newfox1 what was the problem going against the grain?
Another trick to skinning the tail Is once it's opened and you have opened up both sides along the tail bone just slide you knife through to ope up a slot between the bone and the skin. Then take hold of the tail bone with one hand and the hide with the other hand and pull the hide away from the bone. Works pretty good.

A few other tips are once you get the tail skinned out and the otter hung up cut off the tail bone so It Isn't swing around and hitting you In the face. The other tip Is to cut off the front feet just around the wrist area.

Beav, put together a list of otter tips, you have much knowledge.

Beav, I guess it was just different, I just got pretty good at opening them butt to tip. Lol

And those with skinning machines be very careful. Otter just seem to pull In half when your using a machine.