#576679 - 02/12/08 11:43 PM
GRAY FOX PUT UP, Part 1 (Skinning)
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Cameron2
trapper
Registered: 01/01/07
Posts: 907
Loc: Nevada
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OK, I decided if this was going to be any good at all, it had to be detailed. There are lots of photos, so I divided the entire process into several parts. The first part is skinning. Most of you already know this stuff, but hey, you never know.
The first step is cut the front legs off of your fox, half way between the wrist and the elbow. I do this with a worn out pair of cable cutters.
Next, I find it easier to suspend the fox at eye level. I usually just hang by one back foot, but some like to use both back feet to avoid the fox spinning all the time.
Start your incision on one back heel with your knife blade pointed up, and run the incision toward the anus.
Once there, angle around the vent itself, so that you preserve the anal glands that lie just below the surface of the anal ring (that hairless circle back there). More on removing and saving glands a little later.
Now go to the other back foot and make a similar incision back toward the anus to connect the two incisions.
Free the tissue around the tail. I use a pair of pliers to loosely grasp the tail base, and the pule out the tail bone.
Free up all the tissue around the anal area.
Now pull the skin toward the head. Usually it will pull all the way until the armpits are exposed.
Some trappers use a rod to stick in the armpits, but I usually just use my thumbs until I punch through.
Then pull down and the front legs will pop out.
Continue pulling toward the head. A gray fox has big ears and a small neck, so you may have to apply a little Borax here to get a better grip. Drive your thumbs down into the neck skin to loosen the ears.
Now pull the skin forward and it should "roll over" the ears until the ear bases are exposed. Cut them off near the skull.
With the knife angle against the skull, skin around the eyes, being careful not to make bug ugly eyeball holes.
Pull the skin off the nose, freeing it with your knife as necessary.
There, our fox is skinned and ready to be fleshed, which is part 2.
Edited by Cameron2 (02/13/08 12:15 AM)
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#576877 - 02/13/08 07:21 AM
Re: GRAY FOX PUT UP, Part 1
[Re: PAFOXTRAPPER55]
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redneck_cowboy
trapper
Registered: 07/12/07
Posts: 3733
Loc: Scott County,Virginia...14
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Nice post!
_________________________
 Summer groundhogin so far 11
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#577129 - 02/13/08 10:14 AM
Re: GRAY FOX PUT UP, Part 1
[Re: Freepop]
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big ab
trapper
Registered: 05/07/07
Posts: 1258
Loc: georgia
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Very nice posts.
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Every man must know his limitatons, I have none. 
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#577242 - 02/13/08 11:30 AM
Re: GRAY FOX PUT UP, Part 1
[Re: big ab]
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Corey Hain
trapper
Registered: 12/26/06
Posts: 925
Loc: Nebraska
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Could you go through the "tail stripping" one more time, and a little slower for me Cameron?? :-)
Great post's, thanks for taking the time to do them.
you da man
_________________________
******Make welfare as hard to get as a building permit.******
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#577316 - 02/13/08 12:23 PM
Re: GRAY FOX PUT UP, Part 1
[Re: Cameron2]
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Corey Hain
trapper
Registered: 12/26/06
Posts: 925
Loc: Nebraska
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I did that on one fox out of the fifty we skinned that week dude...LOL I'm surpised you had forgotten about that :-)
_________________________
******Make welfare as hard to get as a building permit.******
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I had forgotten all about your skinning technique there Corey.
