Got My Skull Back

BUTCHER45

BUTCHER45

Member
I got my Coyote skull, and salted tail back from the taxidermist.

Here they are, along with my custom cow-horn howler made by BearManRic of RR game calls (thanks PM!).

The skull got the dermestid beatle treatment, and came out very nice. The tail just got stripped and salted (didn't want to mess it up doing it myself).

The RR Howler is beautiful, sounds AWESOME, and is MUCH easier to use than the store-bought howler I had been practicing with. I am going to try to call one in with it on my next outing.


http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/TrophyandPrize011.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/TrophyandPrize019.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/TrophyandPrizeSkull008.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/TrophyandPrizePrize005.jpg
 
Quote:
The tail just got stripped and salted (didn't want to mess it up doing it myself).



Don't be afraid to try tanning the tail yourself, I do it all the time.

The basic formula for the tanning solution is:

2 oz Oxalic acid
1 pint of coarse pickling salt
1 gallon of water

Remove the bone from the tail (the fresher the better, easier stripping). I use a tail stripper that I bought at Sportsman's Warehouse.

Then carefully slit the tail right to the tip on the underside, I use a small pair of surgical scissors.

Check out this link as they sell the tail stripper and also a tail slitting guide so you can use a knife.

http://ww.montgomeryfur.com/index1.htm ( just add the missing w in ww)

Once my tail is split I then try and remove any excess fat and flesh, some times the base of the tail has a lot of fat. I then use brake cleaning fluid in an aerosol can to spray the areas that had fat and give the tail a good scrapping with a dull knife. The degreasing solution won't hurt the tail.

Then I comb the tail (gets the burs and any excess hair out) and give it a good washing in water and a good hair shampoo.

Ring out the tail and drop it in the tanning solution that you made up. I usuually keep the tail in the tan for 3 to 4 days, stirring it as often as I think about it.

In 4 days take the tail out, squeeze out the liquid and then drop it in a gallon of water with a handful of baking soda to neutralize the acid. I usually leave it in the solution for 20 minutes, agitating and stirring it.

Then out of the solution, ring it out well and another wash in water and hair shampoo, ring it out again and start the drying process.

I was using the wife's hair dryer until she caught me so know I have one of my own. I jam the dryer into my 6" vice so that I have both hands free for the combing. So it's basically dry and comb, dry and comb until all the fur is dry and free of excess hair and burs.

The actual tanned hide will still be wet at this time so usually I make a small hole at the top so I can put some string thru and hang it out in the sun to dry.

If you want a nice soft tail then as the tanned skin drys you have to work it to break up the fibres, just streching and rolling it with the hands.

With a tail that has been salted it's super dehydrated so you have to throw it in a pail of water and walk away from it for half a day to alow it to absorb the water it lost. Then just follow my instructions.

What I do is carry my tail stripper with me and if I'm not going to save the whole hide I strip the tail and throw it into a Zip Lock bag. I usually end up with 3 or 4 tails in the freezer (don't tell the wife!) and tan them at the same time.

The tanning solution is probably good for 6 but all the ingredients are cheap so don't take a chance....just remember to split the tail right to the tip, if you don't you may get a small pocket of air trapped and the tanning solution won't get in. This happened to me once and when I was combing all the hair on the last 3 inches of the tail slipped off.

I buy my Oxalic acid from The Science Company in Colorado 1-800-372-6726

Good luck and have fun.
 
I lost my head once. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif




Congatualtions on getting your skull back.

(Looks great!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Quote:
where can i get a skull done this way?




Look for a taxidermist that uses Dermestid Beetles to clean the skull. Those beetles seem to get every little tiny bit of flesh off, preventing any yellowing affect from taking place.

I'm sure the taxidermist does a thing or two to it afterwards as well. I can't remember what he said he would do after the beetles did their job.
 
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