So I decided to tan a coyote for the first time and it hasn't turned out great. I skinned it pretty good, getting everything but the end of it's nose. I double bagged it and put it in the freezer for about a week and a half. Got it out and washed it in Dawn soap and fleshed it and pulled the cartilage out of the ears. Then I salted it and rolled it up skin on skin and let sit 24 hours. Scraped salt off and covered it in salt again for another 24 hours. Then I put in a salt bath for 8 hours and last night when I removed it it had blue spots. Not everywhere just on the ears and one spot on the belly. I cut the ears off so they won't be an issue. What did I do wrong? I got salt in every nook and cranny.
A little bummed
- Thread starter rtaylor
- Start date
Brendan43
New member
Blue spots? I don't know what those are unless you mean an early season coyote. My next step would have been a pickle bath rather than plain salt. That involves adding enough acid to a salt solution of 1lb per gallon water to bring the pH under 2. I don't follow why you cut the ears off. Sounds unnecessary. Good luck. BTW- everybody screws a few up while learning. I'll bet I butchered 30 before I got a system down I could replicate consistently. Lutan-f is what I settled on. Inexpensive if you buy in bulk (per pelt that is).
wv_hillbilly
New member
Blue spots on the hide or in the fur? If they're in the hide it's fleas. That's what my fur buyer told me about an otter hide that had blue spots on the skin.