Fleshing around the Face and Paws

S

sureshotshane

New member
Hello, The last couple days I’ve gotten into some gray fox while calling. I just recently got proper fur handling equipment, my plan is to send them to the tannery and make things out of them but also for wall hangers. I fleshed the body out real good , turned the ears easy enough, but I’m wondering how much fleshing needs to be done around the face of foxes and coyotes, there seems to be a good layer of meat on the face and it’s really hard to get, the fleshing knife doesn’t seem like the best tool because all the texture of the face, it seems easy to make a hole, also it’s taking me forever will just a knife.

How do you all do it? Do you need to worry about it at all? I don’t want to send an improperly fleshed hide to the tannery, and just want the best possible product I can, something my wife will like. And my worry is the all the little random bits of flesh and fat specifically around the face and paws that is hard to remove will make a bad finished product.

Also, I’m skinning out all the paws down to the last joint on the claw because I like that look better for wall hangers, and its good practice. How much time do you spend getting the glob of fat off that’s on the opposite side of the pad? When I tried to remove it, I always seem to end up cutting through the other side. Just leave it? Not worry?

This applies for both gray fox and coyote.

I’d be happy to take pictures of the current product I’m working with so maybe someone can tell me if it’s ready to send off to the tannery.
 
They will buff the face don't get to carried away, get the big chunks and you'll be good.
leave the pad fat, also don't turn them ship them fur in. should turn out fine.
 
Thanks, that's what I was hoping someone would say. I've attached photos just to be sure that it's looking acceptable.







I edited photos because they weren’t working.

Any advice is appreciated.



 
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