Hide Pelt
How can I tan or preserve squirrel pelts?
Im 15 and my grandpa taught me to hunt and to trap last summer (Dont worry its perfectly legal where I live) but he never showed me how to tan or finish the skinned hides of squirrels rabbits coons and other stuff. He is not in the greatest condition and probobly wont be able to teach me, how can I learn to do this? Is there good videos? Books? Is there a quick explanation?
Steve,
I am a long time Alaskan hunter and trapper.
I would recommend finding a local tannery and sending them out.
Technically, every animal has enough brains to tan their own hide. You can brain tan, and, there are lots and lots of ways to home tan. Thing is - these always come out looking scruffy, stiff, and smell. I have never seen a home tanned hide I wanted to make a hat, glove, or a wall hanging from. That - and home tanning is a stinky, slow, nasty dirty job that will leave a garage smelling like death for years and years after you have stopped doing it.
The tannery is going to charge you top dollar the first time you ship to them. This is because most people ship hides that still have meat, fat, and are wet - the staff has to do allot of extra work fast to prevent them from rotting or growning mold. If you send them a few good hides - no meat, no fat, fat removed from paws, ears and lips turned - no salt and already streched and dry - they will cut a break on your tanning costs for the future. My tannery charges $45 to do a fox for everyone except professional trapeprs - they only charge us $12 because we do the prep work.
Ask any local taxidermist who they use for tanning. If they say they do it themselves - be sure to ask to see an example of their work! A properly tanned and tumbled fur should feel so nice you would consider it good enough to use as underware.
Hope this helps