To skin a fox:
Grab opposite leg and pull until completely stretched.
Take knife and cut from the heel you're holding up to the one that is tied off.
Grab the tail
Cut from the tail to the line you've cut from heel to heel, cutting around vent
Cut around heels.
Pull hide down from leg that is tied.
Tie up other leg and do the same. Both legs should be tied.
Work your finger in between the tailbone and back-hide.
With a tail stripper or a pair of pliers, pull tail out, leaving it attached to carcass.
Grab the hide and pull down until the shoulders are exposed.
Work your fingers in under the armpits, and pull the legs out as much as you can.
Cut off, careful not to cut the fur.
Continue to pull hide over head, cutting the ears off close to the skull.
Cut around the eyes, careful not to cut the rims.
Cut the lips loose.
Cut the nose off leaving it attached to the hide.
Turn the base of the ear, or the whole ear. This is where you pull the skin loose from the back of the ear cartilage. You do not cut it off else you get giant holes. You leave the ear base on, you just turn the ears so that the tanning solution penetrates easier.
Once on the stretcher, cut the lower jaw off.
Remove any large chunks of meat and fat, but do not 'flesh' them traditionally as you will tear the hide.
Turn skin out for 8-24 hours, then turn fur out.
If you're skinning for taxidermy and want to
keep the feet on, make the same initial cuts of heel to
heel, but instead of cutting around the anus, cut one cut
down the side. Then, remove some of the rectum and leave
attached to the hide. Skin the back feet down completely to
the last toe digit, cutting it off at the bone with nail
attached. Be sure to cut out the fatty tissue in the pads,
as this will be replaced with clay later. For the front
legs, an incision is made below the elbow to above the
largest pad. You skin the foot out from there, as the way a
fox's foot is designed, you cannot pull the hide over the
foot. Then when you get to the head, you have to not only
turn the ears, but be sure to split the skin around the eyes
so you have something to tuck into your form, around the
lips, and split the septum of the nose cartilage after
you've skinned the nose cutting off very little. Be careful
when fleshing the head that you don't cut the follicles of
the whiskers as they'll fall out.
Lil Bit
wild-about-trapping forums
