Author Topic: Skunk Skinning (Read 1775 times)

tipiguy · « **on:** October 24, 2003, 02:20:44 AM »

I trapped my first skunk last night in a live trap. I tossed trap and all in the pond and drown it. After a long while I pulled the trap out and dumped out the skunk. I did smell it so I guess he squirted in the water.

Now what? Do I skin it like a coon? How do you get rid off the smell from the fur? All help is greatly appeciated.

Tipiguy

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #1 on:** October 24, 2003, 10:26:03 AM »

I believe you skin em just like most ; cased. Now I can't remember which is which but either T-man or RdFx is the skunk expert and the one left is the grinner king.

Dan Mich Trapper · « **Reply #2 on:** October 24, 2003, 03:05:10 PM »

After one sprays , I burry it about two feet down for two days and then dig it up . Most of the smell is gone . As far as skinning , just like a coon but stear clear of its bunghole . Once the skin is off , you will see its stink glands on each side of its bung . Once you see them , you will have a better Idea of how to get around them next time .

RdFx · « **Reply #3 on:** October 24, 2003, 03:23:38 PM »

Well skinning skunks is just as easy as muskrats. They peel VERY easy. The skunks glands are right next or along side the anus. The glands are large and about size of bvr oil sacs. Start skinning skunk if for fur by ringing feet and running knive fm rear heal to rear heal like coon. Keep yr cut line above anus and you wont hit gland. You can pickup skin by anus and put pt of skinning knive under skin and lift up and push forward going along side skunks gland to a pt below gland. WHat you are striving for is a upside down triangle of fur left around anus with pt of triangle below anus approximately two or three inches. This patch of fur can be left on skunk . Slit tail part way and pull off while BEING CAREFUL not to put pressure on gland area LOL. After tail is off and pulling skin down towards head it is easy. You can cut glands out and use for scent or you can take skunk scent out and use glands for lure beside having the scent seperate for lure. I use all my extracted glands to make canine lure base which takes about two to three yrs of decomposing to a paste.. Flesh skunk cleanly and put on proper skunk stretcher.

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #4 on:** October 24, 2003, 08:09:50 PM »

I guess T-man is the Grinner King :eek:

RdFx · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2003, 12:45:04 AM »

No one asked bout grinners. So WQ how do you skin burros??

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2003, 10:34:33 AM »

Just like horses, German Shepards and Great Danes...Why do you ask oh Old One?

RdFx · « **Reply #7 on:** October 25, 2003, 11:38:46 AM »

I dont as hide is almost worthless. I let the eagles , vultures and yotes peel the burro or horse open and i set back about 25 to 50 yards and get my skinning knives sharp and stretchers ready :>)

Tim B · « **Reply #8 on:** October 26, 2003, 02:35:16 PM »

Another tip you may like to try with the skunks (not sure about burros) is using plain white vinegar. After you skin the skunk, soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes. Hank it up and allow it to dry in the wind. Then flesh and stretch. It wont smell a bit.
Tim B

RdFx · « **Reply #9 on:** October 26, 2003, 03:53:47 PM »

Well i can say 98% of my skunks are taken with no smell. The ones that i have some smell on or if a trigger happy hunter shoots one i use is pint of peroxide, 1/2 cup baking soda and table spoon dish detergent and wash hide , hang up to dry then flesh. I will have to try vinegar for the sake of trying and see how it works.

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #10 on:** October 26, 2003, 04:01:51 PM »

Tim, does the vinegar kill the smell or just cover it? I can't see a chemical basis for a weak acid oxidizing a mercaptan. Now H2O2 is a good oxidizing agent and will destroy the mercaptan structure. Not sure why the bicarb is needed but the dish soap is a wetting agent that helps the peroxide get to the target. (RdFx you following this? I just agreed with you ...again :cry: )

Tim B · « **Reply #11 on:** October 27, 2003, 05:05:14 AM »

Well Wacky,
Im not a chemist or an engineer like you are...LOL
but, I would guess the vinegar kills the odor. I say this because you cant smell either skunk or vinegar when the pelt is stretched and dried.
All I know is it works.
Will you try this on burros this year wacky??
Tim B

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #12 on:** October 27, 2003, 06:52:41 AM »

The "proof in the pudding:, so to speak would be if you can smell skunk when the hide was wetted again...bet you can. I think the old tomato jiuce wash for dogs worked the same way...acetic acid. So go out and soak a couple of your nicely stretched hides and tell us :-D

I prefer blue cheese dressing with my burro :roll:

Tim B · « **Reply #13 on:** October 27, 2003, 06:55:17 AM »

wanna trade some burros for some skunks?? We aint got no burros 'round here.
Tim B

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #14 on:** October 27, 2003, 09:37:19 AM »

we don't have no skunks round here...and that's just fine with me

RdFx · « **Reply #15 on:** October 27, 2003, 11:05:55 AM »

Well Wacky if you dont have any skunks by you how come it stunks, stanks, and stinks behind yr truck when you go down the road? HUH!

hillbill · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2003, 11:40:17 AM »

hey guys! when i was a yung pup and was skining a few skunks this it what i would do. take a hypo syringe and stick thru hide and draw out as much of the stinky liquid as possible first, squirt into jar and screw lid on real tie. then avoid that sac area like a bad ex wife while skinning. if you do nick the sac at least its not full enough to squirt out all over ya now. then if memory serves me i would wash hands in gasoline. the stink is kind if an oil base and the gas seemed to cut it off pretty well. course now you stink like gasoline! but that can be washed off with some good soap. do all this in open air and safe place. oh and dont smoke while doing it!!!

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2003, 11:50:13 AM »

Beans, Stewed prunes, hardboiled eggs and suds!

hillbill · « **Reply #18 on:** October 27, 2003, 02:15:17 PM »

hey thats what i had fer supper!

Dan Mich Trapper · « **Reply #19 on:** October 27, 2003, 04:31:25 PM »

Now this may sound dumb , but back in school all the girls wanted to be blonds ( thats cause they all knew I LOVED blonds :twisted: ) , so they would use poroxide in there hair to lighten it hence the term" poroxide blond ." Doesn't that lighten the skunk hair or is it so diluted that it dont .

foxtail · « **Reply #20 on:** October 27, 2003, 05:42:23 PM »

I took straight peroxide and soaked a squirrel tail in it for 3 days and all it did was kill every germ in it. It was the same stuff you put on a dirty cut.

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #21 on:** October 27, 2003, 06:01:22 PM »

Drug store H2O2 is 3% the bleaching strength h2o2 is much much higher but I just don't know the actual concentration.

jumptrp · « **Reply #22 on:** January 23, 2004, 09:11:17 AM »

tis takin me some time to wade thru this all, but redfx recipe is the 1 we give our students in trapperes ed, be advised to blend the ingredients in an open pail or you may have a lil a-bomb with the reaction in closed container, we also recomend DAWN detergent as it seems to cut the oil based scent better than generic. As to the prob with pullin the tail, skin out to the base and cut off and remove the tail bone later when the chance of pressure on those sweet galnds is eliminated

muslmutt · « **Reply #23 on:** January 24, 2004, 08:36:57 AM »

I had some good luck with simple green for getting skunk scent off traps. I just hung them on the barbed wire fence sprayed them down and left them for rain to wash everything off. That was automotive strength simple green, not dilluted. Someone should try this stuff on the skunk.