Author Topic: Skin a skunk?  (Read 1843 times)

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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Skin a skunk?
« on: February 26, 2012, 12:24:06 PM »
OK, there's an epidemic here in town.  (rabies and skunks)

I trapped 20 of them (within 30 feet of my home) last summer and they're all over - and now is the breading season.

I've skinned other critters, but never a skunk.

IS there a SAFE way to skin a skunk?

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline OLDHandgunner

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2012, 09:22:39 AM »
Very carefully and down wind.  ;D    ;D    ;D

Offline james

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2012, 03:58:59 PM »
Dispatch the skunk from a distance upwind and let lay for a day at least.  Two days are better if it is cold.  Wear rubber gloves and old clothes you can wash then discard if they still smell.  I won't do it now but I skinned a lot when I was a kid and never got accused of smelling like a skunk. 

Offline Bugflipper

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2012, 07:59:35 PM »
If you remove the scent gland sometimes it leaks a little, so pretty much just as bad as getting sprayed. Build a fire with it tied well above the flames. Throw wet leaves on it and the smoke will get the nasty smell out of it's fur. Tie a rope to a front foot and throw in a fast moving creek. Come back in 24 hours and you can skin him out then. The muscles relax and let out the scent which washes away from it. The smoke is just something acidic to kill the smell he has on his fur. Hauling a wet skunk back home is pretty smelly so take care of the smell on his fur before you put him in the creek. If you don't want to use smoke, anything acidic that won't ruin the hide will work fine. In the old days they used gasoline to soak them in. Lemon juice would work as well. Tomato juice might dye the white, I don't know.
Good Luck.
Molon labe

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2012, 06:58:03 AM »
Thanks for the responses!

I trap them next to my house and drown them while in the trap, have been burrying them in the garden.  We'll see how well the corn does this year.

I need to do ONE just to say that I've done it.
Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
Cat Whisperer
Chief of Smoke, Pulaski Coehorn Works & Winery
U.S.Army Retired
N 37.05224  W 80.78133 (front door +/- 15 feet)

Offline evidrine

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2012, 07:34:15 AM »
Why would you want to? Not trying to be an a**, just asking. Its obviously posted in the "taxidermy" section, but do people really want a mounted skunk? Please enlighten me.

Offline rick59

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2012, 03:16:49 PM »
I knew a guy that used the hides to make hats.
Stay Calm, Pick Your Spot.

Offline evidrine

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2012, 03:44:52 PM »
now thats pretty cool.

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2012, 03:03:56 PM »
Why would you want to? Not trying to be an a**, just asking. Its obviously posted in the "taxidermy" section, but do people really want a mounted skunk? Please enlighten me.

MY objective would be to make either a hat or a flat mount.

It's a statement of personal courage - that NOT EVEN a SKUNK is overpowering!

On the flip side, I greatly respect the critters for THEIR lack of fear and of being good natured. 

I have trapped them to reduce the population because of rabies going through our county.

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
Cat Whisperer
Chief of Smoke, Pulaski Coehorn Works & Winery
U.S.Army Retired
N 37.05224  W 80.78133 (front door +/- 15 feet)

Offline goodshot

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 01:01:19 PM »
I have heard of skinning them under water. :)

Offline luckydawg13

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2012, 03:39:23 AM »
i skinned one when i was a kid  i was lucky and did a home tanning job
25 years later my older brother still has it on his wall
kids that hunt and fish dont mug old Ladies
and drive a F150

Offline mtbadger

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Re: Skin a skunk?
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2012, 08:32:22 PM »
I was skinning on my porch way back when...  The girlfriend (now wife) came out and saw 2 skunks on the porch and said I hope you're not planning on skinning those skunks on the porch.  I asked her why not and she said they will stink up the whole neighborhood.  I asked her if she smelled them now and she said no and I don't want to.  I asked her to come over to where I was and asked her if the skunk I had hanging (almost done skinning) smelled and she said it was a coon not a skunk.  I finished skinning and folded the hide back and she couldn't believe that it was actually a skunk....
 
But I won't tell you about the skunk me and the kid caught the next year (I had to go home and take a shower)...lol