Cleaning Rabbit and Squirrel Skins

[kierkan]

A friend of mine at work recently gave me a rabbit skin and a squirrel skin. Both were treated and although I'm not sure how I know one step involved borax. Both skins still have quite a bit of the borax in them and I was wondering what the best way to get it out might be or if I should just leave it in there.

 

[blueheron]

The borax is fine, I would check for remnants of flesh and scrape if found and isoloate them from your other tying stuff for a good while just to be sure there are no nasties, otherwise use away.

 

[kierkan]

Thanks, I have both skins in Ziploc bags in a separate dresser. Also the skins are clean of flesh and I think he said he salted that side of them.

 

[Fishidiot]

Here's what I'd do: get a board and some nails and lay the skins out on the board, hair side down. Nail the ends of the legs to the board and then stretch the hide and nail the other legs so they're stretched out. Salt the hides and set outside for a few days (where a dog can't chew 'em). They'll dry and harden in a few days; then scrape off the salt and cut the hides into smaller squares and store in zip-loc bags. I've got pieces of squirrel hide that is 20 years old that was preserved this way. Regarding the squirrel tail - I'd recommend that you skin the tail as there is a good bit of flesh around the bones in the tail. Skin the tail carefully as the hide is fragile on the tail.

 

[kierkan]

Stupid question.

I'm assuming you would cut from the underside of the skin with a razor blade, correct?

Never thought about cutting them into smaller patches. Thanks.