Raccoon fur is useful, fashionable and has become an icon, from the famous Davy Crockett hat to the British Royal Fusiliers' headdress, erroneously called "sealskin". It is one of the most common, most sought after furs on the market and it is no exaggeration to say that raccoon skin is an integral part of the history of America. These animals were the mascot of the Whig party in the nineteenth century. If you want to learn this basic skill, you can learn how to carefully peel off the skin, scrape it and stretch it for storage.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Skin the Animal
Step 1. Remove the entire fur
When you hunt and catch game mainly for its fur, you have two methods to proceed. You can skin the animal by removing the entire skin, in one piece starting with the hind legs and moving progressively towards the front. This is the best technique and it is generally not recommended to remove the organs first, as you may damage the precious fur.
Alternatively, the abdominal cavity is opened first. This method is reserved for beavers and a few other animals; it involves the removal of the organs through a vertical incision on the torso and then that of the skin starting from the tail. This procedure is not recommended for raccoons
Step 2. Wash your pet thoroughly
Raccoons are known to be quite dirty, as they are creatures that rummage through litter, so you need to spend some time cleaning the raccoon before you begin. Hang the carcass for the hind legs to a structure, passing the hook through the tendon that is just behind the ankles.
- If the animal looks pretty neat, brush the fur towards the tail to remove hard-to-see dust, twigs, and debris. in this case, you can proceed to skin it.
- If you've caught a mud covered raccoon, wash it with the garden hose until the water runs clear and wait for it to dry completely before continuing. If possible, it is best to avoid this process, as the pet's soft hair becomes much more malleable and, for some people, less valuable after rinsing.
Step 3. Make a linear incision from the inside of one paw to the other
To start, cut the fur between the animal's paws from the inside of one ankle to the other. Imagine following the seam of the crotch of the jeans with the blade, connecting the inside of one leg with the other forming a "V".
-
Cut and loosen the skin around the ankles by sliding the knife blade around both of them; in this way, you can start pulling the fur down without difficulty.
Skin a Raccoon Step 3Bullet1
Step 4. Make an incision around the anus
Make a 2-3 cm diameter circular cut around the anal opening starting at the base of the tail where it connects to the body. Obviously, it is best to wear a pair of gloves during the entire procedure.
At this stage, be very careful not to penetrate the muscle tissue. The last thing you want is to puncture the intestine near the anus, contaminating the fur and flesh
Step 5. Make a cut along the tail
Slide the knife in a straight line along the length of the tail. To get the best shape of fur, it is important to be very careful and make a precise incision; take your time and keep the tail taut as you cut from the base to the tip.
- Sometimes, it is difficult to trim the tail all the way to the tip, depending on the size of the raccoon; usually, it is cut up to half of the length and then a special tool is used to hold the fur in place, while tearing the tail from it.
- To use this pliers-like tool, you must first peel the skin from the hind legs up to hip height to better expose the base of the tail. It is typically used to skin foxes, raccoons and other animals and can be purchased online or in hunting and fishing stores.
Step 6. Pull the skin towards the raccoon's shoulders
If you have ever skinned a rabbit, know that the process is similar, but the skin of raccoons offers more resistance. Basically, you have to pull the fur down, towards the animal's head as if you were trying to take off a suit. Keep pulling until you reach the shoulder area.
- If you need to use the knife to help you with the operation, remember to always cut behind the skin, at the membrane and never the skin itself. Do not act recklessly and do not scrape the skin with the blade. Go slowly applying some pressure to tear the fur and use the knife only to loosen the hard spots, peeling the stubborn membrane from the flesh.
- In the case of male raccoons, you have to cut the genitals off the carcass with the knife. This part remains attached to the fur and can be removed later during the stripping and stretching process.
Step 7. Move slowly around the front legs
When you reach this part, you should put the knife away, as it is a rather oily area and you may have a hard time distinguishing meat from skin. It is best to use your fingers and work calmly, avoiding using the blade with the risk of accidentally cutting the skin.
Pull the loose fur around and over the shoulders in the direction of the elbows. At this point, you can make another circular incision at the level of the "wrists" of the animal to remove the skin from the front legs; the fur should now only be attached to the neck
Step 8. Cut the skin around the ears and eyes
Expose the face of the animal and use the knife to carve the contours of the eyes and ears. Bring your attention back to the inside of the skin and try to detach the fur from the flesh by pulling it down, working around the neck and jaw. At this stage you will probably need to use the blade by sliding it along the jaw line on either side to detach the fur from the mouth. Keep pulling until the hide is almost completely detached from the carcass.
Step 9. Divide the skin from the nose cartilage
There should be a fairly strong area of cartilage connecting the nose to the skin. At this point you are almost done, you just have to use the knife to carve the cartilage and peel off the fur in one large piece. Don't pull too hard, otherwise you risk damaging the raccoon's skin. Cut the cartilage and you shouldn't have any problems.
Step 10. Check the meat for signs of disease
Sometimes, it is possible to eat raccoon meat; however, some sources estimate that 40% of animals in North America suffer from intestinal parasitic infestations, such as roundworms, which can cause disease. If you are in the United States or Canada on a hunting holiday, avoid eating any raccoons you have caught. These mammals are scavengers that also feed on carrion, a behavior that exposes them to many diseases and infections. Carefully examine the skin and flesh of the specimen for spots, dark areas, or other signs of infection. If you have any suspicions, get rid of the meat.
If you want to taste raccoon meat and see if it's edible, gut the carcass like you would a rabbit. Although these animals are eaten less frequently than other wild game due to the strong and unpleasant taste (to some), remember that raccoon meat that has been pickled for a long time and cooked properly is considered a delicacy. If you want more than just fur, you can learn how to prepare meat by reading the next section of the article
Part 2 of 2: Skinning and Stretching the Fur
Step 1. Get a scraper and a board to stretch the skin
These tools are quite primitive, but they are the most effective in detaching the flesh, cartilage, pieces of fat from the skin and allowing it to dry properly.
- A scraper is just what the name suggests: a kind of small, sharp blade that is used to scrape off meat. Alternatively, you can use a large, slightly blunt kitchen knife, but then the job is a little more difficult. Among the most common are the pig scrapers, those with single or double handles.
- For this work you can use either metal or wooden boards. If you have opted for the wooden one, you need staples or tacks to secure the leather as soon as it is ready to be stretched and dried.
- The wooden boards can be used both to stretch the skin and as a support base to scrape it from fragments of meat. If you have a metal table, you need to get a bench, table, or other surface to scrape the fur on.
Step 2. Let the skin dry until the grease is hard
Generally, it is recommended to put the fur in a cool environment (13 ° C), to allow the adipose tissue to harden and make scraping easier. You can flatten the leather on a board (with the hair side down) and let it dry for several hours before continuing processing. Once scraping has begun, the process should not take more than 15-30 minutes.
Step 3. Start removing the fat from the tail
Applying firm pressure, gently remove the fatty and connective tissue from the skin using the scraper. There are no particular tricks or a specific technique, basically you just scrape. Be gentle and avoid tearing the skin, but apply even and sufficient pressure to remove all the material.
The tail is usually the most complicated part, so most hunters start right here, spending a lot of time checking that they have removed any fragments of fat
Step 4. Remove the rest of the fatty tissue
After scraping the tail, move to the center of the skin by working along a strip. Move up until you have cleared all the meat from a narrow vertical band, from the tail to the head of the animal. Then, bring the tool back to the starting point and scrape outward, moving along the sides evenly; by doing so, you begin to stretch and flatten the skin.
Continue to apply constant pressure and scrape slowly to remove all the grease and other residues; it shouldn't take long, but you have to be thorough. If you leave out fabrics, you risk ruining the fur and it will rot
Step 5. Stretch the skin on the board
Those made of metal are generally equipped with mechanisms that allow you to fix the flaps of the fur without other extra tools. Wood planks, on the other hand, require the use of tacks or staples to secure the stretched skin.
- Keep the skin taut so it flattens out and looks clean, but not to the point where it thins and weakens it. Since it shrinks during the process, you have to make sure that the process goes without damage.
- The outstretched skin should resemble a starfish, with the legs and tail well elongated. Don't let the paws hang limply, or the fur won't look right.
Step 6. Let it sit in a cool dark place
A temperature between 13 and 15 ° C is ideal for drying raccoon skin. Make sure it is protected from sunlight and temperature fluctuations. The time required for drying varies from one day to a week, depending on the climate of the region you are in. You can understand that the skin is ready when it is hard, tight and feels plastic to the touch.
Advice
- There is a small yellow pouch attached to the liver: Not engrave it; it contains all the toxins that the organism has filtered out and that would ruin the meat if they came into contact with it.
- Raccoons have a scent gland in the "armpits" of their front legs that resembles a lima bean. If you cook the meat without removing it, you will notice it; remove them therefore avoiding to puncture them.
