How do you Preserve Grouse Skin?

[nomad_archer]

A friend of mine that is a better bird hunter than I am put a package in the mail for me of two grouse skins and tail feathers. He skinned and scraped the capes. Salted them (he didnt have borax) and let them dry for a few days. Then he put them in the freezer for a few days. Removed from the freezer, re-salted and let dry for a few days. Once they get here in a few days what should I do to prepare this for tying?

Should I wash the skins? Add borax? I am not sure what to do since I have never used any non store bought tying materials.

Thanks in advance,
Nomad

 

[chromid]

Nomad.....

I have done several grouse and pheasant skins over the years with good results. First I would lay them skin side up and pin (stretch) them to a piece of cardboard or wood. Next cover the skin with borax and rub it in so a thin layer of borax remains on the fleshy side of the pelt. I usually let this sit for at least one week. Since your friend has frozen and salted them the should not be much moisture left in skin and the freezing (depending on length of time) should have addressed any critters.

Your skin should turn out paper or parchment like once all of the moisture has been removed, if not after a week, reapply borax and let sit a little longer.

I usually let them sit outdoors or in the garage for this process. Just dust off the borax and they will be ready to use after this. I still place them on a plastic baggie for storage with my other materials. You may want to cut the skin into quarters based on the feather sizes and colors for usage.

Hope this helps....

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks very helpful. I cant wait to see the skins in person. The pictures look great. I plan on keeping them once all said and done in ziplock bags in a plastic container seperate from the store bought materials just in case.


Where is the best place to get borax? The laundry isle at the grocery strore?

 

[lineman]

Walmart has 20 mule team borax in the laundry aisle.

 

[John96]

The way I preserve all of my skins is to scrape all the flesh and tissue off of the hide after skinning and then lay them out in a cool dry area thoroughly covered in table salt. After the hide is dry (you can tell because the salt will get clumpy/crusty) I soak them in a water/borax solution, about 3/4 cup borax to 1 gallon of water, and let them soak. I would do overnight for something the size of a grouse and longer for larger pieces. After they have soaked I take them out, wring them out and tack them down to a piece of wood, stretching them taught. After a few days they will be dry and ready for the tying desk.

As a side note, if it is case skinned, you will want to turn it right side out before it is totally dry.

It seems like you will get them about half way done. I would just soak and stretch, then you should be good to go!

Have fun, I love preparing my own materials.

 

[nomad_archer]

Excellent. Thanks John. I had my friend do the minimum so they would travel well a few days through the mail. I kind of like preparing some of my own materials. I think I may go squirrel hunting this weekend to pick up a few tails. I have not squirrel hunted in years but why buy a tail when I can go and procure one from natures bounty myself.

 

[John96]

It should be fine in transit; hide is pretty stable and the weather has been cool (at least where I am at).
Squirrel hunting is a blast! I agree completely, why buy it when you can get it yourself! Squirrel dubbing is also a good material to have on hand, I like it for scud patterns.
Happy hunting!

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks, taking up fly tying is going to get me back into small game where I learned to hunt. Which will take away from some archery hunting but that is OK. The change of pace and diversity of small game available will be well worth it.

 

[John96]

I know what you mean. In the past I have gotten pretty caught up in deer hunting and let other hunting opportunities pass. This year I've been trying to get away from that and put more time in with the shotgun. I just missed a grouse this morning, I'm still chasing my first. It's always a good time.

 

[nomad_archer]

John - wish you weren't so far away or I would say lets get together and do some small game hunting. Good luck getting your first grouse. I am still looking for my first. I missed a several early in my hunting career.

My care package showed up today. The picture doesnt do the feathers justice.

 

[dc410]

nomad_archer wrote:
I think I may go squirrel hunting this weekend to pick up a few tails. I have not squirrel hunted in years but why buy a tail when I can go and procure one from natures bounty myself.

Why just use the tails? Skin the whole squirrel out from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Cure it using the same methods described above. Squirrel fur is some of the best material for good spikey dubbing and works great tied in using a dubbing loop or split thread technique.

 

[nomad_archer]

dc410 wrote:

Why just use the tails?

Because it didnt dawn on me to use the the whole thing. I may need to get a small knife for skinning these little critters.

 

[nomad_archer]

John just wondering what is the benefit of soaking the skin versus dusting it with borax? Also do you fully submerge the skin when you soak?

 

[John96]

Yeah, unfortunately we are more than a little ways apart.

I am not sure, that is just the way I was taught. I have never just dusted one with borax, so I can't compare. But I have done some where I just salted them and used no borax at all. I would venture to guess that it is a similar to just dusting them with borax. The difference I have noticed is that the non-soaked ones will whick up moisture and also don't look quite as nice if that's worth anything to you.

I can say that soaking them does result in a nice finished product that can even be used for simple garments if you break it in/soften it enough. I have used that method to 'tan' pheasant, squirrel, rabbit, and deer with no problems.

You should fully submerge the skin when you soak it. You will need a weight of some kind to hold it down, I usually use a rock or a piece of scrape pipe, whatever is on hand.

I hope this helps.

 

[dc410]

Nomad,

Squirrels are not hard to skin out. I have skinned them out using a single edge razor blade or a two bladed fixed blade broadhead - like a Bear Razorhead. Here is one that I skinned out last fall. This one had a real nice stripe of red down its back. You can get a lot of different tones of fur off of one squirrel skin.

 

[nomad_archer]

John,
When you say wring out the skin, for a grouse I am guessing you don't mean wring it out like a towel. Any pointers on getting the moisture out after soaking.

I plan to pick up some borax and aluminum tin tray to do the soaking tomorrow night. I was thinking of trying to rinse out as much of the salt as possible before the soaking.

 

[nomad_archer]

dc410 that is a great looking squirrel. I told my dad to be on the look out for the fox squirrels on his side of the state since we dont see them often in the SE region.

I am planning a short little walk in the woods squirrel hunting trip this friday or saturday. My luck I will see deer and not squirrels.

Looks like I need to pick up some more pins this as well.

 

[John96]

For a bird I would start at the head and squeeze it out like a sponge working downward. I would give them a good rinse before and afterwards. Salt has a way of really sticking to the feathers, especially the soft fluffy stuff. Don't drive yourself nuts trying to rinse it out because you won't get it all. Let it dry and then brush the salt out. An old toothbrush works well for this.

As a side note, I have found that birds take a long time to dry, the better part of a week if you're doing it somewhere cool.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks again John. I am going to rinse the salt and wring it out then soak over night and rinse the follow the rest of your steps. I cant wait to see the results.

 

[nomad_archer]

Here is the first skin/tail post soak. I have it down in the basement away from the wood stove but still in the warmth just to knock the heavy moisture out. I want to make sure I didn't ruin any of the feathers wringing it out. I just want to see them fluff back up again. At that point I will be headed to the unheated garage for a few weeks. If all goes well the second skin will be going into the borax bath tonight.