Post by walleyed on Feb 21, 2012 17:04:18 GMT -5
Took some pics to show my various steps to skin an otter.
I start by placing the otter on his back.
With a super sharp pointy tipped knife, make a cut from foot to vent on a male or foot to "twiffit" on a female, and then across to the other foot.
Remember to make a shallow cut with the knife tip just under the skin around the vent or other "Junk" to keep from piercing the Musk Glands.
On the Female, now cut from the vent up to the "twiffet" (Junk)
Your View should look like this:
Next, starting at tail tip or vent, zip split the tail using a tail splitter, pointy knife or a Wyoming knife like I used this time around.
This is now your sight picture:
Now, skin around and free the pelt from the Tail and legs. work the skin away from the belly and back up to the hips with your knife.
You should be able to clearly see and recognize the musk glands now located just under and alongside the vent, just like the skunk or the other mustelidae.
Remove them now for use in lure or sale.
Should look like this now in your sight picture:
Lop off the front feet with your lopping shears close at the wrist.
Using a length of parachute cord or a chain looped around the hips, hang the otter and now you can really pull down hard to peel the hide down over the back using your sharp knife until you are exposing the shoulders. I think They are very similar to skinning a coyote.
work the legs free and cut them off. Be careful as this is where some make a slip of the knife around the neck and armpits and make mistake holes
Skin down the neck, go slow and carefully and watch for the veins, and EAR BUTTS. When you see the ears butt cut off close to the skulls. They are like a mink's only bigger:
Now skin down to the eyes, and cut close to the skull just like a mink or skunk:
Now carefully trim down jaw and skin away lip and cut loose at the nose. Your Done.
Don't forget to save the skull. worth about Five bucks to the skull polishers.
Thanks for looking.
walleyed
I start by placing the otter on his back.
With a super sharp pointy tipped knife, make a cut from foot to vent on a male or foot to "twiffit" on a female, and then across to the other foot.
Remember to make a shallow cut with the knife tip just under the skin around the vent or other "Junk" to keep from piercing the Musk Glands.
On the Female, now cut from the vent up to the "twiffet" (Junk)
Your View should look like this:
Next, starting at tail tip or vent, zip split the tail using a tail splitter, pointy knife or a Wyoming knife like I used this time around.
This is now your sight picture:
Now, skin around and free the pelt from the Tail and legs. work the skin away from the belly and back up to the hips with your knife.
You should be able to clearly see and recognize the musk glands now located just under and alongside the vent, just like the skunk or the other mustelidae.
Remove them now for use in lure or sale.
Should look like this now in your sight picture:
Lop off the front feet with your lopping shears close at the wrist.
Using a length of parachute cord or a chain looped around the hips, hang the otter and now you can really pull down hard to peel the hide down over the back using your sharp knife until you are exposing the shoulders. I think They are very similar to skinning a coyote.
work the legs free and cut them off. Be careful as this is where some make a slip of the knife around the neck and armpits and make mistake holes
Skin down the neck, go slow and carefully and watch for the veins, and EAR BUTTS. When you see the ears butt cut off close to the skulls. They are like a mink's only bigger:
Now skin down to the eyes, and cut close to the skull just like a mink or skunk:
Now carefully trim down jaw and skin away lip and cut loose at the nose. Your Done.
Don't forget to save the skull. worth about Five bucks to the skull polishers.
Thanks for looking.
walleyed