Wolven

Apologies for all the spam on this forum. I'm a varminting noob and trying to learn the ropes before getting a small game rifle and starting the hunt!
I know I've been annoying y'all
But anyway, how do you skin a raccoon on a flat surface (the ground or a deck) without tying/hanging it up by its back legs, if possible?
I don't skin the face; don't worry about it.

Thanks,
Wolven

Oldtimr

Raccoons, foxes coyotes and bobcats are normally cased out. That means you start at the hind legs and skin it out in one piece of fur down over the head, like you are removing a sock. It would be very difficult to skin them out without hanging them by the hind feet. Then you put the pelts on a fleshing board and scrape the flesh and fat carefully off the hide with a draw knife or other tool, then put it on a stretcher and allow it to dry. When it is dry you turn it fur side out.

Wolven

What if I want a flat pelt as a floormat? Do I do this and then slice down the underside?

Oldtimr

Yes, you could. I have never tanned my hides but I suspect it would have to be opened up for the tanning process anyway. It is just easier to case an animal that is hung up that to do it otherwise and that is the way the buyers want them. I am going to give you a suggestion, you can take it or leave it. Seeing as how you have never been involved with taking and skinning fur bearing animals, it would be in your best interest to find a couple of fur buyers in your area and offer to help them for instructions on how to skin fur bearing animals. This is not something you can learn by asking questions on the internet, it should be hands on with a mentor standing by to make sure you don't ruin a hide, which is not hard to do. This is not something you just decide to do and then do it satisfactorily. I was helping my dad to skin rats and coons and fox when I was about 5 years old, bit I cannot tell you how to do it if you are not present watching. If you are going to do something you should do your best to do it right.

Wolven

OK, thanks.

Nomercy448

There are lots of options for casing coons without hanging them, none as productive or as easy, but options there are, nonetheless. Tie a rope to your ball hitch, run it parallel to your bumper, then up over the end of your tailgate. Lay the coon on the tailgate so its tail is towards the rope coming over the end of the gate, perpendicular to the direction you'd drive. Make your ankle cuts, run a gambrel or other stick between the ankles, and a rope between the ankles. Anchor off to the ball hitch rope so the nose just reaches the far end of the tailgate. Stand at the end, and go to town. If you're right handed, the rope should go over the passenger side, with the nose at the drivers' side.

Similarly, on a table, tie off the rope to the legs of the table instead of the ball hitch. Lay the coon long ways on the table. Tie off to a tree, stick a table under it...

Lots of ways to make that work, but you won't have the gravitational advantage of pulling DOWN on a hung coon.

REALLY REALLY REALLY tacky wall hangers are made in the "bug splat" look, with the hide skinned square and the arms and legs spread eagle on the wall. If that's the look you're going for, good on ya, but if I walked into your place and saw it, I'd be snickering as I walked out. So I'd personally case it, trim the legs and stitch them shut, then board it out in an ironing board shape, trimming off all of the belly fur. It'll give you a little bigger hide than a traditionally cased hide, but without that "I don't actually know anything about outdoorsmanship" which rides on a "bug splat" wall hanging.

Wolven

Thanks, lmao. Bug splat has me laughing.

Ridge Runner

if its a nice one, case skin it, have it professionately tanned, hang it on the wall, on the market they are worth 3 bucks, they are not as good as charmin but you can make it work.
RR