Tanning the pelts, do i have to? What if i dont?

Question

Say i kill/trap a fox. Once i have its fur salted and dried what do i do? Is it okay to just hang on the wall?

What else do i need to do so i can preserve the furs??

Answer 1

I have pelts that are over 15 years old that are just salted. The key is to remove all meat and fat. That being said I also hound hunt and trap and the furs we sell are not even salted and often stored for over a year. They must be kept dry!!! My pelts for auction are case skinned, fleshed on a beam, stretched, then stacked and stored wraped in paper and in my fur shed. My shed is dry and has a small fan blowing all the time. Now I tan everything I keep for myself, but I didn't when I started and I have beaver, fox, coon, and bobcats that still look beautiful just salted. I do live in oregon and not the south where it is very humid.

Answer 2

There is a simple home tanning kit that you can get through Cabelas and several other places. I seem to remember it is enough chemicals for a der size hide, so 3-4 Fox.

My friend who traps says he skins out the animal and cleans the inside with a fleshing knife (all traces of fat must be removed) them stretched and dried. He sells the hides in the spring. It's a lot of work but he clears a few thousand dollars for the winters work. Not my idea of fun.

Answer 3

i'm not quite 2 sure on the name, but i think that salting and drying is called green somthing

this is the cheap way and easiest BUT if it(the fur) gets damp or wet it'll start to decay and mmmm it'll smell wonderful if you dont catch it early hahaha

theres this one product its called Deer Hunters Hide Tanning Formula, and this is the stuff that i use. It comes in a two pack and a single bottle all the directions are on the back of the bottle.... and even though its called DEER HUNTERS HIDE TANNING it'll work on any fur....

EDIT: yup i agree robin last year along i brought in 5,000$(USD) in furs. But if you sell them out of state you might need a expertation permit, cause i know that in PA you do!!!