HERB HILDERBRAND     ST CHARLES, MO 63304     636-928-5437

Skinning, Fleshing, and Salting

1.  All animals should be skinned as soon as possible.

2.  Ears should be completely inverted, lips and nose split.

3.  Hides and capes should be completely fleshed of excessive meat and fat.

4.  Hides and capes should be completely salted, preferably with common table salt, with at least 1/4" of salt.  Hides and capes should not be allowed to dry during the salt-absorption process, which takes approximately two days on bobcats to 10 days on thick hides.  Hides and capes can be stacked to keep them from drying out, or they can be folded, flesh-to-flesh.  They should be checked every day for areas that need additional salting.

5.   Folds and laps in skins and capes on the outer edges where the skins seem to lap is where salting is frequently overlooked.

6.  Salt-curing is best attempted by placing the hides and capes and salt on a sloped rack in order to let excessive fluids drain off.

7.  When the salt curing is complete (when the hide will not absorb and more salt), shake off any left-over salt and permit the hide or capes to dry out as much as possible before shipping.

8.  Skins and capes should never be permitted to over-dry so that they crack when packing them for shipment.  This will cause tears during the fur dressing process.