The Fur Animals of Louisiana 



405 



A Louisiana innovation. An ordinary clothes wringer is used to clean off the fats, meats 

 and water on a freshly skinned muskrat pelt before it is stretched and hung up to cure. 



When the shoulders are reached it will be found that 

 the skinning knife will be needed to sever the muscles from 

 the skin, and when the head is reached, care should be 

 exercised in cutting about the eyes, ears and nose so as 

 not to tear the skin or to leave large holes. 



If the skinning process has been done properly there 

 will be little need of "fleshing," as the operation of re- 

 moving the surplus flesh and fat from the hide after it has 

 been removed from the carcass is called. It is well to take 

 pains and extra time in removing all fat, as otherwise the 

 pelt will "burn," which will cause the fur to loosen. 



Drying or Curing 



The skinning accomplished, the pelt must be placed on a 

 stretching board or wire frame. While stretching boards 

 have been used for many years by the trapping fraternity 



