Trapping on- the Farvi. 



477 



HOW TO PREPARE SKINS. 



The manner of skinning a fur animal depends on whether 

 its pelt is to be dried open or cased. For an open skin the 

 first cut is made from the point of the chin straight to the 



tip of the tail, along the un- 

 der side of the body. Side 

 cuts are then made to this 

 from the sole of each foot by 

 the shortest routes. The 

 only exceptions to this rule 

 for taking off open or flat 

 skins occur with beaver and 

 mole skins, which do not 

 have the feet and tail left on 

 them and are cut only from 

 chin to base of tail, no leg 

 cuts being made. In peeling 

 the skin from a carcass the 

 knife should be used as little 

 as possible and always with 

 extreme care, as even a small 

 gash in a skin reduces its 

 value. 



For a cased skin (fig. 20), 

 a cut is made from the sole 

 of one hind foot to the sole 

 of the other, on a line run- 

 ning along the rear edge of 

 the hind legs and beneath 

 the tail. The tail is cut 

 along the under side its en- 

 tire length and the bone is 

 removed. If this is not done 

 the hair of the tail is likely 

 to come out when the skin 

 is dressed. After the cuts have been made, the hind legs and 

 feet are skinned out to the toes, the toes and the feet being cut 

 on the under side. At this point it is convenient to hang the 

 carcass by the hamstrings on hooks or pegs. After the tail 

 bone has been taken out, the entire skin is turned from the body 

 very much as a glove is turned from the hand. The fore feet 



Fig. 



BI2G3M 



ased Mink Skin on 



20, 



Boaril Stretcher. 



This skin, having no dark spots, is 

 entitled to be called " prime," and to 

 command the top price. 



