Reap all the benefits from your predator hunting by learning how to skin a coyote! Watch HuntStand’s Brian Murphy demonstrate a simple solution for skinning coyotes and other predators.
Successful predator hunters have many options when it comes to utilizing the animals they bag. You can sell your animals to a taxidermist “in the round.” This means you deliver the animals “as is” without any processing. It’s quick and easy, but you might not reap the same monetary reward as processing the pelts yourself. In addition, another option is to skin, stretch and dry all pelts before a mass sale to a fur buyer. This is the goal of most high-volume, hardcore trappers.
However, many of us fall into another category: predator hunting hobbyists who get out a few times per year. The rewards of a successful hunt might include having a few tanned coyote pelts hanging in your cabin or home. Preserving these memories begins with learning how to skin a coyote and other predators.
Choose a knife sharpener from Work Sharp to keep an edge on your coyote skinning knives.
Tube Or Case-Skinning Is Quick And Easy
In this video Brian Murphy shows off a fairly standard “tube” or “case-skinning” method. It begins with ringing all four legs with a sharp fixed-blade knife. To keep blades sharp a great help on this hunt was a Work Sharp Knife Sharpener: MK.2. Next, you’ll make essentially one large cut that stretches from back foot to back foot. Now it’s time to hang your coyote from a gambrel and simply “peel off” the skin using a sharp fixed blade knife. At the same time, pull down on the loose skin you’ve already separated from the carcass.
In no time you’ll have the pelt completely removed from the carcass. Congratulations, you’ve learned how to skin a coyote and other predators! Now you have the option of stretching and drying the pelt required to ship to a tannery. Or, you can roll the skin into a bundle and place in a plastic bag to freeze. Then you can deliver the frozen pelt to a taxidermist for tanning or mounting.
Full Mounts & Rugs Are Different
If you’d like a full body mount of your coyote, or maybe a rug mount, a slightly different tack is required. In these cases, it’s often best to deliver your coyote to a taxidermist “in the round” with no processing. In addition, it’s almost always best to contact your taxidermist of choice beforehand. He or she will provide care tips to ensure the best outcome for your special hunting memory.
