AV, Same here. Plus, I can do it my way in under 3 minutes. Mouth first just leaves less to be fleshed.

I've only skinned three marten before the normal way and I just wasn't good at it Not sure what the advantage is but I guess it is just what works for everyone that skins their catch and don't get me wrong, I like skinning that way. Started off skinning my martens by the mouth when I first started skinning them six and a half years ago and it just comes naturaly to skin by the mouth for me now, as I'm sure it comes naturaly for everyone else when it comes to skinning their favorite critter As a good man once told me, "Do what makes you happy and proud of what you do."


Nick

I skin all mine the same way. Regardless of what you think AV it isn't 'normal' to do it the other way.

I hang mine to skin. Lots of guys skin them in their lap. When hanging head down there's a good chance of blood and other fluids to run down into the fur while it's inverted over the carcass. I've tried it the other way but just can't do it......it isn't normal.

I skinned 6 marten this morning and gave your head method a shot. It's a novelty act LOL. I do skin taxidermist specimens like this as it allows you to peel back thin lips without cutting them off but I don't really see any advantage on a marten. Having said that what ever works for you is fantatsic and that's how we learn new tricks. I skin martens by putting a rear paw in a vise and can do one pretty quickly. The only flesh that I find stubborn is that meat that sticks to the underarms. What I do is once I've boarded the marten is grab that meat with the edge of a papaer towel and pull it off. The towel gives you grip and it comes off pretty easily. Belly fat I just scrape with spoon edge or knife blade. Should be getting pretty good by now as I couldn't even guess how many marten I've skinned in 30 years.

P.S talk to your NAFA rep ... the first thing they do to those beautifully skinned out marten feet is cut them off before they go into the drum. Too much work on the line for me to spend on redundant steps.

For the first 20yrs I did it from the behind, the last 10 or so have been from the mouth, in fact I start skinning wolf/wolverine from the mouth to just before the ears then the "normal" way, it cuts down on blood draining all over when you start skinning the head at the end.

I have done this several times, but it seems that whenever I cut the nose off it bleeds pretty well... I end up plugging it or trying to with paper towels.

You have the rpoblem with that ?

I hear you on wolverines and wolves Taktona as I do the head as well before flipping over. Again no problem doing marten this way, just not my way.

Sometimes hup, I just "sqeeze" spl? with paper towel and jam a few other paper towels around the skull and put his face back over them like you say.

I skin marten from the rear legs first. When I am skinning wolves/wolverines/lynx/fox, I skin starting from the rear, but as I progress and get to the neck, I hang the hide from another strap and slowly release the carcass and allow the body to pull itself out of the skin as I am skinning it out. Keeps the blood from getting all over the head, etc. Works well for me.

WHooaaa...

You go both ways???

Whoa there Hup you're assuming those critters are males, northway ain't no pervert!

LOL Hup! A little skinning joke no and again is great to hear! Thanks for the laugh!


Nick

I do the same thing Northway does with his larger animals, once I have enough hide below the front feet I slip a short cable loop over the hide and hang the carcass from the loop holding the hide. Tie the legs and tail up out of your way. No blood on the fur and very little pulling. It also makes it easier to clean skin the head and split the ears a ways before you cut them loose.

Don't have a preference as to which way to skin the small mustilids.

I agree on the bigger animals, I too once I get to the neck area I tie off the hide as close to the tip of its nose as I can and hang it as stated above, really nicely done. Nose gets turned and ears are turned as well.


Nick

I do it this way as well.

I learned from the ADF&G video. At first I didn't do it that way, but the weight of the carcass GREATLY helps instead of having me pull on the hide.

I can't speak on Marten, but for cats right around the lips, or i'd hit a vein (more like an artery...and might have been) on the neck and it'd bleed like a fresh bullet wound. Was amazing. I did what Hup and Takotna mentioned: stuff with paper towels.

Saves a LOT of mess to turn them half way through and use the carcass as weight to pull, and the blood then runs down and not onto the fur.

Catfish skinning pliers work very well to get small pieces of unwanted Fat / meat off of boarded hides. However, they might be a little hard to find in your local Alaska tackle shop. If interested, you can probably order pair from Memphis Net and Twine or Delta Net and Twine.

Oh don't you love the diversity among us. It is truly what makes the world a better place.

Yep FT this is a diverse group.

diverse?eclectic comes to mind,along with a couple others.some flattering,some maybe not so much. but a darn good buncha folks.