I trap 50 to 100 Chipmunks every year, but have never used them for anything but bait. Small but beautiful (and destructive) has anyone ever tanned one or used their hides?

I did tan one once, just used neatsfoot oil and followed a basic braintan procedure. Wasn't too concerned with how soft it came out, just did it as a novelty.

When I was younger I tanned some and coated leather knife sheaths


( still : just a rat in a cuter outfit ! )

I like the knife sheath idea, seeing as a bedspread is out of the question

The white fur on the king's and queen's robes have always been made with the white belly's of red squirrels. We all know their rode where/are as big as your average blanket. That's alot of squirrels but doable!

I believe they were made from ermine

Always heard ermine, myself.

I tan them for the grandkids, they love them.
Use the flesh for bait
Use bladder and per for sets in the woods. Lol never get much though

made from ermine

Always wondered what the fur came from on the painted portraits of Royals, white with small black spots, until I saw an actual robe in a British museum and could see that the black spots where the ermines tail tip that hung from the collar like a spaced out fringe. The price on prime ermine is high before there is a major royal event and they need new ones. I heard that chips are best prime in the winter but they are very hard to dig up when the ground gets frozen here, lol. Pinned out many on the shed walls but never tanned any. Wouldn't have any trouble getting enough to make a full length coat around my cabin this year. Has to be a couple hundred pounds of bird stashed under it.