A few weeks ago a young fellow ask me a question about fleshing muskrats in prep for tanning. He didn't understand what the difference was between prepping for tanning and fleshing to dry for sale. The question was asked on another site, but thought I would post it on here, in case anyone here wanted to know.

First, when fleshing and drying for the auction: With muskrats there is very little fleshing to be done. Knock off the flat and big chunks of meat, if there are any, pull it on the stretcher and you are ready to go.

When fleshing for the tanning process, you need to remove not only the fat but also the tissue and meat. There is actually more there, than what is expected. I am sure I will get a lot of negative feedback on this, but that is expected since there must be at least 300 different ways to tan an animal pelt, because that is the way it is when there are no hard fast laws or rules for doing something.

Below are 2 photos (Same Rat)... The one on the left is the fleshing for sale and the one on right is removing ALL of the tissue for tanning.



Garry-

There really isn't a a lot of difference between fleshing for tanning(if you're the one doing the tanning) vs for market outside getting rid of the saddle, which has to be done for certain sections of mink.


Where you get a bigger difference is us skinning for taxidermy. Turning lips, turning ears, eyelids, skinning out the feet

As to the markings on the rats, that marking is what you see on adult rats. The pattern in juveniles is different.

The red on the pelt on the left needs to come off when tanning... Here is the way I do it... and the tools I use.



All of the red is tissue w/ a little fat mixed in with it.

Garry-

I fleshed out the rat I showed that is on the left and exchanged that photo for the one from yesterday//

Garry=

Nice rats Garry,No bites or scars.