I've been putting all my fur up without gloves this year, even skunks.....that kinda makes me nervous, especially since we had to put my dog down, after it got into a skunk that tested positive for rabies this year.

dang man we have said many times to ALWAYS wear gloves







Bob

soooo.... ya think better than ave.??? seriously though have people actually contracted these kinds of bugs before?

i'd say you got a pretty good chance at getting them

Don't know of,and never heard of any trapper,or furbuyer contracting rabies.Many,many never wore gloves.
Would like to know if im wrong though.

I use gloves at times...but I have skinned and gutted many more without them. Like said above, I have never heard of anyone getting rabies from a dead animal. It is possible, but very very rare.

Now rabbit fever, and a few others, yes I have heard of it. Mostly some sort of infection that was cured with some anitbiotics or other meds.

I will say use them, but I wouldn't pass up skinning something cause I didn't have them handy. If the critter looks sickly, or just don't seem right to me, it gets tossed.

someone delete trapper124's post cause thats not what I want to hear.

I don't believe that the virus can live a long time once the body temperature goes below a certain mark. Seriously, go to the drug store and buy a big box of latex gloves. They are really not that expensive. If you are really concerned about this you should see your doctor.

You can only get it from their saliva. It would also show up in ten days. The good part is if we are ever bitten by a rabid animal we can take the shots and will be ok. This also inoculates us from rabies for several years later but i think we have to take a booster every year. The bad part about rabies is if we contract it and are diagnosed with it ...we can't be cured once we have it....it's a horrible death. I would wear gloves and be especially carefull around coons,fox,skunks mouths. BamaCoyote

The virus disapaites after 24 hours or more if its on the outside of the animal. The spine, brain, and associated fluids are another issue. I do not shoot any canines, coon or skunk in the head. Rabies are not worth the chance. You should wear gloves while skinning those animals as a minimum.
I will say rabies wasn't as common in years past (I've been trapping 50+), we never worn gloves years ago. In recent years rabies comes in waves up here in Maine. Ten years ago you couldn't find a coon or skunk around where I live, 3 or 4 years ago they were back; now their mostly gone again and its rabies. This is confirmed over & over in the local towns by analisys of dead specimens. When I was a kid, a guy died of rabies and it wasn't in a hospital. He died at home, knew what he had and chained himself to an object so he couldn't hurt anyone - it wasn't pretty from what I was told.
Be a smart trapper and wear gloves, they don't cost much by boxes of 50 or 100.

Wear the GLoves they are cheap and if nothong will keep your hands clean. I won't skin any carnivores without them and really prefer to use them for everything. Remember it may not ber you that gets sick if your around kids, elderly, sickly persons they could easliy get something else by casual contact with a doorknob or something else that you handle between the time you skin and the time you wash up. Just use the gloves. The chance that you would have contracted rabies is probally low as long as you didn't have open woulnds and exposed them to saliva or brain/spinal matter.

Why did you have to put the dog down bsd? Didn't the required rabies shot for dogs work or what?

you will surely die now.

If you were to get them bsd I would not blame you for biting trapper124

yur probally fine but id wear gloves from now on i actually was to cheap to buy them and just took plastic bags from the grocery store it was awkward but worked

You have a greater chance of catching rabies while setting den sets than you do skinning a long-dead animal. That's how livestock usually catch it. They eat the grass around the entrance to infected skunk dens and catch it that way. Sometimes I wear gloves, sometimes I don't. I seem to be doing alright.

It really comes down to this. There are NO absolutes on life. Will you absolutely get rabies from a Dead animal that has them, NO, But there is always that chance. And Rabies is NOT something to mess with. If you contract it without knowing it, by the time you show symptoms you are GOING TO DIE!!!!. That is Not a Might die, you WILL DIE, and there is NO treatment for it once it gets to that level. So you need to be careful at all times. Many people that trap get the preventative shots, so if there is ever a question it is only 1 or 2 more shots as a booster. IF you don't have the Shots, USE GLOVES!!!. Of the animals turned into the NYS Chemung county Department of Health in 2006 that were suspected of having rabies, almost 80% of them did indeed test positive. it simply is not a chance worth takeing.

I'm vaccinated.

Transmission and symptoms

Micrograph with numerous rabies virions (small dark-grey rod-like particles) and Negri bodies, larger pathognomonic cellular inclusions of rabies infectionAny mammal may become infected with the rabies virus and develop symptoms, including humans.

The virus is usually present in the blood and saliva of a symptomatic rabid animal. The route of infection is usually, but not necessarily, by a bite, and in many cases in animals, causes the victim to be exceptionally aggressive, attack without provocation, and exhibit otherwise uncharacteristic behavior[1]. Transmission has occurred via an aerosol through mucous membranes; transmission in this form may have happened in people exploring caves populated by rabid bats. Transmission between humans is extremely rare, although it can happen through transplant surgery (see below for recent cases), or, even more rarely, through bites or kisses.

After a typical human infection by bite, the virus directly or indirectly enters the peripheral nervous system. It then travels along the nerves towards the central nervous system. During this phase, the virus cannot be easily detected within the host, and vaccination may still confer cell-mediated immunity to preempt symptomatic rabies. Once the virus reaches the brain, it rapidly causes encephalitis and symptoms appear. It may also inflame the spinal cord producing myelitis.

The period between infection and the first flu-like symptoms is normally three to twelve weeks, but can be as long as two years. Soon after, the symptoms expand to cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, progressing to delirium. The production of large quantities of saliva and tears coupled with an inability to speak or swallow are typical during the later stages of the disease; this can result in "hydrophobia". Death almost invariably results two to ten days after the first symptoms; the few humans who are known to have survived the disease were all left with severe brain damage, with the recent exception of Jeanna Giese (see below).

Geezerman is pretty much on target. From my days with the Old Tennessee Game & Fish Commision, this is what I was taught.

That post exposure treatment is only about 70% effective.
Rabies can lay dorment in the human system for as high as seven years. Even w/treatment, do you want to live seven years not knowing if you are one of the 3 in ten.

Sliva is not the only way to contract the disease. As GzM pointed out it can be transmitted in the air.

Road kill, presents a high risk of rabies infection.
Shot animals, exhibiting some sort of a-typical behavior are also high risk.

Trapped animals have a lower risk for rabies. The reason being that we trap anmials using their predictable behavior and normal behaviors against them. Rabid animals are not subject, for the most part, to their usual and normal behaviors, but are
a-typical and random in their behaviors.

However,that being said... , wear gloves, get pre-exposure rabies inoculations, and keep them up to date.

Adios,
45/70,

about 6 weeks ago on my first stop I got bit thru my boot by a nice extra large red fox.one fang went in to my leg about 1/4 inch.I put him in the truck and set him off to the side.by the time the day was done I had forgot all about it.I skined all the fox.I got out of the fur shed late and did not rember until I took my socks off.Now I had no fox head to take in,A nice line out so I did not do anything.O well time the foxs won one.

I would be so worried about Rabies as I would be with Distemper. That is one that if you have a small cut on your hand it can cause some serous issues. Little fact 85% of skunks carry it in the sliva. I guess for the cost of gloves seems like cheap insurance. But then again once Parvo moves in it takes out everything with it in short order. The best thing is it's carried by a good majority of stray cats and dogs.

yup what kinkless said ive heard of stray cats having parvo not good either

Go get you a box of latex gloves. They come in handy for many other task as well as skinning animals. I wouldn't take a chance on catching parasites and such if I could help it.

thought contracted rabies threw saliva....(sp)

BTW, as was said, It is NOT just rabies that is the problem either. I can not remember the name of it, but there is a Worm, I believe, In coons that can be fatal to humans as well.
None of these are worth the risk.

might it be brain worm,i read an article about a trapper in a depressed area that carried the rabies virus at the time they didnot have the advanced medical knowledge they have today.The article talked about how this trapper got exposed to rabies and never had treatments and survived most likely a rare case.

if it looks sickley leave it alone I have never wore gloves but there is a chance I am guessing but cooking like ivan you would never know .but you should beable to tell if it is sick.I always have hydrogen peroxide handy and I lied about the gloves . If I suspect that there could be an issue with an animal I will use gloves or just pitch it.for the most part if you catch an animal they would be a healthy one if your setting for there senses like food smell ect. and if they did have somthing and were not sick that would also say that the sickness in them is not at an elevated state . just be carful and clean your self up if you fear it wear gloves.couldn't even geuss the number of critters that I have skun in my life. I have no clue way to many to count just this year over 500 well maby 400 or more as I did not skin any possom going lower as I type more in the range of 375 . but handled atleast 500 dead critters.close enough that that is the number I will use.that is a typical year and multuply that by the number of years hunting and trapping thats 10,000 that is just since I was 20 I started at age 11 so tack another 5,000 animals to that . I know there are lots of people that have tons more than that. I only used gloves on a couple like 5 of them maby.ate lots of wild game in my life one might have had somthing who knows . the sickest I have ever gotten is when I drank out of a creek was so thirsty that will never happen again.do at your own risk and what you feel safe at.don't go by what other think I myself think that I would be safe as long as I watch and look at what I am skinning always have and always will.road kill I will either not skin or will wear gloves don't know why they were walking on the road ,disease . thats all I have to say about that says forrest.

I never wore gloves untill 3 yrs. ago. as a furbuyer I have skinneed countless animals. The main reason I started wearing gloves ,is, I was tired of my hands getting sore and cracking from all the dried blood on them. Maybe I was lucky, but I doubt it.

Here's ,y 2 cents. The guy that taught me taxidermy, had someone bring him a roadkill fox to mount. HE skinned it and started the process'. A couple weeks later he started feeling like he had a cold, it kept getting worse. Until he woke up one morning and was blind. That's right couldn't see a dang thing. Went to hospital and they started testing. Couldn't find out what was wrong, but he kept getting worse. He ended up on life support before the doctors asked him if he was bitten by a spider or something. The light bulb kicked on then, he told them about being a taxidermist, they treated it but now he carries it for life. Every Dec 11 he has to go get shots, if he misses it by a few days, he will die. If you get it, it's for life. I remember Dec 11, every time I skin one, right as I am grabbing for the rubber gloves. It's easier to use rubber gloves than go throught the hassle of getting rabies.

I guess getting rabies would be a big hassle,you are going to die from it. Death is a pretty big hassle in my opinion. I sure would like to avoid it as long as possible.

Cooking any meat through and through will take care of most any parasite.....as far as I now...all of them in fact. That does not mean I would still try to eat something I knew had a disease. I only have two brain cells still working...aint about to take a stupid chance with either of them. LOL

There are many different parasites out there in the critters we all chase.....just a few years ago here they found a coon that tested positive for leaprosy......now that one skeered me bad.

As I said earlier, I use gloves most of the time, but I won't not skin or gut a critter if I don't have them for some reason. Unless it looks sick or not acting right, then I toss it.

I skinned all my critters for years without gloves. But then I also worked on accident victims years ago without gloves too. Smart? probable Not, but thats just how it was.
After my son got cat scratch fever and yes it is real and more than a song. The wife and I had to talk with the county infectious disease doctor. When he found out I was handling wild critter, skunks being the worst. He advised me to get a pre-exposure rabies vacination. I don't recall how many years ago that was. I know I've had one booster since the original. I just had a physical the other day and had the test done to check the tidder. If I need it the doc will call and I'll get a booster again.
When it is all said and done the gloves are cheap front line insurance. I wear them for everything now even changing the oil on my car. Best part is when the phone rings or ya got to pee, ya pull them off and your good to go.

Mac

The only time I wear gloves is when pulling a hide...it's just easier that way. I find it slows down my knife work a lot though....

I always figured I have a far greater risk of Giardia, or "beaver fever" than I do rabies anyway....gloves won't help prevent that when you fall off a log or tip the canoe over and end up over your head in hog, chicken, turkey and beaver crap. The only prevention is keep your fingers out of your mouth, and keep your lips shut.

bsd,
You have received some creditable advice in this thread and you have received some absolutely bogus information. I recommend that you conduct some research on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site. Good place to start would be http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/ques&ans/q&a.htm For additional information, check out some of the links that are available on the CDC site. You will find more factual information there, in an hour, than you will get here in a month. You can also find information there on Parvo, distemper, raccoon roundworm, histoplasmosis and many other transmittable wildlife diseases. Our tax dollars funded most of the research that went into developing this information; use it. Another good site for information on wildlife diseases is http://icwdm.org/diseases/default.asp .

Ron Fry

Ivan,

Use your brain.

"For example IF a rabbit has rabies and i cooked and ate it, will i be ok?is it safe to it it?"

Of course you can eat it. That's not the problem! The problem/danger is in the skinning and dressing of the rabbit!


Once during my game warden days, I received a call from the Superendant of one of the State Parks. He had found a dead deer,
which he believed had been killed by poachers. He wanted to know if he could process the deer, and give the meat to a local school.

As that was a legal use for illegaly taken game, I said yes. A couple of hours later, he called me back, and told me that he didn't know what killed the deer as they found no wounds or brusies on the carcass.

Suspecting rabies, as we were in the midst of an epidemic of the stuff, I collected the head.

You guessed it. He and his two employees had to take post exposure shots.

Adios,
45/70,

What PSB said!

I’d really like to know the percentage of people who contracted any disease from handling dead animals without gloves. Out of the millions of folks that field dressed and butchered game or skinned probably tens of millions of furbearers, I bet it’s a ridiculously tiny fraction.

Still, I guess wearing gloves can’t hurt anything can it?

great insight glad I asked, thanks. I'm leaning twored glove usage now, lol. Ya know if a critter on the end of a drowner or in a coni, is probably not going to show to many signs, of illness either.Special thanks to LA. and trophyhunter "you will surly die now" lol.

Sadly now there can be but one outcome------