Coon tails

Can someone give me some tips or tricks on how to skin a coon tail without destroying it ?. Maybe because where it at you want to get out of there quick,but I like to have a coon skin who tail is not about to fall off .

Lots of threads and pictures in the archives!

OK I'll check em out.

With sharp knife start about 5" down from the base of the tail. Cut towards the vent. Once you have the tail slit you can skin out the area around the base of the tail to expose the tail bone then use your tail puller to finish removing the bone from the tail. Once your coon Is skinned you can slit the tail down to the end.

Make your opening cut straight across from heel to heel and an inch or so on the belly side of the vent.
Grab the fur by the knee on the belly side with 4 fingers of one hand and make a fist, and with the other hand holding the foot at the ankle, shove the knee out over your fist by shoving the ankle up hard towards the base of the tail,then fist the hide off right around to the back,with one good punch,This will free the fur from the entire leg and hip right around to the back.Then slice skin free at the heel,do the same on the other side,then slide the kinfe between the tailbone and the vent an make a slice to free pelt from vent.
Then slap on the tail stripper and yank the tail fur free from the tailbone.Dont forget to split the tail when you throw it on the beam for fleshing.

This is called the Knee out skinning method and is very quick.I use it on all land animals from weasel to cat except wolf unless they are fresh dead when skinning.You can do it with the animal hanging by one back foot or on a table with one back foot nailed or tether hooked to the table.On small animals(mink marten weasels etc) use thumb instead of fist for the same teqhnique.