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Fleshing a porcupine

Posted By: loosegoose

Fleshing a porcupine - 01/12/23 06:16 PM

Wifey and I are heading off on our porcupine hunt for the weekend. If we manage to bag one, what's a good way to go about fleshing it? I assume I can't just throw it over the beam and go to town on it, but I'd like to tan one.
Posted By: Boco

Re: Fleshing a porcupine - 01/12/23 08:27 PM

If I was going to do up a porcupine skin,I would skin it open,tack it on a board,and flesh it like you do beaver on a board.
I would also paste tan it on the board.
If you handle it any other way you are going to be getting stuck with loose quills that will find their way into stuff for weeks.

Even afterjust skinning,you will find some quills(especially the little ones) finding their way into your skin off and on for a while.
Posted By: wytex

Re: Fleshing a porcupine - 01/17/23 08:23 PM

Who will you use to tan it?
Moyle will not tan porcupines, I asked them this year.
Posted By: patrapperbuster

Re: Fleshing a porcupine - 01/18/23 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Boco
If I was going to do up a porcupine skin,I would skin it open,tack it on a board,and flesh it like you do beaver on a board.
I would also paste tan it on the board.
If you handle it any other way you are going to be getting stuck with loose quills that will find their way into stuff for weeks.

Even afterjust skinning,you will find some quills(especially the little ones) finding their way into your skin off and on for a while.



THIS.

I have tanned a couple porcupines for friends using the orange bottle stuff.
A few modifications to their directions though.
Skin open, lay flat on table skin up, flesh the best you can. I use a scalpel. You can use a beaver knife.
Now salt heavily with non iodized salt. Rub in best you can. Fold hide skin to skin and let set for 24 hours.
Now carefully wash/soak hide in room temp water in 5 gallon bucket just long enough to get salt off. Just 5 minutes or so.
Then wash/soak hide in 5 gal bucket of soapy water (Dawn dish soap) just 5 minutes to help clean & de-grease a bit more.
Then wash in clean water one more time. Hang hide by nose to drain & dry for awhile. I let it hang for a few hours with a fan on it.
Lay hide back on table skin side up.
Warm orange bottle of tanning solution per directions & apply tanning liquid to skin. Fold skin to skin & let set for 12 hours.
After 12 hrs open skin to air and let dry. This will take about a week. You will NOT be breaking down the skin to soften. It will be a wall mount tan only.
(When you open skin to air dry you will want to tack it to a board into shape you desire)
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