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Fly Tying
LP ID 66

Buck tails

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I got my buck for the year, has any ever saved their own buck tail? Do you have to skin it some how to preserve it? If so how and what do you have to do the hide?

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I split the tail, scrape the fat/flesh off, throw borax on to soak up moisture.......prior to doing this, however, tos it in the freezer for a couple days.....pull out for a day or two, then toss back in freezer for a couple more.......helps kill tiny critters....

 

Mike

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the best tails are the ones you get yourself. Yes you must skin it as soon as possible. Slice the skin with a razor or scalpel along the center of the underside- the white part. ALL THE WAY to the tip. The muscle and bone will come out rather easily, and there will be some fat and tissue at the base of the tail to scrape. In cool or just warm water, take the skinned tail and wash it with dish soap. Wash it and rinse it in clean water a few times- you will be surprized how much dirt comes out. Roll it up in an old towel and squeeze it as dry as you can, don't twist it. Now with a blow dryer and a comb, dry the hair - it will take a bit longer than you think. when the hair is dry, pin the tail down on cardboard, skin side up, and coat it with borax. Rub the borax in a little bit. Let it dry for a few days and shake out the borax, and put more on, let it completely dry and you are done.

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Hi I read in a taxidermy book to soak skins or tails over night in a borax solution the rinse and stretch and cover with dry borax

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I skin the bone out and then stretch and peg it to a board with finish nails and use borax as suggested. The most important part is to scrape ALL the fat and flesh off before applying borax. If you dont get every bit of fat and flesh off you will have issues with bugs...

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Troutbum11" data-cid="567511" data-time="1383227187"><p>

I skin the bone out and then stretch and peg it to a board with finish nails and use borax as suggested. The most important part is to scrape ALL the fat and flesh off before applying borax. If you dont get every bit of fat and flesh off you will have issues with bugs... </p></blockquote>

 

What do you use to scrape just a knife? I skinned it out pretty well I think I have it all. Scraped with a knife ready to borax it I think

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I use a butter knife and a wood carving chisel set for some of my scraping. I also find borax/salt and then scrapping again after 6-12 hours brings off a load of dry bits I missed the first time.

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Yeah I just use a knife as well. Scraping after the drying process is a good tip too Piker20. Also if the hair is pretty dirty I like to wash it with shampoo and conditioner and comb it before applying the borax and drying it. If you do this after drying you will re-hydrate the skin and have to repeat the drying process...

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I learned the hard way, whenever you are saving a tail for yourself, cut it off BEFORE you field dress the animal! It's much easier to get some dirt out of the tail than it is blood and other content that slides over the pretty white tail as you are getting the insides out.

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Thanks a bunch guys! Just added two msore sharptail skins to my collection of stuff hope I am doing a good job

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What is the best way to preserve an elk hide. Elk hair caddis are made from the elk hair of the body correct? So if i kill an elk I should have enough elk hair to make about 200 elk hair caddis flies?

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The same procedure will work for an elk hide......I've done a couple of white tail hides this way......200 is a lowball.....probably more like 20,000 plus....maybe not quite that many depending on the quality of the hair, I've used elk hair in the past for spinning/stacking bass bugs also...

 

Mike

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