Snake Skin Preparation?

[krisopp]

I have a few rattle snakes that are frozen whole in the freezer, and I'd like to back my bow with them.  What do I need to do to the skins before I put them on the bow?  Do I need to dry them, salt them, tan them?  What's the best way to prepare the skins before putting them on the bow?  Thanks, -KRIS-

[loyd]

thaw cut off the head cut  them down the belly tack them out on a board outside down stretching as you go, keep a fan on them till they are dry. no salt no nothing then cut off the sides that are curled store in ziplock bag in frezer. loyd

[Eric Krewson]

A little more in depth instructions. You want dried skins for your bow, not tanned or salted.

I was given some the other day and didn't know they had been salted. Salted skins will not stick to a bow and stick poorly even after they have been washed a dozen times. I put one on the bow and it wouldn't stick, called the guy who gave them to me to see if they had been salted(it didn't show), yep, they had been.

Skin your snake,  Use a staple gun to tack it to a board, flesh side up. Put a staple every couple inches through the belly scales and stretch the skin side to side and length ways as you go. Use a spoon to flesh the skin while it is wet. Scrape the meat from the middle of the back to the belly scales, get it all. Some skins have no meat on them, copperheads for example.

     

 Let your skin dry for a day or two and while it is still tacked down use a pair of scissors to cut it loose from the board by trimming off the belly scales and leaving them tacked to the board.

Roll up your dried skin and store in a Ziploc. bag. Put them in a bowl of warm water to rehydrate them when you want to back your bow with them.

     

[krisopp]

Thanks Eric!  I will try this out. -KRIS-