"Dangerous Game" - updated photo 2-14-11

[Cyclic-Rivers]

you should make a cover scent hat          

congrats on the shot.

[Friend]

Great shot!

I must be chicken, sense I have passed up several opportunities in the past for fear of getting the worst end of the deal.

[dinorocks]

Funny stuff guys!  I was going to skin him up but the temps are in the single digits...he is frozen solid...gosh, I wonder if his scent gland is frozen too?  Maybe I should give it a try.

[rastaman]

Way to go sir!        

[Pandaros]

Now that is dangerous.  I know plenty of folks who wouldn't get that close alive or dead.

[far rider]

That's great! Let us know how the skinning/tanning goes. Be careful, that is something that could as dangerous after death as before!

[stalkin4elk]

There was a Tom Miranda sheep hunting show on awhile ago and his guide had on a mountain man style hat from skunk that was really cool. Yes, the guy was WEARING his hat in a storm above timberline. So,there is my borrowed idea on what to do with the pelt.

[tradshooter]

Nice post and good shot..on the run even! Good luck skinning, it's gonna stink no matter what. You might consider an alum tan also and let him soak longer. They make a cool hide and quite a conversation piece. Your wife will be proud of you...well we are!

[longbowben]

Now that's dangerous game.

[guspup]

They do make some real nice pelts.
Let me know if you find any good recipes :-)

[Robert Honaker]

DON'T MESS WITH THE BRAINS!

All skunks carry rabies.  Most cases are dormant so you don't even know they have it.  Rabies is carried in the Central Nervous System tissues ie; brain and spinal column.

Don't touch the brains on skunks.

[elknutz]

Yep its dangerous game.  I admit to being a archery skunk hunter one time.  I will not repeat that folly again unless under attack.  It is stinky business.

[dinorocks]

Well I managed to get the skunk skinned out before Valentine's Day but decided it was in the best interest of my marriage to not gift the skunk skin to my wife.

I'm in the process of stretching it out and will send it out to be tanned after it dries.

I have not searched for patterns yet, but I would like to make either a quiver or a hat with the pelt.  The skunk is probably a size medium to medium/small (I did not keep the paws on the pelt).  If anyone has any information on patterns for either a quiver or a hat (or something else I should maybe consider making), please let me know.

Despite the skunk being frozen solid (single degree days since I arrowed him), the skinning went very well...after reading about everything I could find on skinning skunks, I was successful in not releasing the wrath of the odor.  When I finished, the only holes in the pelt were from my arrow...perfect lucky lung-area shot.

Below is a picture of the skunk skin.  Note I was wearing safety glasses when I skinned the skunk...you can go blind if spayed in the eyes, and (as some of you have mentioned above), if you press/pull the wrong spot, even a dead skunk can spray!

My 7 yr old son insisted on eating the skunk...I saved some of the meat...not sure how adventurous I want to get...maybe I'll stop while I'm ahead!
 

[twitchstick]

Nice shooting! Scary game to hunt.

[creekwood]

Sweet!      

[Doc Nock]

Couple of skunk stories for ya, Dino.

Buddy grew up po in N. NY state. They trapped, skinned skunks and everything else that would bring a quarter.

His dad heard that skunk fat renders as good as bear fat...so he wanted some. Took a fat ole skunk carcass and started rolling it around on a low flame in thefamily kitchen on the gas stove in Mom's black frying pan...

first thing that happened was the glands expanded and blew up...second thing was a green cloud the hung in the kitchen and my bud and his Dad were banned to the barn for near a week!

Other story is that when I was trappin in MT, skunk essence fetched a good price.

We'd get big ole syringes from the Vet and some rubber stopper bottles...fiddle around next to the anus and find a spot that drew back amber thick liquid... that was the good stuff. Shoot it into the rubber stopper bottle and sell it for more than the hide!

PS. all recommendations to handle gently are wise to heed! Dont' ask!  

[buckeye_hunter]

Maybe not the Dangerous Game Thread, but the Dangerous Gift Thread....