Question- beaver tail

[jhk1]

Hey guys-- got a dumb question:  What processing needs to be done to a beaver tail to make it usable as grip material for bows?  Found a freshly dead beaver in the woods and wondering how much of hassle it is to make usable leather from the tail.  Thanks.

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Remove the skin from the tail and then tac it to a piece of wood or cardboard to air dry. I put a little bit of salt on mine to dry up the moisture quicker. Once it is dried you can just put it into warm water for a few minutes and then it will become pliable again. just double over where your going to stitch so that it doesn't rip. Once it dries it is on there nice and tight.

That's how I've done my handles wraps at least with beaver.

[D]

I agree..thats the way I've done it.  Be careful skinning it and fleshing it out cause mine had A LOT of oil in it.  It makes the knife and your hands really slippery.

[backyardbowhunter]

I have a batch of beaver tails in the tanning solution right now. You can salt and dry them and use without tanning, but the best way to preserve them is to tan them, just like any hide. If you don't tan, for sure salt heavily to get the grease out. You'll be suprised how much oil is in the skin that the salt sucks out. After dry and hard, you might want to dye them with leather dye and oil both sides to help preserve them. I use neatsfoot oil after tanning.

[Roy from Pa]

The first and only Beaver tail I tried to tan got me 15 stitches in my hand and nearly lost a finger. Be very careful!

[wood carver 2]

Roy, the beaver should be dead before you try and skin out it's tail.   :eek:  
Dave.

[D]

Ha thats funny.......Roy how in the world did happen to ya.

[Roy from Pa]

Well I got up early, put camo on my face, camo head to tail. I filled a 5 gallon bucket with the tanning solution and headed out the door an hour before daylight. Snuck up along the creek and out on top of this Beaver dam. About the time the sun was coming up, he pops his head out of his hut. As he crawled up out and headed away from me, I grabbed him by the tail. I swung him around a few times to make him dizzy, then stuck his tail down in the tanning solution. It must have burnt him and pissed him off, cause he spun around and put a death grip on my hand. I screamed out loud like one of them Missouri boys do and he left go real quick. I grabbed my bucket and came home, then off to the emergency room to get patched up. The Doctor said what happened, I said a Beaver bit me when I was playing with it. He said son are we talken about the same Beaver? I said I dunno. So he stitched me up, gave me a funny grin and out the door I went.

[jsweka]

[Dan Landis]

Roy, You must still be on those pills the dentist gave you.  LMAO on that one.

[mwosborn]

Wish I had video!  

[KHALVERSON]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
Well I got up early, put camo on my face, camo head to tail. I filled a 5 gallon bucket with the tanning solution and headed out the door an hour before daylight. Snuck up along the creek and out on top of this Beaver dam. About the time the sun was coming up, he pops his head out of his hut. As he crawled up out and headed away from me, I grabbed him by the tail. I swung him around a few times to make him dizzy, then stuck his tail down in the tanning solution. It must have burnt him and pissed him off, cause he spun around and put a death grip on my hand. I screamed out loud like one of them Missouri boys do and he left go real quick. I grabbed my bucket and came home, then off to the emergency room to get patched up. The Doctor said what happened, I said a Beaver bit me when I was playing with it. He said son are we talken about the same Beaver? I said I dunno. So he stitched me up, gave me a funny grin and out the door I went.

i just spit my drink all over my puter
funniest durn thing ive heard in a while

[Roy from Pa]

Not funny, it's a true story    LOL

[BCWV]

 That's good.

[red hill]

Roy, in some places people get locked up for telling stories like that! Maybe you do need to move down to Virginny! LOL

[Roy from Pa]

LOL