Everyone should skin a snake..at least once!

[YORNOC]

My turn to whine. Man, skinning and fleshing snakes ROTS. Smelly, swill laden, just nasty. Just finished doing two more copperheads and a whopper rattlesnake and I thought most should think this over.

If you love snake skins on bowlimbs,  appreciate the misery these guys(myself included I guess, although I TRY to get mine dried) go through to process them.  Anyone interested in snake skinned limbs ought to try doing one up at least once to get the idea.
 Any backup out there?
  After hundreds of them, I still have my stomach turn now and then....like tonight!  My wife is a pure city girl...love her beyond belief for puttin up with my hobbies!!!!!!!!!!!

[J-dog]

Skinned many myself, but not for limbs - taxi usually - they do smell. Then when ya get em skinned ya gotta flesh em.

First one I did was actually to eat rattlesnake - the smell turned me off of eating though I did try, it was decent, I still aint making it a habit. Kinda like eating a goat to me, stinkin animal that I have tried and still something about that smell.

J

[YORNOC]

Ha, still have it in my nose now even though I reek of Irish Spring!

[ishiwannabe]

Been there done that. I am sure I will again, and I must agree.

[Mike Vines]

I used to hunt rattlers for beer money, when I lived in New Mexico.  That was back in 91/92.  Used to bring them back to the barracks (headless), skin them (they went to someone in Las Cruces) then we would get with the cook and have him fry them up for us.  Man life was grand back then.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I believe its illegal here in NY.

Killing and or possessing snakes that are dead!  I would have to read the law closer but that's my take on it.

I would try it though just like I would try eating the rattle snake as well.

[Lucas K]

I have skinned three, all non-venomous; they just smelled like meat to me?

[Ringneck]

 No thanks, I'm good!

[lpcjon2]

David I did a 9ft boa last year and nothing could compare to it.I have to find the pics.Worst idea I ever had!

[Prairie Drifter]

Never thought it was that big a deal, but then I skin smelly things for a living.

[Roadkill]

Snakes have a place and maybe this is nature's way of preserving them. That said, there are some in proximity to humans that need to go.  Had copperhead in my living room bite my spaniel as he tried to protect our infant son. He did not make it out alive

[Alvey]

Originally posted by Roadkill:
Snakes have a place and maybe this is nature's way of preserving them. That said, there are some in proximity to humans that need to go.  Had copperhead in my living room bite my spaniel as he tried to protect our infant son. He did not make it out alive

   :eek:

[mahantango]

Hey Alvin, I didn't know you were a member here! How's the bow building going? (yours and Jim's).

[Bladepeek]

There have been seveeral instances at knife shows where the feds have made a point about illegal materials. Michigan says you can't kill a snake - period. I'd be real careful here in the mitten state bragging about where I got my snake skins!

[2treks]

Originally posted by lpcjon2:
David I did a 9ft boa last year and nothing could compare to it.I have to find the pics.Worst idea I ever had!

That is funny AND well stated.  

[flippnsticks]

[lpcjon2]

This si a pic of the one I did, wanted to use it for a set of limbs but I couldnt find a bow big enough(paul bunyon didnt shoot archery). Any man that skins snakes is a special person cause it ain't fun in my eyes.

 

[bornagainbowhunter]

I have skinned some and you are correct, they stink.  They stink bad...real bad.

God Bless,
Nathan

[ber643]

I've "skun" a few (only in deep, dark "locations", where legality isn't a concern, of course     :D    ). Not toooo bad but some of the same problems as you guys UNTIL I saw an instruction on here (last year) that basically took me back to my (large) Catfish skinning days. Slit the skin around the neck (WAIT - snakes have no neck - or are they all neck - well,anyway ... ) use 2 pliers to grab the skin (in one, and the flesh/bone in the other) and pull skin off like a wet T-shirt. Easiest, fastest, slickest trick I ever had with one. No smell, clean skin, (very little or) no "fleshing" needed. I'll never do it any other way again.

(BTW with real big Catfish I used to nail the head to a tree/ or heavy plank, and use only one pliers. Probably could/would try the same with a larger snake.) After you do ol' sneaky snake (being a little careful around the vent), slit it up (or down) the belly (shears work well), and tack it down to a board to dry (no Borax or anything needed, usually a couple of days or so - preferably OUT OF the sun). Cut off the two side/belly halfs with shears before rolling it to store (easier, flatter, less space, as per Eric Krewson) in ziplock bag.

Do a search in (of all places) the Bowyers Bench forum on snakeskins for further mention of these methods. Neat, neat, neat!

[Beanbag]

Years back I used to skin eels by the cut around behind the head and peel with pliers. Worked great other than real slippery. Tried it on a couple of snakes and it worked just as good.Just be careful at the vent and tail. What I found was if you put them in the fridge for a day or two it loosens the skin from the meat  and it almost will slide off.