rabbit questions

[Randall]

today when i was skinning some rabbits, i felt like i was wasting the skin. i was wondering if it is worth the trouble to take the time to skin a rabbit like i would a deer to save the pelt? the way i do it now skins and cleans all at once, but it destroys the skin. and then does anybody know how to tan it once i get the skin?

[jdmidwest]

With the cost of a whole tanned tame rabbit hide in various colors running $4 at Hobby Lobby, it is hardly worth the effort. I assume you are talking about cottontail rabbits. You could skin out the heads and ears to dry out and use for dubbing. They can be dyed fairly easy and have a mixture of spikey fur for dubbing purposes. Other wise, the time and effort to skin the rabbit whole, wash and debug the hide, then tan it could involve several hours of labor for a hide that will still be cottontail colored. There are not many uses for a cottontail colored zonker strip.

[Thom]

I agree. One skin will last forevr.

I bought 2 or 3 masks olive, natural and rust several years back at feathercraft to use for dubbing and tails on hares ears and haven't even make a dent in them. I do ocassionally keep a belly or shank piece for the white color or greyish fur but I just let them dry out and put them in a plastic bag. They keep well and last forever. Just cut off the fur and put it in a blender with what ever you want to add and then package it. If you are going to keep it for a while it is a good idea to mix in a pinch of powdered insecticide or a small piece of a moth ball to keep it from getting infested. I just let one hang on a nail near my tying bench one time and when I went to use it it crumbled into pieces from some kind of insect infestation.

[duckydoty]

If you can get the skins at Hobby Lobby for $4.00-------Does anyone have any good tips for making strips????? Whats the best way to cut the strips without cutting and loosing all the hair. Do you cut with razor blades from the hair side or the hide side?

I can go through some whole hides real fast when I get to tying up bunny leeches.

Duckydoty

[jdmidwest]

You cut them from the tanned side with a single edge razor or xacto knife. I usually cut them on a self healing cutting mat I picked up at an art supply store. Comb the fur and cut in strips with the grain of the hair for zonkers, cross cut the strips for winding them on carcass type flies or leeches. There was a jig I saw a few years back with several blades in a board that you could draw the skin over and cut it up pretty fast.

[Gavin]

You can make your own tool to create rabbit strips out of some 1/4 or 1/8 inch scrap wood and some razor blades. Attach 3-4 or six of them together, add a handle and slash away ala Freddy Krueger. Cheers.

[Randall]

good thinkin... save time and have a more consistent cut.