Otter rawhide quivers

[sonny]

I could be wrong about this but I am of the opinion that whether or not the hair slips has a great deal to do with how the
hide is handled when first removed from the animal. If left wet for too long I believe that there is much greater chance of the hair slipping, but if the hide is salted and dried there is a greater chance that the hair will be set firmly in place.
Simply speculation based on what someone recently said in a thread I started elsewhere about keeping the hair from slipping on a deer hide- they indicated that soaking in a brine solution (before fleshing, for instance) will set the hair for good.
I would assume that the same is true for otters as well.

If anyone has evidence to the contrary I'd like to know! 

[swamp monkey]

You are partially right about hair slip.  How you handle the hide can influence hair slippage.  However, you can do everything right and still have hair slippage due to a condition trappers call "blue hide".  This occurs when an animal still has ample circulation to the skin.  Once the animal is skinned and some of the fat scrapped the hide has a bluish tint.  When things get really cold the hide has reduced circulation and is off white.  These hides tend to have limited hair slippage.

Blue hides are best used in a rawhide condition.  If you try to tan them fully it will break your heart.  Taxidermists may have something to address this, but that is above my pay grade.