Need advice on skinning skunks

[criveraville]

I caught two skunks today. I've never skinned a skunk and don't know about the smell. Any advice?

I'm completely lost on this one..

Thanks,
Cipriano

[seabass]

put a clothespin on your nose lol

[Pat B]

Find someone to do it for you. 
 I don't know if you can get the stink out of a skunk skin. Someone gave me skunk string silencers and very time it rained the skunk smell came out.

[criveraville]

Ok.. I was afraid of that. One is in aice trap and the other in a coil trap. I dispatched them both. I tried to get the one in the coil trap out, but the skink seemed to jump up on me and hitch a ride.

[seabass]

I do have a case skinned hide that has no smell,but I have never gotten it wet.

[mcginnis6010]

First of all dont handle it too roughly as you may cause the gland to leak. then make your cut from leg to about an inch from the anus on both legs and then carefully cut about 1 inch around the anus to remove the gland. DONT go too deep with the knife and just take your time and be kinda gentle with it. Then you must carefully separate the gland and surrounding fat from the skunk and once you are done bottle the essence from the gland and bottle the gland along with the fat as well. Skunk essence in my experience is the no.1 best lure for fox, coyote, and sometimes bobcat. for some reason canines love the smell. Its never let me down. once you have the gland off the skunk just skin as normal and onced fleshed soak the hide in a mixture of water and dawn dish soap with baking soda for an hour or two and it should be free of skunk smell.

[Marc St Louis]

A light vinegar solution neutralizes the smell immediately

[TRACY]

Cip, McGinnis explained a good way to skin, just be careful when cutting on the back legs around the anal glands. If they sprayed when dispatched you shouldn't get much of a surprise. One gland on each side  beautiful hides though! Alpha neutroleum can be bought and will neutralize the thiols in the spray.


Tracy

[Outbackbob48]

Cip, Hope you don't have school on Monday Be real careful around anus area, the glands are little yellow pea shaped size. As someone else stated, K-9 for some reason are attracted to skunk smell so make a reset somewhere close to where you caught your skunks. I sent 4 skunks to Moyles an they came back skunk free and are one of the most beautiful furs. Didn't take ya long to become a trapper I can tell by your smell. I have also used perioxide/ bakingsoda mix to remove scent from self and dogs. Make sure an flesh your skunks real good, they can grease burn from excess fat and grease. A little advice on dispatch, make sure you are up wind, I usually shoot them with a 22 short an then leave area for a day to blow off, next day remove and reset, 99% of my sets are legholds but I have caught a few skunks in the boxtraps . You can some times release or dispatch boxtrap skunks without the stink, go slow. Have Fun Bob

[Dharma]

One of the trading posts here has skunk skins. Some traditions use them for tobacco bags. But every one of them still has skunk scent on it despite the owner saying they don't smell. For some reason, the ones with the coarsest hair and yellower stripes tend to smell the worst. Off topic, but the only thing around here that attracts ravens more than a road-killed skunk is the burgers in McDonald's dumpster. Things that make ya go "hmmmmmm...."

[wildman]

Mcgiinis was spot on I have skinned several. I traded some to Sterling a few years back no smell to mention. A baking soda,peroxide,dish detergent equal mix goes along way toward reducing smell. I think a male mink will smell worse if you bust the gland they have. Good luck!

[PaulLovesJamie]

The scent glands are tucked just inside the anus, so following what mcginnis said is about right.

If you want to go non-primitive, put a little super glue on the anus to seal it off before skinning. That way if you are skinning your first skunk in the basement and you "whoops," the lovely perfumes wont go through your forced hot air ducts through the whole house. Ah, the lessons of youth.

[Gus]

Another way to keep the perfume of your hands would be to let Diego skin them Skunks...

Hehehe...

 

-gus

[Josh B]

My daughter's skunk quiver doesn't stink a bit normally.   Let the humidity get up around 90% and that thing will run you out of the pick up it stinks so bad!  Good luck Amigo!   Josh

[bowtarist]

When my wife was pregnant w/ our oldest boy she wore a skunk skin cap around all the time. Don't know why, guess she liked it. Now she regrets the pics that were taken of her in it.  Like said earlier, it only smells when humidity or water is involved. I've skinned a couple, one I did right, the first I ended up having to dump. Put it on the leavy up wind of the college I went to at the time, campus smelled pretty rank for a few days. I had a big grin on my face the whole time...cept when I first cut into that glad.