how long is too long for roadkill?

[paulc]

Did I waste my time doing a quick skin and scrape on this guy?  Definitely stinky, skin pulled away from body pretty easily but maybe that is normal for snake?  Never skinned one before. 

Thanks, Paul

[Dances with squirrels]

(Even) On fresh kills, it does pull away easily... and they ALways stink. Forge ahead as if it was fresh. Tack it to a board, scrape it, dry it, then roll it up and put it in a zip lock bag with Borax.

[Pat B]

I think I'd wash it in warm water and a good detergent first. I use Dawn. Then tack it out to dry or if you are ready to back the bow, go ahead and do it now while it's limber.

[paulc]

I did wash w Dawn then put it in freezer...I trust itll be okay there till I get back to it?

Thanks, P

[PatM]

When you make rawhide you generally let the hide basically decay slightly so you should be fine as long as you arrest the process with cleaning and drying.  You're not asking it to be structural to any degree if you want to use it for decorative backing.

[Eric Krewson]

I freeze mine in a ziplock bag full of water to keep them from freezer burning. I have some skins in my freezer that have been there ten years. I got one out a year or so ago, tacked it to a board, fleshed it and let it dry, it was just fine.

Don't put salt or borax on a skin you want to use for backing. You can wash the skin for about a half hour under warm water and remove salt or borax but it is better not to use it in the first place, freezing is better

[gutpile]

dont put anything on it just scrap fatty tissue off and tack out ..do not stretch belly up and let air dry..no need to freeze.. gut

[Eric Krewson]

My reference to freezing if for raw skins that you can't process right away. I got 13 timber rattler skins one time from a friend. I froze them and got them out one at a time as I need them and stretched, fleshed and dried them. Once dried and rolled up there is no need to freeze them again.