Author Topic: Snake skin jackpot  (Read 5184 times)

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Offline crooketarrow

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2012, 10:18:39 am »
  He is SWEETTTTTTTTTTTTT
  I also collect skulls. No pythons I do have 3 rattler skulls copper heads,black snakes. So I just know he'll be nice. I'd have to put him on bows. I did pythons their wide enough to do at least 2 bows. Their thick be sure he's tacked down really well. When you scrape him down. When you get him thined down DRY SNAKE SKINS TEAR VERY EASY. I like to do my scraping when I skin them.  Snake,birds are really small and lightly boned skulls. It's better if you use beatles to clean. But have skined but in the sun and slowely soked after a month in the sun. Soaked cleaned again a second time. I finished mine in 2 times.
  I rap all my skulls in ace bandage and keep soaking it in sallon proxide it's stronger. Let it sun dry and I spray my in varafane. This puts a thin plastic coat on it. I will stay white and bright forever. I have some skulls 30 years old that look great.
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
20 YEARS OF DOING 20 YEARS OF LEARNING 20 YEARS OF TEACHING

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2012, 11:25:02 am »
Thanks Crooketarrow!

I've skinned out a few smaller snakes, mostly local Hognose, etc and know 1st hand how wonderfully thin they can be...hopefully this larger Python will be a bit thicker than my last 2 Hognose (they were like tissue paper)

So for getting the flesh all cleaned off and removed from the skull & carcass you'd recommend just letting nature take it's course?  So maybe gut it and put it out to let the ants & beetles do their work?  When you say soaked, are you saying to occasionally rehydrate the flesh/bones to make sure the beetles and such keep doing their work right?  I know if the tissue gets too dry and hard they stop their business.  I've thought about making a hardware mesh type cage so I can keep the "gnawing" critters from getting into the bones and staking it out in the field/garden area where the sun and weather can do it's work...

I'd love to see any pics of your collection.
~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
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Offline dbb

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #17 on: January 16, 2012, 03:36:23 pm »
Nice pattern on that python that really is a jackpot!
At 10" you dont have to worry that the skin will be thin,im actually willing to bet it will add structural support to a bow beside being beautiful.
Big boa and pythonskins feels like rawhide.

/Mikael

 
It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2012, 07:50:54 pm »
If you start a dermestid beetle colony please make sure that you do it at least a mile from your home and preferably over 100 miles from mine.  If they get in your home you can say goodbye to anything leather, feather, or animal based in any way-shape-or-form. 

They are hell on high quality books, many are spine glued with a special hide glue.  Dermestids are hell on taxidermy mounts.  You will never know they are around until suddenly someone slams a door and all the hair falls off.  All that's left of your monster mulie buck is a styrofoam, antlers, and two glass eyeballs looking at you with contempt and derision.

Other than that, they are cool.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2012, 08:47:55 pm »
LOL, JW, I'm a falconer as you know so hawk chambers and beetles go hand in hand...never had a problem with em in the house and I have volumes of all the above mentions items.  Lucky I guess~

~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2012, 10:55:00 pm »
So THAT is why I am crazy about scrapping the mews every day!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Pappy

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #21 on: January 17, 2012, 09:48:18 am »
Thats sweet,beautiful snake,that will look sweet on a bow that's for sure. :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline Gaur

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #22 on: January 17, 2012, 09:59:30 am »
never seen a pattern like that one.  I have a thai cobra, burmese python about 12 footer, and a 12 foot reticulated python in my freezer.  My wife isn't nuts about it and I should really put them on bows soon before she throws them out.
"...He made me a polished arrow and hid me in His quiver." Is 49:2

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #23 on: January 17, 2012, 11:00:39 am »
Thanks Pappy & Guar...

Guar, how wide did the the 12' python end up being for you?  Hoping to pick her up tonight...
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #24 on: January 22, 2012, 02:30:57 pm »
Well I managed to pick up this Python and here are a few pics...kinda wish he was a bit more bold in pattern but I can't really complain.  Not sure he is a 10'er either but I'll use all of him I can...enjoy~







~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Elktracker

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #25 on: January 22, 2012, 03:23:54 pm »
I like him, Glad to see he is going to a good home!

Josh
my friends think my shops a mess, my wife thinks I have too much bow wood, my neighbors think im redneck white trash and they may all be right on the money!!

Josh Vance  Netarts OR. (Tillamook)

Offline Gaur

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Re: Snake skin jackpot
« Reply #26 on: February 13, 2012, 02:09:54 pm »
Hi Lee,

Sorry I missed your question.  The big one  (reticulated) I have in the freezer looks to be about 8" wide and the burmese python about 6".  The belly scales wouldn't be so nice so I plan to cut it in two strips to try to get a nice pattern for about 4 bows or so.  I've been on the look out for a short 6 to 7 footer as a fresh road kill that would have a tighter patterns. 

  Here is the burmese python next to a 5-6' Thai cobra.  The cobra is a bit beat up but the python is really nice.  Been thinking about using it on my next sinewed osage bow or two or three ;D
« Last Edit: February 13, 2012, 02:21:15 pm by Gaur »
"...He made me a polished arrow and hid me in His quiver." Is 49:2