Skinning and preserving an upland bird skin

[Boarmountain]

Here are the steps I take to preserve a bird skin.

First, wash the bird is soapy water to remove all blood.


Then make an incision from the tail to under the beak


skin out the drumsticks and the wings


Next move up to the head


Skin out the head to the beak


Remove the skull


Now, put the bird in a plastic bag with borax and shake it to dry the bird. Don't forget, it's still wet from the washing step. Then dry the feathers with a blow dryer on low.


Now cover the inside of the skin with borax. Let dry for several days


Shake off borax


A nice preserved skin, ready to use for tying.

[letumgo]

Mike - Thank you for posting this tutorial, showing how to skin and preserve game birds. I can tell, by how cleanly you skin the bird, that you very skilled at this.

Thank you for taking the time to take step-by-step photos (not an easy task with a job like this), and for following up with the tutorial. Very much appreciated! Well done, sir.

Those are some lovely feathers...

[Boarmountain]

No problem. If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Boarmountain]

Mike, thanks for the "How-to" lesson.

Isn't there some meat and/or fat that has to be scraped off the skin as well?

John

There shouldn't be any meat if you take your time skinning. As for fat, depends on the bird, as that can vary.

[wsbailey]

I like using one of these for scraping thin skins like with birds or rabbits.


http://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/dex ... 0-s2592sc/

[Theroe]

I like using one of these for scraping thin skins like with birds or rabbits.


http://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/dex ... 0-s2592sc/

Trusty grapefruit nice works well. Although I found you have to be real careful as they will slice through very thin bird or rabbit skin. I use a spoon..... once you get the hang of it, you won’t punch any holes through good health. And I need all the help I can get!
Dana