How To Skin A Raccoon

If you are planning to do it yourself, here are some steps that you should follow in order to do a good job because skinning a raccoon is a pretty complex procedure. The possibility of doing it wrong is high due to the fact that you have to be attentive at every point - a simple mistake is irreversible so you only have one shot in order to do things right.

Raccoon Skin

The very first thing to do is to should cut around the raccoon's so-called wrists and ankles, with other words, the place where the rich fur ends. The next step in order is to cut the pelt from the heel of every hind foot to the anus and around that location. Then you should make a cut beginning from the anus down to the tail (approximately 4 inches or approximately 10 centimeters). Begin peeling the pelt down the hind legs. To do so, you should start pulling the pelt and cut the connective tissue during the process.

Once the pelt is safely removed, the carcass should be placed at an acceptable height by its hind feet. If you are skinning a male raccoon then the male's reproductive organs will be connected to the pelt. These are to be cut as closely to the pelt as possible. Next peel the pelt from around the tail (the base of the tail to be more specific) exposing a few inches of the tail bone.

Clamp a tail stripper around the tail bone - you should do this by holding it with one hand and with the other you should hold the tail's base and try to pull the bone outside the tail by pulling the tail stripper as hard as you can. If you can't do it by yourself then you should ask for someone's help - it will be far easier to complete this delicate procedure. If you can't seem to extract the tail bone then you should extend the cut (by a few inches) towards the tail's tip. You might want to use a sharp knife to get better results.

Now, the pelt should be pulled down the carcass as far as it is possible thus exposing the forelegs. If you cut the connective tissue then you should expose the forelegs furthermore. While you are trying to push the pelt down you should wrap fingers from both hands around the coon's foreleg. Continue to do so until the coon's forefoot passes the pelt, setting it free. Repeat the procedure with the coon's other foreleg, and you've almost finished the work.

After completing all these steps, you should remove the nose, eyes, lips, ears and muskrat without any leftovers of fur on the carcass. Once this step is completed, the pelt should meet all the conditions to be fleshed or placed (fur side out) in a plastic bag in order to be frozen.