They kill a lot of rattlers where I work and I have them on notice to save them for me.  It finally paid off today as I got a nice yellow to black 3" rattler (8 buttons).  I skinned it out during lunch and have it in the cooler.  I just have to wait for a matching skin.  I'll post pics tomorrow when I flesh it out and tack it.

 

So where do you work that they have reptiles on the loose?

I've never had to flesh one out, I just tube it out starting just behind the head, pull the skin off just like you would take a sock off your foot and when your done the skin is in-side-out.

than I just slice it down the belly and put in on a board to dry.

good luck and cool score!!

You know Brian we get enough threads asking what to do with dead snakes that that might make a great tutorial! How about photographing it the next time you do one.

Yes, I agree with Mickey,,,, a tute is in order!

Well I did a search for previous posts and read all those.  I wasn't too concerned as I've skinned a lot of stuff for my biology degree but was wondering if there wasn't any special considerations for bow application.  I just used scissors down the belly and then cut around the anal plate.  There was some minimal connective tissue, mostly on the sides.

Forester, I work on the computers for a rock quarry company.     They said this is an average size one and they've killed 6 footers!  

talondale, the good thing about timbers(canebrakes) is that you can usually get a matching set out of one skin or so I hear.  Split it right down the middle and use one half at the top and one at the bottom.

Chuck, Congrats on your Prize. Looking forward to some pics.  

Chuck there is no better looking skin on a bow in my opinion. Here is my Great Northern Fireball with timber rattler skins on it.
Jack

Good find...and I agree with Jack...they're my favorite also...great looking bow jack!

Thanks Curt.

Chuck a guy that knows snakes told me it is best to dry timber rattler skins in the winter since they are so much thicker than say copperhead skins. There is less chance of flies blowing them then since they take longer to dry.
Jack

I had a false alarm visit to the delivery room last night and now photobucket is down for maintenance.  I'll post pics as soon as I'm able.

BTW, I measured the skin and it is 47" long and 6.5" wide at the widest point.  They cut the head off about two inches back so this one was over 4' long.  Had 8 buttons.

Mine has much more yellow to it than that one.  Having seen it dry I notice the pattern seems just as clear underneath as above.  Has anyone tried gluing a skin on inside out to avoid the scale texture? or would the exterior skin not bind as well?

Here's some pics of the skin fresh:

Here it is tacked out on a 2x8



Here's my fleshing tool, I think it's an old guide for a circular saw, it was lying around in my garage, but it worked GREAT!  You can see that there was some meat in the belly area and connective tissue on the back.  I wonder if Brian's tube method would have eliminated most of the belly meat.  After I scraped it with the tool I scrubbed with a wire brush to get the stubborn stuff off.

I found it worked better if I removed the nails in the area I was working and nailed it back when I was finished there.  It also stretched better after being fleshed. I washed the skin as I went to rinse pieces off.  When I was done fleshing I used the ruler side of the "fleshing tool" to slide under the skin and lift it to the end of the nails allowing air to flow all around the skin.  Here's the clean skin.

 

My kids wanted in on the action.  Emma asked plenty of questions and stated she wanted a snake skin of her own.  A good opportunity for a nature safety lesson.

I then put the board in the sun to dry.  Here's the skin with 90% of the scales removed.

I can't beleive I'M saying this , but I need to go snake huntin.I like that hide.That's awesom.I used to kill and skin snakes when I was a kid.Now I run like heck and hope they dont skin me    But after seeing these pics I think I need one for my limbs.Keep those pics rolling.  

That's the nice thing about my setup: other guys do all the killing, and I just have to clean them.  LOL.  This one was on a set of steps and two guys had stepped over it before the third guy saw it!      

Nice rattler! Gonna look real good on a bow.

I've used a small old broken piece of flint (from a knife I'm guessing) that just fits along my forefinger to flesh out. I've never done a snake before though.

Come to think of it, I might still have an old tanned python skin around somewheres, believe it was 15 or 16' long. Couldn't have it out in the open as my ole parrot would go bananas at the sight of any snakeskin!

Kinda miss that ole turkey, African grey, got him when I was 13,....back in '66, he passed on bout 5 years ago. Had a lot of character.

Thanks for the pics - Q.