Guy in my office just showed me pictures of two real nice Texas Rat Snakes he killed about this time yesterday.  They have been in a plastic trash bag since then.  I am thinking about throwing them in the freezer until I am ready to skin and back a bow...do you think they are still any good in this heat?

Skin them first and freeze the skins.  They should still be okay.  Might have to wear a handkerchief dipped in cologne over your face to skin them.     :eek:

That is my main concern.  Hard to get too crazy over the project since I don't really have a bow that they would look good on at this time.  May have to pass on these.

I know when they're dead it's easier to glue 'em to the bow...they're usually too busy bitin' to hold still otherwise.  

Another good tip- if you are working with anything smelly-just put a little vicks vaporub on your upper lip under your nose  

I'd rather smell the snake!!!!!

Why would he kill a rat snake that he didn't intend to use? And then photograph the bodies and show them around an office? You would think that he had just killed Charles Manson. I wouldn't take a used paperclip from that kind of fella.    
Killdeer

I'm not one on killing snakes either...as a matter of fact, I gave him my mobile and told him me and my two 6 yr old daughters would be happy to come catch any other snakes and relocate them should he stumble across them.  He claims he didn't know if was poisonous or not and didn't want to take a chance with his dog in the yard.  I have spent most of my life preaching against senseless killing of snakes just to kill them...some people just can't get over it.  Anyway, I decided not to attempt the job.

QuoteOriginally posted by sleepyhollow:
Another good tip- if you are working with anything smelly-just put a little vicks vaporub on your upper lip under your nose    

To add to Sleepyhollow's tip, the vicks in combination with sucking on some hard peppermint candies can make even the smelliest jobs pleasant.  Old tip from Human Anatomy Lab in college.