Rattle snake....Now what??

[Matty]

I'm sure this will eventually get moved to the HOW TO section and thats cool, I 'm just hoping for exposure here.....
On to the topic.  I'll most likely be going out this year to collect some Rattle snakes, and I was Just curious to know how to get the skins off of them for use on my bows?  treating, storage etc... thanks for the help....

[Benha]

Take the stuffing out of the snake to get the skins off. LOL

[longbowhntr]

First thing is to cut the head off (just to be safe.)
Slice down the center of the belly with a sharp knife and pull skin off.
Tack down flesh side up and let air dry.
Then roll up and store in plastic bag until you need them.

David (well thats what I do anyway)

[IB]

Its best ta take the stuffin out after they quit wigglin  :eek:    :eek:    

[Fritz Brown]

I slice the length of the belly side open, evicerate it, and then peel the skin off.  Then I cut the snake up in to three inch lengths, coat with flour and seasoned salt and fry in bacon fat.

Oh yeah,  then I carefully scrape all the flesh from the skin (there is actually quite a bit of flesh adhearing to the skin) being careful to not cut the skin while scraping, and then roll it up and freeze.  I dont dry the skin because when you apply it to a bow you have to rehydrate it again before you can apply it, so I just leave it wet to start with. You might want to match them into pairs that are similar color and size before freezing them together in the same small zip lock bag.  That way you dont have to thaw out several trying to find a matched pair.  Anyway that is what I do.

-Fritz

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Instead of just chopping off the head, just bite it off...Be a man...Ok...Don't do that.

[Matty]

What would you be scraping it with so not to cut it or damage it in any way?  Will simply peeling the skin back  get it off?  Or do I have to skin it with a knife?
Thanks for the pointers.....

[Fritz Brown]

The skin peels off pretty easily, but there is quite a but of connective tissue and what not still adhearing.  I find that having a couple of paper towels handy helps.  The skin, and the snake can be pretty slippery, and gripping them with a paper towel helps to hold on to them.

I scrape the skin with my knife held at a 90 degree angle to the skin.  To avoid cutting it, just make sure you scrape the knife blade side ways and dont pull the knife in a cutting motion as you scrape (if that makes sence).  It isn't that hard to avoid cutting the skin. If you do, and it isnt that nasty of a cut, you can just make sure the cut is closed up as you are gluing the skin to the limb.  

If you haven't handled hot snakes before,  be sure to read up on handling them before you go out hunting them.  You will NOT gain any useful experience from reading about them on the internet.  That only comes with actual experience.  But you will come across lots of warnings about how fast and unpredictable a seemingly docile snake can become.   Take the warnings and information seriously and make sure you are properly equiped for what you are going to do. Rattle snakes aren't particularly tricky to handle, but any venomous bite can be very serious. Therefore handling them requires your absolute attention.  Also, go to Walmart and buy yourself "The Extractor" snake bite kit and carry it with you.  It's a yellow syringe looking thing in a bright yellow box.

And lastly,  take any advice you get on the internet from people you have never met before as being worth what you paid for it.  Edumacate yourself about snake handling because the best snake handling experts in the world wont be there when you are actually doing it, no matter how good their advice may look on a glowing computer screen.

-Fritz

PS none of that was meant to deter you from snake hunting.  It is just to point out that safety should always come first.

[ishiwannabe]

All good advice Fritz....this thread made me laugh....last time I caught a venomous snake was in '97....basic training. Boy I did A LOT of pushups....
I have always used a spoon to deflesh the snake skins....and any other small critters. Of course around here there arent a lot of dangerous snakes....

[juneaulongbow]

I just cut up the belly with scissors and peel it off.

Head removed and ready to skin.  

[NightHawk]

hey juneau is that the famous snow snake?

[Big Dave]

Hey! I didn't know they had rattlers in Alaska LOL      

[juneaulongbow]

Well...it's in Alaska now.  It was just north of you Big Dave...outside of Ballinger.

[the Ferret]

I think Juneau just poses in one position and slips different critters in there for the pics.

[Roadkill]

I saw in the last Tandy catalog some snake tanning fluid-if that's where ya want to go with it

[JiminTexas]

If you are going to put in on a bow, DON'T tan it! Just dry it and glue it on.

[duck'n]

An old spoon will de-flesh the snake skin nicely as well.