#buzzardsbones

[buzzardsandbones]

My friend's little brother varmint shot this w.oodchuck last night, since it was damaging the foundation of their barn. We skinned, and around the time we got to the face her dad came home and gave us some pointers. He skinned one half of the face and I did the other, I'm extremely pleased with how the side of the face I did turned out since this is only the second full hide I've ever skinned. It's in the freezer right now until I can get home from work and skin the tail before fleshing and salting. I also took all four paws, and I currently have them salt drying.

[buzzardsandbones]

The m.ink, before and after skinning. I also took the heart, a kidney, and part of the intestine to wet preserve. The hide and organs are in the freezer until I get around to skinning the tail and salting the pelt. The rest of the body is in a bucket of water under the mulberry tree to macerate.

[buzzardsandbones]

I made a redbubble! Currently the only pattern I have up is Forest Howl, but I have at least one more painting to scan in today, and more work on the way! There's a link to it in my description.

[buzzardsandbones]

I have these two r.abbit hides pickling in oxalic acid, I think they may be ready to neutralize and throw into the tan later today. My friend bought all the chemicals I needed for chromium tanning from Van Dyke's for me, and depending how these r.abbits turn out I'll be tanning a sh.eep skin they have for them.

[buzzardsandbones]

Tonight's projects: Skinning my m.ink, and skinning the tail on my wo.odchuck. Then I'll flesh and salt both of them tonight, and drop them in the pickle on... Wednesday? Maybe?

I also need to fill out my tanner's application, and drop that into the mail. I'll be pulling my r.abbit hides out of the chromium tomorrow to break them, I'm curious to see how they turn out. All in all, a busy couple of days off then it's right back to the work grind.

[buzzardsandbones]

She is so very flat. I think every bone in her body is broken, for the most part.

I might clip her paws off to salt and dry, I don't want to skin such tiny bones. I'm hoping my friend will let me take her over there tomorrow to work on, because I can't stomach it alone.

Last winter, Yule's skull was badly damaged and he had some internal damage, but he can't hold a match to this.

[buzzardsandbones]

My friend ordered tanning chemicals from Van Dyke's for me in exchange for me tanning a sh.eep skin for her. I also have two salted r.abbits and a frozen m.ink to tan as well. The r.abbits are going to be my test run before thawing out the m.ink body and the sh.eep. I really hope this all goes well.

[buzzardsandbones]

This beauty will be going in my collection soon! A friend of mine got it from a farmer she knows, along with a few other ca.ttle skulls, and she didn't want this one, so I'm getting it! I'm planning to meet up with her and get it on Sunday.