RattleSnake for my bow

[Crystalshrimp]

#3491

I’ve recently ordered a bow from Mr. Coffey and he gave me the option of catching and skinning my own snake and sending it to him to place as backing on my bow. Well, I can find the snakes but have no clue how to prepare the skins for shipment or how to preserve them. Should I have them tanned or do I just dry them out myself. I really need help on this one. I like the thought of having a custom bow built with a snake that I skinnned myself. A bow with a story.

[Stephen Graf]

#20651

skinning snakes is about as easy as peeling a banana… And to preserve them, only air drying is necessary. Here’s what I do:

1. cutoff head and very end of tail with scissors.

2. Start at the head end and insert scissors blade just under the skin on the belly. Try not to open the body cavity (I am about 50% successful at not opening the body cavity).

3. Cut through the middle of the belly scales down the entire length of the snake.

4. Start peeling the skin off the body at the head end. Getting it started is the hard part. Once you get an inch or two started, simply hold the already peeled part in one end, and the skin in the other and slowly pull the skin off the rest of the snake.

I use 2 boards (cedar is best), clamps and some wax paper to dry the skin.

1. Lay wax paper on one board.

2. Spread the skin (gut side to the paper) and stretch it out nice and straight and as wide as possible.

3. lay the other board on top and clamp together. Wait a week or so.

To ship, simply role the skin up, and put a rubber band around it.

I would guess you will need 2 skins for a bow…

[Troy Breeding]

#20670

The way I do it is about the same up to where you dry the skin.

After the skin of off the body I use a board long and wide enough to hold the skin with approx. an inch of board outside the skin.

I then turn the skin flesh side up and use a staple gun to staple it to the board. Make sure to get out all the wrinkles. Place the staples atleast 1/2″ from the edge of the skin. On most skins this will still be in the bellow hide. Since you will be trimming the bellow skin off later you don’t have to worry about the holes.

At this point I take a box of twenty mule team borax (laundry soap) and spread it all over the flesh side until the skin is covered atleast 1/4″ deep.

Now place it somewhere out of the sun and wait for the borax to draw out the moisture. It takes approx two to three days. You may even have to remove the borax and replace with fresh if the borax gets wet and gooy.

After the skin is dry I take a knife and cut the belly skin off and role it up as stated before.

I then take the part of the borax that isn’t wet and gooy and put it back in the box for later use. The wet and gooy stuff is thrown away.

Remove the staples and bellow skin (I’ve found no use to this and throw it in the trash as well) so you can use the board again.

I’ve heard of this same process being done with salt, but have never tried it.

Troy

[Crystalshrimp]

#20722

Steve and Troy, you guys make this sound easy. I wont head out for snakes today since we’ve been getting some much needed rain down here for the past week. I will definitely use this advice as a guide. Thanks guys as always I appreciate the advice. Guess Ill just fire up the grill and throw some Fajitas on the fire……

[Crystalshrimp]

#35140

Hey guys I just caught one 4 1/2 foot rattler tonight while working in the brush following some foot sign. One more to go guys. As soon as I get off of work Ill be working that rattler.

[Crystalshrimp]

#45209

Now Im confused. I finally have my skins stretched out and drying up good. I was reading through some threads here and came across some advice on removing scales from the snakeskin. I have not clue on how to do this and nor know why. I understand that tanned skins dont work well with glues or epoxies and neither to scales, apparently. i need help guys. What am i doing wrong?

[Troy Breeding]

#45473

Brother, don’t worry with the scales unless you just can’t wait until you have the skins on the bow and dry.

After they are on and dry blue painters tape will lift them right off the skin.

Don’t worry and the color. The same color you see on the scales in on the skin.

Dry skins are what you want. Not tanned.

Titebond 2 or 3 will hold the skins right to the bow.

Afterwards, I always sprayed Helmmen’s Spar varnish in satin on the skins to prevent UV damage.

Troy

[Frank H V]

#50891

Troy Breeding wrote: Brother, don’t worry with the scales unless you just can’t wait until you have the skins on the bow and dry.

After they are on and dry blue painters tape will lift them right off the skin.

Don’t worry and the color. The same color you see on the scales in on the skin.

Dry skins are what you want. Not tanned.

Titebond 2 or 3 will hold the skins right to the bow.

Afterwards, I always sprayed Helmmen’s Spar varnish in satin on the skins to prevent UV damage.

Troy

I’m following this thread because I think skins on a bow are pretty. My Wife doesn’t like snakes period, so it’s not apt to happen to my bow.:?

I am curious as to why you have to remove the scales, & what would happen if they weren’t removed?

Thanks

Frank

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