Recycling a Dead Fox

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Stevie777

Native
Jun 28, 2014
1,443
1
Strathclyde, Scotland
Ok, I'll put this here because i'm sure this falls under the recycling category.

I spy with my little eye a dead Fox right out in front of my house. Must have been hit last night, so should i go fetch and skin it. Looks like a young un, nice and red with a lovely bushy tail and from what i can see from here it's not been squished.

I missed out on a cracking Badger a couple of years ago on the same spot and have kicked myself ever since that i didn't grab that lovely thick undamaged pelt.

Any laws on skinning road kill, other than a hairy man with a knife in the woods, i should be worried about. I dont want to bring it into the house. I live in a flat, no garden, so i would need to drag it off the grass and into the wooded area 10 yards or so from the road. I suppose could bag it and take it further away out of sight mind you. A bit worried the neighbours might see me bag the fox and start rumours i'm now eating foxes or something....My neighbours are more than capable of starting these vile rumours.. :rolleyes:
 

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
44
Britannia!
Keeping any bits of protected dead animals isn't allowed. Even one ounce hedgehog noses will get you in a flock of bother if caught! (I think those manky badgers are still protected too..)

Foxes though, no one cares. They get gunned every day by angry farmers and rough shooters. Skin away, just keep it out of the public eye or they will think you murdered a poor little furry critter and will call the po po. (even if they did, I think it's a decent enough reason to have a knife on you and skin it, after all, you are making good of a bad situation in a safe manner and if you dispose of the rest properly)

Got any experience with skinning and hide prep'? If not, google brain tanning and freeze the fox until you feel confident you know what to do.

If you manage to hygeinically do the job and don't want the tail, a skin on paw and the canine teeth, I will of course hit you up on offers to swap! ;)
 

Stevie777

Native
Jun 28, 2014
1,443
1
Strathclyde, Scotland
Got enough experience of skinning, Never tanned a hide, but i do know of the Brain technique. well, I can follow instructions but i'm not sure if i want to go that far. A stiff pelt, stretched is fine. It would only be pinned to the wall anyway.

I was thinking of burying the skinned carcass and coming back for the skull at a later date once nature does it's thing. Not into using my one and only soup pot boiling the flesh off a Fox head.

What's the best way to preserve a Fox paw.?
 

Stevie777

Native
Jun 28, 2014
1,443
1
Strathclyde, Scotland
Just checked, It's burst. Obviously a full on roll over. Whoever hit it must have pulled it from the road or the Police moved it. I'll give this one a miss. Thought i was going to blood my new skinner as well.
 

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