Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: kdub on April 17, 2008, 07:49:02 pm

Title: snake skins
Post by: kdub on April 17, 2008, 07:49:02 pm
Well I skinned my first snake today.  Its a diamondback watersnake.  I Shot it in the nick when bowfishng.  I skinned it, salted it, and nailed it up.  Its pattern is dark, but it still looks pretty, it should make a good hat band.   Did I do it right, by salting it and pinning it up? sorry no pics yet. 
-kdub
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: DanaM on April 17, 2008, 08:53:00 pm
don't think ya need to salt it, scrape it clean and pin it to a board flesh side out, let dry.
I doubt if the salt hurt any thing either
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: El Destructo on April 17, 2008, 10:43:10 pm
Naw that salt wont hurt a thing...but if you just do a good job of Scraping them....and tack them down good....thats all you really need to do to a Snake
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Pappy on April 18, 2008, 07:05:02 am
Salt won't hurt it,but I have found over the years it ant nessary. I don't even tack them up anymore.I just lay them out flat and when they are almost dry put them under a flat board and let the finish drying,and that is all there is to it.O ya and keep them away from Sadie and Hanna,they think they tast good. ;) ;D

 Pappy
 
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: El Destructo on April 18, 2008, 01:20:28 pm
Yep...I had my Basenji's using one as a Tuggy Toy one day....they thought it was better tasting than da Rawhide Chewwies!!
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: kdub on April 18, 2008, 04:11:30 pm
thanks yall. The skin came of really easy, I was just able to peel it back without very much cutting.  The only part that gave me difficulty was  when i reached the abdominal slit, man that stunk!
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Hillbilly on April 18, 2008, 06:02:50 pm
Yep, there are definitely things that smell better than snake guts.  :)
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Pat B on April 18, 2008, 06:34:44 pm
Be sure you remove all of the salt before you use the skin. It will attract and hold moisture which will eventually cause the skin to start deteriorate(stink). You should probably soak it in water then rinse and repeat a few times to be sure the salt is out.      Pat
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: El Destructo on April 19, 2008, 02:35:09 am
Yep, there are definitely things that smell better than snake guts.  :)

Hey a Snake dont hold  a Candle to a Duck or a Turkey when it comes to Gut Stench....c/mon!!! :P
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Coo-wah-chobee on April 19, 2008, 02:39:49 am
Yep, there are definitely things that smell better than snake guts.  :)

Hey a Snake dont hold  a Candle to a Duck or a Turkey when it comes to Gut Stench....c/mon!!! :P
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Ya mean ya dont put that stuff in soup ? ;D......bob
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: El Destructo on April 19, 2008, 06:26:03 am
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Ya mean ya dont put that stuff in soup ? ;D......bob

                                                            EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!
                                                                                           8)
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: kdub on April 21, 2008, 08:27:04 am
 8) lol
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 21, 2008, 11:51:56 am
Waste not want not, right Bob.  You fellers ain't ever really been hungry or you wouldn't say eeewwww to anything.  I do recommend you rinse it out first though.  Maybe that is why there was plentiful game before the white man showed up on this continent.  The Indian ate what he killed and the white man ate what he wanted.  :o Justin
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Hillbilly on April 21, 2008, 02:22:30 pm
Never tried the guts, but I've eaten snake-on-a-stick-over-the-fire.  ;D
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: TRACY on April 21, 2008, 03:38:38 pm
Yeah ,my 2yr old yellow lab scarfed down two dried rattlesnake skins in the blink of an eye. Walked away from the bench to get something and came back to put them on a bow and they were gone. She didn't have a bowel movement for days, serves her right.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: huntertrapper on April 24, 2008, 11:42:37 pm
lets see a picture of er on a hat.... ;)
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: cowboy on April 24, 2008, 11:59:23 pm
I'd like to see them diamond backed water snakes too. I'm sure I've seen before but never heard em called that. Yeah, I wouldn't worry about salting a snake skin - they dry quick without anything, like just about ready the next day.
 that's good to hear Pappy - nother idea. I've always stretched and tacked em down - puttin em between two boards, now that's quick and easy. I like it :).
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: mullet on April 25, 2008, 12:18:27 am
 I staple them on the door of my shop and walk the heat gun up and down. Have them dry in seconds.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Coo-wah-chobee on April 25, 2008, 12:20:06 am
I eat em ! Oh ya mean the skins ! oops ! ;D............bob
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: kdub on April 28, 2008, 08:37:40 am
I pulled my latest one off the wall, this time I used no salt, and there were maggots on it.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: cowboy on April 28, 2008, 08:52:08 am
kdub, is that an outside wall - like the side of a barn or something? Man, I have never had trouble with maggots on a snake skin. Have always tacked em up outside in an open, airy, sunny location.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: El Destructo on April 28, 2008, 09:09:04 am
you must not have scraped it good enough....cause I have never had Maggots in anything but some Turkey Wings that I just threw in a Box ....and forgot!!!! :P...Now that was Gross!!!!!
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Hillbilly on April 28, 2008, 09:31:20 am
I got a nice northern water snake skin from a vehicular victim a few days ago. Now if I can just find one to match it. The water snakes do have a nice pattern on them.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: mullet on April 28, 2008, 06:02:15 pm
 Post a picture, If it's a Banded Water snake I might have one.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: Hillbilly on April 28, 2008, 06:13:48 pm
Looks a lot like like this'un:

(http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/Reptiles/Northern%20Water%20Snake/nwsnake4.gif)
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: mullet on April 28, 2008, 07:12:16 pm
 I think I have some, If I do I'll bring it with me.
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: FlintWalker on April 29, 2008, 12:34:13 am
That looks like the Northern water snakes we have around here. I've seen hundreds of them when I wasn't looking for them.  Now that I want a couple, they seem to be rare as hens teeth ???
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: cowboy on April 29, 2008, 02:32:45 am
That looks like the same kind me and the brother used to throw at each other - they must be everywhere..
Title: Re: snake skins
Post by: kdub on April 29, 2008, 03:20:32 pm
Yeah they're all over here too. The snakes were out like crazy yesterday at lake lavon, in the 80 degree temp.  Yeah that stinky skin was outside, but it was real humid.  I did better with the one I salted and pinned it flesh side out, then I sanded the salt and remaining flesh off, that one did fine.