Best way to prepare a rabbit's skin?

[Evil Elvis]

I shot and skinned a good sized rabbit last night and skinned it, i want to use the skin on a dummy, whats the best way to dry it out? If I hang it in the shed the flies will get it.Once its dry, i have a tannolising kit which will turn the skin into leather.

[Ozzy Fudd]

i remember seeing on tv people pegging skin out so birds, etc, would eat the fat off the inside

[Evil Elvis]

You dont really get a lot of fat on a rabbit..............

[al4x]

stick it on a radiator for a week should dry it out fine

[Fatcatsplat]

Baz - I just scraped the fat and blood off mine and wrapped it round the dummy to dry - Starts out a bit crisp on the edges but gradually softens out.

 

Young Bezza doesn't seem to mind and picks it up lovely.

 

p.s. I've got a couple of spare pheasant wings indoors if you want to try them as well

[Evil Elvis]

Cheers dude, its drying out in the sun at the mo, on top of the shed, shes walking round the garden sniffing the air madley!!!

[ollie]

If you leave it out to dry it will shrink a lot. I use a mixture of Borax, Alum, Table Salt and water for curing taxidermy skins. If you don't want to cure the skin I would advise cleaning it and letting it dry on the dummy; this way there will be less shrinkage.