Author Topic: Dryin WHOLE rats... (Read 663 times)

Tim B · « **on:** February 05, 2003, 05:37:46 AM »

Sorry fellas, I should have been more specific....Im tryin to dry whole rats....so I can skin'em! Im dryin them in the basement but it still seems to take forever!
Thanks again...and sorry for the unclear post.
Thanks
Tim B

OldCoon · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2003, 09:25:35 AM »

Wrap them in a thick layer of newspaper for a few hours. Then remove and finish drying off in a dry ventilated place.

RdFx · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2003, 10:58:22 AM »

ol coons idea of wrapping tight in newspaper is right. After that is done you can either hang up or lay on dry newspaper and put fan on them and they will be dry shortly. Rats are easy to dry. IF you are trapping them now and have snow just roll and drag em back and forth by tail in fluffy snow and they dry INSTANTLY. Give it a try works great.

Jersey · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2003, 12:49:09 PM »

I carry newspaper in the truck and wrap them up real good after checking. When I return home I skin them, wet or dry. BUT - if they are still wet I'll hang the pelt off a wire - FUR SIDE OUT - for a day until the fur drys. 24 hours or less is usually long enough. When they are dry they are put on the stretcher. Never stretch a pelt if the fur is wet.

Dan Mich Trapper · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2003, 02:44:45 AM »

I also have trouble with this in the early sesason when no snow . I know they dry faster hangin by their front feet but then you have the bellies turnin green in a short amount of time . So if ya hang by hindlegs they wont dry fast enough .

RdFx · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2003, 11:43:55 AM »

IF you wrap rat in newspaper same day you get him and then take off newspaper and set on paper on floor and put fan on him and then turn him over after a little while and fan other side he will be dry withing 12 hours and wont turn green . Always have back of rat up first to dry and then belly up and that helps fm turning green if rat was in water along time and water was warm. If too warm of water and rat was left in too long it will be green when you take him out of water.

foxtail · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2003, 05:55:10 PM »

For early season work, I have a rack on the truck for drying the critters.
They blow in the wind as I drive down the road. This only works when the temp is above freezing. Mink and rats are usually dry when I get home, coon are usually almost dry. I take the animals that arent dry when I get home and hang them up by the front paw (coon, other large critters) and the mink by the head and rats by the rear leg. I take 550 cord and make loops and I have a meat board between my shed and a tree with dozens of screws in it. You would be surprised how fast the wind will dry them when they are hanging. Rain can be a problem though.

TRAPPER-N-HUNTER · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2003, 08:36:16 PM »

I have found that newspaper works best for wet pelts. I also have a brush that works the water out. Find a somewhat finetooth comb and hang up wet animal and run comb through pelt. This should help in drying process.