Roadkill
09-07-2016, 12:38 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: North Florida
Posts: 4
Roadkill
Hey guys, newb here - so i love pelts and have recently gotten into tanning. So my question is how dangerous would it be to get a fresh fox off the side of the road to skin? From what I've read rabies seems to be fairly common in them so I'm kinda leery of that and would probably stick to fresh roadkill deer/coyote for tanning. I ask cause right now there's a less than 6 hour dead red fox just right up the road. lol Obviously I'm a complete newbie at this so bear with me 
09-07-2016, 02:32 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
It varies location to location if there is Rabies around. The last time I researched it was for South Texas and the info wasn't hard to find on the net.
I'd be more worried about parasites, there are a few in Fox and Yotes that are just plain bad. I use good gloves, face mask and treat them like toxic waste until I can get them into a tub of chemicals. I transport them in garbage bags and toss the bags.
I have a large stainless steel shelf, scrap from a medical supply warehouse, that I set up on two saw horses outside as a work table. And a large, dishwasher safe, plastic cutting board.
I have two steam cleaners one big and one hand carry size to clean up my work area. The hand carry models are handy and can be used for a lot of stuff, got mine at Aldi.
Maybe it is just me but I'm a little parasite phobic. There are some out there that have no cure.
You also have to watch the Ticks, they are vectors for a lot of bad things and bail out up to a day or more after death to look for new hosts.
Other than that, Fox innards can be really aromatic.
Fox *pelts* aren't usually very good until the coldest months of winter.
I'd be more worried about parasites, there are a few in Fox and Yotes that are just plain bad. I use good gloves, face mask and treat them like toxic waste until I can get them into a tub of chemicals. I transport them in garbage bags and toss the bags.
I have a large stainless steel shelf, scrap from a medical supply warehouse, that I set up on two saw horses outside as a work table. And a large, dishwasher safe, plastic cutting board.
I have two steam cleaners one big and one hand carry size to clean up my work area. The hand carry models are handy and can be used for a lot of stuff, got mine at Aldi.
Maybe it is just me but I'm a little parasite phobic. There are some out there that have no cure.
You also have to watch the Ticks, they are vectors for a lot of bad things and bail out up to a day or more after death to look for new hosts.
Other than that, Fox innards can be really aromatic.
Fox *pelts* aren't usually very good until the coldest months of winter.
Last edited by MudderChuck; 09-07-2016 at 02:40 PM.
09-07-2016, 03:48 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: North Florida
Posts: 4
It varies location to location if there is Rabies around. The last time I researched it was for South Texas and the info wasn't hard to find on the net.
I'd be more worried about parasites, there are a few in Fox and Yotes that are just plain bad. I use good gloves, face mask and treat them like toxic waste until I can get them into a tub of chemicals. I transport them in garbage bags and toss the bags.
I have a large stainless steel shelf, scrap from a medical supply warehouse, that I set up on two saw horses outside as a work table. And a large, dishwasher safe, plastic cutting board.
I have two steam cleaners one big and one hand carry size to clean up my work area. The hand carry models are handy and can be used for a lot of stuff, got mine at Aldi.
Maybe it is just me but I'm a little parasite phobic. There are some out there that have no cure.
You also have to watch the Ticks, they are vectors for a lot of bad things and bail out up to a day or more after death to look for new hosts.
Other than that, Fox innards can be really aromatic.
Fox *pelts* aren't usually very good until the coldest months of winter.
I'd be more worried about parasites, there are a few in Fox and Yotes that are just plain bad. I use good gloves, face mask and treat them like toxic waste until I can get them into a tub of chemicals. I transport them in garbage bags and toss the bags.
I have a large stainless steel shelf, scrap from a medical supply warehouse, that I set up on two saw horses outside as a work table. And a large, dishwasher safe, plastic cutting board.
I have two steam cleaners one big and one hand carry size to clean up my work area. The hand carry models are handy and can be used for a lot of stuff, got mine at Aldi.
Maybe it is just me but I'm a little parasite phobic. There are some out there that have no cure.
You also have to watch the Ticks, they are vectors for a lot of bad things and bail out up to a day or more after death to look for new hosts.
Other than that, Fox innards can be really aromatic.
Fox *pelts* aren't usually very good until the coldest months of winter.
Well I just found this 8 month old article...about my county...maybe I'll pass on this guy lol http://www.tallahassee.com/story/new...erns/78762220/
09-07-2016, 04:41 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
I have a buddy who has been preparing Fox pelts for decades (5-6), he hasn't had any issues yet.
Skinning a fox properly isn't easy, it takes some practice.
My best find was a pair of 180 lb. wild sows. Some guy in a hot rod Audi nailed them, they were both DRT.
The last time I looked I found a map with locations and dates. CDC or County Health Department keep pretty good records for stuff like that. Finding them can take some effort.
Skinning a fox properly isn't easy, it takes some practice.
My best find was a pair of 180 lb. wild sows. Some guy in a hot rod Audi nailed them, they were both DRT.
The last time I looked I found a map with locations and dates. CDC or County Health Department keep pretty good records for stuff like that. Finding them can take some effort.
09-07-2016, 05:08 PM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: North Florida
Posts: 4
I have a buddy who has been preparing Fox pelts for decades (5-6), he hasn't had any issues yet.
Skinning a fox properly isn't easy, it takes some practice.
My best find was a pair of 180 lb. wild sows. Some guy in a hot rod Audi nailed them, they were both DRT.
The last time I looked I found a map with locations and dates. CDC or County Health Department keep pretty good records for stuff like that. Finding them can take some effort.
Skinning a fox properly isn't easy, it takes some practice.
My best find was a pair of 180 lb. wild sows. Some guy in a hot rod Audi nailed them, they were both DRT.
The last time I looked I found a map with locations and dates. CDC or County Health Department keep pretty good records for stuff like that. Finding them can take some effort.
so do you think its worth getting?
09-07-2016, 07:41 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
For practice purposes why not? IMO reasonably safe if you take precautions. I have a thick pair of fishermans gloves, knife resistant and goo proof. Breathing mask for parasite eggs, don't know if it is absolutely necessary, like I said I'm phobic about parasites.
Wash your clothes in really hot water, a good rubber apron might not hurt.
A pot of boiling water to clean up.
i dip the hide into a bucket with some stuff that kills most of the bad stuff and makes the hide insect resistant. I can't find the container right now, one of those Latin names. I order it at the drug store.
My wife has a 65 year old girlfriend, little old lady retired school teacher, she does stuff like that as a hobby.
The taxidermy section of the forum may have some more tips for you.
Wash your clothes in really hot water, a good rubber apron might not hurt.
A pot of boiling water to clean up.
i dip the hide into a bucket with some stuff that kills most of the bad stuff and makes the hide insect resistant. I can't find the container right now, one of those Latin names. I order it at the drug store.
My wife has a 65 year old girlfriend, little old lady retired school teacher, she does stuff like that as a hobby.
The taxidermy section of the forum may have some more tips for you.
Last edited by MudderChuck; 09-07-2016 at 07:44 PM.
09-11-2016, 01:27 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,914
I don't know how much money I've made in picking up roadkill animals over the years - I can be confident it's thousands of dollars though. Fur is fur, if the hide isn't damaged by the vehicle strike and the animal hasn't started to rot yet, I'll pick them up.
Same risk applies for rabies and parasites as any furbearer - doesn't matter if it's roadkill, trapped, or hunted.
It's really common, however, to have a lot of vehicle damage to the fur, and it doesn't take long for them to start to rot such the hair pulls/falls out really bad, especially on the bottom side where they were laying.
Same risk applies for rabies and parasites as any furbearer - doesn't matter if it's roadkill, trapped, or hunted.
It's really common, however, to have a lot of vehicle damage to the fur, and it doesn't take long for them to start to rot such the hair pulls/falls out really bad, especially on the bottom side where they were laying.
