# coyote skinning



## poe (Feb 10, 2010)

when skining coyotes everyone allways uses a tail stripper to get the tail off the tail bone and then cut a strip down the tail to open it up. I was skining a coyote the other day and did not have a tail stripper on hand so I took a small blad on my knife and cut the tail from base to tip by inserting the blade between the hide and the bone and just running it down. It worked very easy and the tailbone just pulled right out of the tail. I was just wondering if there is a reason why more people dont do it this way. I have been hunting coyotes for awhile now but just starting to get into skinning my own.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

To sell the hide the tail should be left on. A tail stripper is great to use in the field if the tail is all you want. But once you get home you should split it to properly dry it.


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## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

Poe,

It's a matter of personal preference really. I like to make a small slit and then pull with my tail stripper. Then I go a step further and insert a tail cutting guide and run my knife down that.

You can do it just like you have without all of that fancy stuff though. The main goal of course is to just get the tail slit all the way to the tip so that it doesn't rot off. Doesn't really matter how you get there... just that it's done.

I think the main reason people use tail strippers is because it's just real easy if done right. Once pulled off, it's very easy to get a nice straight cut with your blade too by just inserting your knife and letting it right down in a straight line, compared to trying to follow the bone freehanded which can be tricky.

You can pack a tiny knife, piece of paracord, sharpener and tail stripper in a pouch the size of an eyeglass case or smaller and it's all you will ever need to skin any predator in the field, as long as you have a bumper, hitch, fence post, tree, etc to pull against.


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## poe (Feb 10, 2010)

ok thanks I just allways wondered why everyone used the tail stripper when I could get the same end result without but I understand now.Thanks for clearing that up.


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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

Tail strippers work well. I've always just used a couple of screwdrivers, wooden dowels or whatever is handy and place them on each side of the tail bone at the base squeeze them together and pull down. It'll strip the tail from the bone in about 2 seconds. I then take my knife and split the tail to the bottom.


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## saskredneck (Oct 19, 2010)

ive never used a tail stripped. i just skin the tail back enough that i can get my hands in there and use my fingers to pull the tail and hide apart, then i split it. if the coyotes not fresh or has been frozen i use a knife and split it then skin it out.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

Poe, I'm with you. I don't own a tail stripper and just split them before pulling. Then again I don't shoot many and perhaps that would change if I did.


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