I was going to post this picture up on the "Dangerous Game" forum but wasn't sure how much of a sense of humor the dangerous game hunters had :-)
(http://i.imgur.com/1hVFK.jpg)
When I went out to lock up my pet chickens yesterday evening, I saw a skunk in the coop eating the chicken food and tormenting my chickens. I ran back home to get my bow...when I got back to the coop, the skunk saw me and started to run away toward the back of the orchard. I let a broadhead go with my selfbow and hit the skunk on the run at 12 yards. The skunk only ran about 3 yards before expiring (the arrow passed right through him – he was running on ~3 feet of snow so he didn't get pinned to the ground). He had no idea what hit him and, as I was really hoping, he didn't spray.
I hate to just leave the skunk for the fox/coyote...although I'm not sure I want to eat the skunk (I still have deer in my freezer). I think I'll skin him out after work and try to brain tan him (never tried this before...I'm assuming he has a pretty small brain) ...hopefully I can finish tanning him before Valentine's Day (I think my wife will love him)!
My friend said, "Heck, why even skin it? Give it to her whole, that's when she'll know you REALLY love her!"
Happy hunting!
Dino
Good choice to share your trophy here, nice shot by the way.
Qualifies as dangerous game as far as I'm concerned. Especially with the working end pointed at you from 12 yards. :nono:
;) Now that is one dangerous critter for sure. :laughing:
Too funny.......
haha thats very dangerous you can never tell when there gonna spray ya. ive passe up shots on them cause i didnt want to get sprayed. or loose an arrow for that matter.
steven
Let us know how your wife liked it after Valentine's day - and what your living conditions are!!!
Would make a cool hat. Good shot.
Well that will go as a dangerous game for me :D
Good shot!
be carefull skinning it when you get around the "vent" thats where the "essence" is. lol go on Trapperman.com and look up how to skin it with out getting sprayed...great shot and good luck!
I like the skunk hats they make. just my 2 cents.
Great Dangerous game Tread. Really would like to see the pics when you give her the valentines day gift.
Good luck Don
:bigsmyl:
:bigsmyl:
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That's funny!
And I learned how to post a gremlin :)
Jason
Nice shoot. I'm not sure on the Valintine idea, if your wifes like mine its a little cold for the dog house right now. But then again would make a unique hand warming muff.
make sure after you get all the meat off the hide you bathe it in dawn dish soap that will get the smell out of the fur and make the coat have a nice luster...Just my 2 cents from when I use to tan the stinking things...Makes working the hide a whole lot more manageable....
Game that can shoot back!!!
Smells like you had a good time!! :p
dinorock..You may find your self staying out in the coop. Great story
you should make a cover scent hat :readit: :bigsmyl:
congrats on the shot.
Great shot!
I must be chicken, sense I have passed up several opportunities in the past for fear of getting the worst end of the deal.
Funny stuff guys! I was going to skin him up but the temps are in the single digits...he is frozen solid...gosh, I wonder if his scent gland is frozen too? Maybe I should give it a try.
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Now that is dangerous. I know plenty of folks who wouldn't get that close alive or dead.
That's great! Let us know how the skinning/tanning goes. Be careful, that is something that could as dangerous after death as before!
There was a Tom Miranda sheep hunting show on awhile ago and his guide had on a mountain man style hat from skunk that was really cool. Yes, the guy was WEARING his hat in a storm above timberline. So,there is my borrowed idea on what to do with the pelt.
Nice post and good shot..on the run even! Good luck skinning, it's gonna stink no matter what. You might consider an alum tan also and let him soak longer. They make a cool hide and quite a conversation piece. Your wife will be proud of you...well we are!
Now that's dangerous game.
They do make some real nice pelts.
Let me know if you find any good recipes :-)
DON'T MESS WITH THE BRAINS!
All skunks carry rabies. Most cases are dormant so you don't even know they have it. Rabies is carried in the Central Nervous System tissues ie; brain and spinal column.
Don't touch the brains on skunks.
Yep its dangerous game. I admit to being a archery skunk hunter one time. I will not repeat that folly again unless under attack. It is stinky business.
Well I managed to get the skunk skinned out before Valentine's Day but decided it was in the best interest of my marriage to not gift the skunk skin to my wife.
I'm in the process of stretching it out and will send it out to be tanned after it dries.
I have not searched for patterns yet, but I would like to make either a quiver or a hat with the pelt. The skunk is probably a size medium to medium/small (I did not keep the paws on the pelt). If anyone has any information on patterns for either a quiver or a hat (or something else I should maybe consider making), please let me know.
Despite the skunk being frozen solid (single degree days since I arrowed him), the skinning went very well...after reading about everything I could find on skinning skunks, I was successful in not releasing the wrath of the odor. When I finished, the only holes in the pelt were from my arrow...perfect lucky lung-area shot.
Below is a picture of the skunk skin. Note I was wearing safety glasses when I skinned the skunk...you can go blind if spayed in the eyes, and (as some of you have mentioned above), if you press/pull the wrong spot, even a dead skunk can spray!
My 7 yr old son insisted on eating the skunk...I saved some of the meat...not sure how adventurous I want to get...maybe I'll stop while I'm ahead!
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/skinnedoutskunk.jpg)
Nice shooting! Scary game to hunt.
Sweet! :archer2:
Couple of skunk stories for ya, Dino.
Buddy grew up po in N. NY state. They trapped, skinned skunks and everything else that would bring a quarter.
His dad heard that skunk fat renders as good as bear fat...so he wanted some. Took a fat ole skunk carcass and started rolling it around on a low flame in thefamily kitchen on the gas stove in Mom's black frying pan...
first thing that happened was the glands expanded and blew up...second thing was a green cloud the hung in the kitchen and my bud and his Dad were banned to the barn for near a week!
Other story is that when I was trappin in MT, skunk essence fetched a good price.
We'd get big ole syringes from the Vet and some rubber stopper bottles...fiddle around next to the anus and find a spot that drew back amber thick liquid... that was the good stuff. Shoot it into the rubber stopper bottle and sell it for more than the hide!
PS. all recommendations to handle gently are wise to heed! Dont' ask! :dunno:
Maybe not the Dangerous Game Thread, but the Dangerous Gift Thread.... :saywhat: