I caught a few W. Rattlers this week to put on my bow and the new bow i am going to order, so i have two questions.

How do i prepare the snake skins to put the on the bow? What do i need to do after i skin them and do they need to be preserved etc? i am clueless here so i would love some feedback from the guys here who handle snakeskins.

Also, what is the process for applying the skins to the bow?

thanks a ton

Fin

I believe the skins are just salted and dried, not tanned. you can do a search for applications here on tradgang. when your ready the skins are re-hydrated by soaking in warm water and applied then.

L.R.

There are some how to threads on here.  I believe most were just skinned out real well and air dried, but no tanning.

Cody, make your cut in the center of the belly, skin them slowly and carefully. Place the skin on a flat wood surface(2x6 works)flesh side up and staple down at the very outside edges. Remove the thin, clear layer of connecting flesh by gently scraping with a plastic putty knife. (1.5" width is good). Check the edge of the putty knife to make sure it does not have a sharp burr from forming, remove with a fine tooth file if it has one. Let the skin dry for a day or two, does not hurt to have a fan blowing on it to dry quickly. Finally, take a small, SHARP knife or a replacement blade for a razor knife and carefully cut full length right next to the staples. You are finished, you do not need salt, the skins are ready to install.

I would add it's probably not a good idea to salt,just air dry.Don't dry in the sun either.You can also flesh with a tablespoon.When fleshing,scrape from side to side or tail to head.It roughs up the scales less that way.

thanks guys