Putting Up First Wolf
 

Next week I'll be putting up my first wolf. I know how to do it and I've done paws and split lips on different smaller species before. Doing the ears looks interesting but I'm sure that I can tackle it. What I'm wondering is if there are easier ways of doing things.

My plan is to set up a table and do the cuts on the legs and remove the paws at the ankle. I'll finish the paws once it's all skinned. While it's on the table, I'm going to skin the head so I don't screw up the lips. It might be a good idea to do the eyes at the same time but I don't know. Once that is done it's on the hoist to do the skinning. After fleshing I'll turn lips/eyes, ears and paws then it's into the wash. After turning fur out on the board, borax the paws and stuff newspaper in to shape.

Is there a better way to do things or a different sequence that would make things easier? I appreciate any and all advice.

Do not flesh it!! Wolves are not fat like coyotes, take your time to clean skin it and it's done. You can also do the paws as you skin it, don't need to add steps to your process.

I like to do the paws as I skin, than u can pull and do things while the weight of the wolf or bear is helping. Tough to explain. Ears I use a knife steel or something similar and put it on the inside of the head to add pressure where I want to skin on the other side of the ear again just about impossible to explain. Ears are very easy just go slow and dont use a super sharp knife and follow where fur meats cartlidge.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_65mC2hEIAc

I really liked this video for skinning. Especially the way he cuts off the feet and skins the paws after.

I agree that there is very little fat on wolves, but they still need to be fleshed. IMO same as coyotes, but be careful around the same areas (armpits, nipples, belly). I’ve also sprayed the green belly with Lysol after fleshing.

I’d say everything besides the steps for taxidermy is the same between wolves and coyotes. Just bigger, takes longer and stinkier. Good luck.

Camden what does the Lysol do to the green belly.

Okay, I don’t think that it’s going to be too big of an issue then......Thanks! The ears are the only thing that I haven’t done before and placing a steel inside the ear to add tension while skinning makes sense. I use the blunted tip of a paring knife for that sort of thing so it’s pretty forgiving.

The reason I thought that i’d Do the paws after skinning was because in the past i’ve Used a string hanging from the ceiling and a loop it around the knuckles to add tension while skinning. I find it easier than using pliers and the pelt is easier to manage when it’s off the carcass. This won’t be too big of a deal I don’t think.

I’ll try to clean skin it if possible and only flesh if and where it’s required. It doesn’t seem too fatty but i’ll Know once I skin it.

Camdec - I watched that video and I thought that it’s pretty darned good. I think that he’s the Same fella that made the NAFA tour one recently posted. I typically don’t put anything on green belly unless it’s REALLY bad. I use hydrogen peroxide when I do to kill any bacteria. It won’t hurt anything so I might do that.

I would never try and clean skin a wolf especially a frozen and thawed one. Wouldn’t do the feet if your shipping to Nafa, your likely tanning it.

Just keeps the stink down. My understanding is that green belly is simply bacteria growth. I spray with Lysol and wipe clean. It doesn’t make it go away, but makes it much more tolerable while working on the hide.

Dave I had decent success strapping a squirrel board to the end of my fleshing beam to skin the ears out.

Ya thats Jim Gibb back in the day. Very good video.

The plan is to send it to NAFA but if I find a buyer I'll get it tanned. Complete big, black wolves are bringing a premium at auction and this one is really nice. It is a November wolf that someone couldn't put up.

Just dab a bit of Lysol under your nose. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

I learned the clean skinning/no fleshing method from a very experienced wolfer, that guy skinned hundreds of wolves and I fully trust his way.

great video. That guy knows what he is doing. It was a nice wolf too.

Frost scraping wolves is the way to go takes about 10 min to flesh a big wolf

Does anyone within reasonable driving distance have a split wolf board that I can make a trace from?

I’ve found that vinegar works great on green bellies. We used it on pork chops when the fluorescent lights would turn the meat a light green. It stops the souring of the hide and does not leave any visible changes to the hide. All it takes is a light misting from a spray bottle.

Dave they have boards at the ATA.

Wolves are prepared differantly then coyote or fox
They are skinned for taxidermy

Don't skin the ears out completely (don't remove the cartilage)

Wolf's are left with cartilage IN for NAFA, you only need to partially skin them and salt them, they are different then coyote/fox

Make sure you cut around the pads on the paws the correct way as well, they stay on too, don't cut them off by mistake

Also it may sound gross, but the anus is left on!

I would hate for anyone to get a lesser grade at auction

Here is the page from the manual read it a couple times to get familiar

http://imgur.com/gallery/a4aVqF0

wolf board
 

Dave, have wolf board at our old cabin but 4 ft of snow and no broken trails. Just check dimensions at ATA or Halfords. However two 1x4's about 8 ft long with rounded nose and bottom adjusted locking block is all you need. It is quite simple after you build one, PS in for shock if you try to buy one.

Wolf boards are +$40 at ATA and Halford’s......I’ll make my own tomorrow. Lumber costed less than $15. Pretty sweet gig making these if you can find buyers.

That sounds really, really nice mike! However, give Matthew at international a call and ask him if that's a good idea or a bad idea... or even a really, really bad idea to do. I suspect a full strength vinegar is going to be too violent for a hide, wonderful looking in the raw but a tannery nightmare once the skin is being dressed... don't know for certain but strongly suspect!!!

PH levels and raw skins, DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING!!! It always looks wonderful when raw, but buyer beware of the 10,000 nasty things trappers do!

Yes... we do 10,000 different nasty things to the skins we sell!

Best case scenario, cake a questionable skin in salt, borax or sawdust to do your part to not screw anything up in the dressing process! Unless... UNLESS you have got the green light from a guy like Matthew or his equivalent. (Meaning non-trapper, non-ignorant person such as myself! And also yourself!!!)

When we wreck things in the dressing, how many trappers are aware of the damage???

Answer virtually zero, yet damage continues!

I use 2 -1x6x8 foot boards for my wolf boards-gives the shoulders and neck area a good width wheras a 1x4 might be a tad too narrow!?

wolf
 

Dave if you are willing to break trail with your sled and snowshoes to our cabin with wolf board I will follow you. Should be a good adventure for two crazy trappers.

That sounds like fun. Unfortunately, I still have a lot of work to do in the shed to get everything put up for the last receiving date. Once it's all done I'll have time for a little fun stuff. :)

I bought 1" x 6" x 10' lumber to make my split board from.

wolf board
 

Dave, you are wise to go the build your own stretcher board route. I used term "Adventure" for a reason. The cabin is 10 miles from my main cabin in 4 feet of snow without packed trail. We would have been in for some heavy sledding and snow shoe trail breaking! PS Base should be 18 inches on your 8 foot boards, I may have some data on all sizes at various heights on board, if I can find them.

I found the dimensions for a one piece board here: https://www.mdwfp.com/media/4183/boa...structions.pdf

I thought that I'd just divide the width dimensions in half to make one side of the split board. I'm second guessing myself now because that doesn't seem right. The bottom of a one piece 8' board is only 12.5" but a split board is 18" at 8'. If I make the split board 10.5" at 34" when it's closed iaw the single board dimensions, that width will be greater once I open the split board to 18" at the bottom (instead of 12.5" for a single board).

Maybe I'm over thinking this. I'm going to take the dimensions for a single coyote board and compare the measurements to one of my split boards and see what I come up with. Maybe I'll have to take the measurements with the split board open at 18".

If anyone has a split wolf board handy and you have the time, could you provide me with the width measurements from the top at 2"....6"....12"....24"....34"....48"....72".... and 96"? Thank you.

Go to Trapper Talk, I provided you the dimensions there. The FHA dimensions are to narrow for western wolves.

Hey Dave pm sent- I think?

Okay, thank you Tomcat and Norma. I replied on the other site. Between FHA and actual dimensions that you folks posted i’ve Traced what looks to me to be good. Can’t find my jigsaw though. :sHa_sarcasticlol: