Best way to preserve the foxes tail?

clivej

How do I preserve a foxes tail if I cut it off a shot fox? I was thinking of cutting it around at the rump and try to pull it off leaving the tail bones behind, but then what do I do to preserve the rest?

bunny shooter

Dip bone end in gloss paint, lasts long enough to get 'em to NARGC count annually

Long term soak whole thing in meth spirit for a few weeks

jwshooter

bunny shooter wrote: »

Dip bone end in gloss paint, lasts long enough to get 'em to NARGC count annually

Long term soak whole thing in meth spirit for a few weeks

cut the skin around the base of the tail get a spilt key or a lite rope put it in on the cut and pull this will take the bone out of the tail .the more you do the hander it gets put some salt into the tail or borax

bunny shooter

jwshooter wrote: »

cut the skin around the base of the tail get a spilt key or a lite rope put it in on the cut and pull this will take the bone out of the tail .the more you do the hander it gets put some salt into the tail or borax

everyone has their own way

thelurcher

Cut around the base of the tail - skin deep. Peel back a bit and get 2 twigs - put them either side of the cut you made - hook 2 fingers around them and pull - slides off very easily.
Meths is the best I've used for preserving them - leave in a jar of it for a few weeks - no smell when you're finished and no hair loss.

foxhunter

Long term soak whole thing in meth spirit for a few weeks[/QUOTE]


Will the meths cure it for good or will it rot eventually?

J.R.

Borax will cure it for good - it's what a taxidermist uses for birds & small animals.Tail can also be pickled but no real need for a tail....moreso for a full fox mount. Salt will draw the moisture from the skin and can cause hair to slip if cannot escape so be very careful with it.

When the tail has been removed from the tail cut a small slit at the end of the tail...where the skin ends. Pour borax into the hole where the tail bone was removed and push it down through the tail with a narrow dowel or coathanger wire. Keep pushing the borax down until you see it pour out the other end where the small slit is.

Now you know the whole inside of the tail has been coated in borax. Get a small plastic bag....pour some dry borax in and put tail in. Close bag & shake until outside of tail is coated in borax. Remove tail from bag and shake off excess....tail is now done and will last forever and will not rot or smell, as long as it's not stiored in a damp envirinment. Bugs, flies etc. will not go near the tail now.

Borax is available from chemist, vet, farm supplies or from old fashion grocery stores (was used for washing clothes years ago!)

Tackleberry.

i cut straight true fox tails ..then so as to keep for the NARGC count i spray the bone end of the tail with fly/wasp spray the same stuff you spray around a room in the house for the blue bottles and since these guys are the problem in keeping the tails.
This stuff does the job i also keep the tails in a blue air tight chemical barrel also give a spray into the barrel anytime wings or tails are put in... also i spray the wings the same. spray the exposed meat .I've no problems over the years using this method. Best of luck

thelurcher

foxhunter wrote: »

Long term soak whole thing in meth spirit for a few weeks

Will the meths cure it for good or will it rot eventually?[/QUOTE]

I'm not big into collecting trophies - the brush usually isn't in the best of shape after the hounds anyway - but the one's I still have are perfect and they're years old.