Question for Blaine Eddy

[Slydog]

Blaine,
I already have one but I'm sure you have a favorite knife for shinning, would you shair with everyone what knife you use and why?

thanks
Slydog

 

[Blaine Eddy]

Howdy Slydog and thanks for the question. When im out speed calling or trying to rack up the numbers as quickly as I can, I always keep 3 knives in my skinning tray at all times, and i always make it a point to keep each one Razor sharp. My favorite knive of all for skinning quickly is the Forschner 3" Slant Point Poultry Knife, they run about $6 and are easy to keep sharp, I install a Lanyard on the knife which saves time, I also have a Dunn Minker that i really like but overall I mostly use the Forschner.

 

[Slydog]

My favorite is the old timer 194OT single lock blade "muskrat" aqnd I pick them up every time I see them. I don't know how many of them I have used up but I haven't found one I like better.

sly

glad to see you my friend

 

[Dick Reece]

Blaine,whereabouts can you pick up one of those Forschners,a trapping catlog or what ?

 

[1_pointer]

Forschner Knives

Interesting choice. I've heard of many guys liking the Victorinox paring knives for skinning.

Sly- My dad carried a Buck 2-Blade Muskrat skinner for years! He sure carved up a lot of rabbits and squirrels with it. That long, thin blade sure made the job easier.

 

[Dick Reece]

Thanks for the link,1 pointer,much obliged.Might look into that muskrat as well,I've always just used whatever blade was handy,usually a Gerber or a buck lite.

 

[Blaine Eddy]

Sly
My buddy Rick Holdaway out in Elko uses a muskrat skinner as well i think? He's a big feller with very strong hands, I swear he can pull the hide off a big-ol Prime Dog in 2 minutes flat! I remember one time out huntin , he had just peeled a Coyote and left his knife sitting on the bumper of my truck. We drove off, once he realized it was not in his pocket? back we went. He loves that little knife and really knows how to use it as well! tell me, what are you guys using for Shoulder Plungers? Blaine

 

[Dick Reece]

Blaine,that is one thing I learned from your video,the use of a shoulder plunger.I have always just used my hands and a knife to skin deer,I can see where a shoulder plunger would move things along.

 

[DAA]

I use those big nails - the ones big enough to use for tent stakes. Keep a couple under the seat.

- DAA

 

[Slydog]

Blaine,
I use an aluminum rod 12" long and 3/4" diamiter that I sharpen like a pencil and round off the tip. Before that I used an old broom handle. Sure makes the job a lot quicker.

Blaine,
as I haven't yet seen your video do you cover the tail and how to start it, also do you start with the tail or with a leg?

sly

 

[Lone Howl]

I gotta get Blaines video. I skin the Roy Finley way. I got the 2 big phillips screwdrivers

 

[Maineiac the original]

The knive to have is Knives of Alaska, bear cub(fixed blade) super cub (lock blade). I have a set that has a bear cub and a skinner with gut hook. I like it so much I have plans to by two more sets 150 each one for my dad and one for my brother. That's how much I like them.

 

[Blaine Eddy]

Slydog
I start at the back legs,then the tail ,then on down. I split the tail with a tail splitter right to its very tip. Perty well covered in the Video, Another question? How many of you folks are skinning while your dogs are still Hot! Or from the time they hit the ground how long before you have their Fur off? Or do you vary it depending on the air temperature you are hunting in?

 

[quail hunter]

Wooden dowel with the end nice and round.
So whats a coyote going for these days?

Do the buyers still meet at gas stations or somewhere around town on there way thru?
I quit selling and would just drop them at my brothers porch, he would give me 10.00 for all I brought him, it was great no more fleshing or sewing!
preferred hot dogs but if was out all day in Elko ,sometimes got dark before gettin home.
also seemed like the cold dogs did'nt let out that big POOF if you know what I mean!

Blaine, do you hunt that 3 day gathering in Elko?
I have to say gathering to be politically correct.....sheesh they called it a hunt and the crybabys came outta the wood work!

Knife....just a plain old little pocketknife oldtimer was my skinning choice.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 07-08-2003 21:57: Message edited by: quail hunter ]</font>

 

[DAA]

I've got one of those KoA cub bears. Really good knife, for sure. I like that big sucker that came with it for deer and elk too - where I hunt we usually have to bone them out where they drop and take the meat out on a pack frame. That knife skinned and completely boned out the meat on 3 mulies in one morning a couple years ago and was still good to go.

How fast I skin my coyotes just depends. I would always rather skin them hot, but won't use prime calling time to do it. So most times, I skin the morning coyotes mid day, and the evening ones as soon as I'm done for the day. But nothing set in stone.

- DAA

 

[Lone Howl]

I do the same as DAA, skin after prime time and again when Im done for the day.
I used my Dunn knife till I "misplaced" it. Now I use either a Gordan or a Ruana.Let me say you certainly dont need a custom knife to do some skinnin' but Im a sucker for the things.

 

[Blaine Eddy]

Quail Hunter
Used to hunt the Contests out Elko way, I quit huntin em when they refused to allow me to peel my dogs during the contest. At the 3 day marathon hunt last year, Alot of Fur went to waste. Did you enter that particular hunt? Pulled an average of $38 on my Fur last season, and I hear the demand will be fairly strong again next season.

 

[Lone Howl]

How do you guys prefer to skin in the field, horizontal or vertical? I skin em horizontal with the help of a comalong and rope most times. I just cant skin fast enough with em hanging from a tree, dont know why really, I just get better leverage pulling with them laying flat on thier backs.

 

[Blaine Eddy]

Lone Howl
Sorry about the delay in responding. I always skin from my skinning Pole which i attach at the front of my 92 Toyota 4x4. I have a little tray mounted up front on the bumper which houses all my skinning tools, including my shoulder plunger.

 

[Maineiac the original]

Here in northern Maine if you wait too long the damn thing will be frozen to the bed of your truck. At -30 it don't take long and they be stiff.