Hey anyone have any tips on skining a coyote tail? I was told to cut a v notch out of some ply wood and pull the tail bone out, that the plywood would help make it easier. HA yeah rite! Those things were not designed to come apart! Any how I was told when I get the tail bone out part the fur on the tip and use a scalpal or scalpal sharp blade to cut a slit in the tip and than fill it with salt and let it dry out for a couple days. sound okay? any tips would be great.

I haven't found a very easy way to do tails either. I basically do the exact same thing you described. Split the hair, cut the skin all the way to the tip basically and open it up slowly. The skin is so thin and easy to tear. Ive tried pulling the bone out away from the skin after getting it started with the knife, and it seems like a 50/50 chance you get the tail off in one piece. What I have done when I did rip the tail in two was just go back and sew it back on. You cant even tell it happened because the hair is so thick and bushy.
Anyway, thats my 2 cents.

I was able to de bone the tail by sliding the bone through the closed end of a box wrench I had in a vice and giving some quick violent jerks with a pair of pliers on the bone, using the wrench to hold the skin and fur. The taxadermist I spoke to said to just cut a small slit in the tip of the tail, not cut it the whole way down. The hardest part is the first couple inches, being able to get a good grip with the pliers. I tried just pulling on the bone as hard as humanly possible but the bone didnt come out until I tried jerking on the thing,quick, violent like than the tail bone slid rite out. Then I cut the slit in the tip of the tail after carefully parting the fur and filled with salt packing it in as tight as I could and its hanging up drying. So we'll see how it turns out. Next time I might pay the 25.00 bucks the guy wanted and have him do it. GOOD LUCK to anyone who tries this, Its not impossible but kind of a pain.

dang .243...sounds like that yote you killed died and went straight to hell with all that violence going on

Split down the bottom of the tail from the ass hole in the directions of the tip about 3 or 4 inches. Loosin the hide from the flesh all the way around the tail bone, where u can wrap ur hand around it. Then slowly work down the tail pulling and cutting the slit longer as you go. Then a tail stripper or two sticks squeezed together tightly around teh tail bone can be used to strip the tail the rest of the way. Make sure u slit the tail all the way to the tip when ur done.

Years ago I use to take one of them supports from an umbrella. The one that is small and shaped like a U. I would slide it under the skin from the base of the tail to the tip. Then using the U as a guide run your knife down the tail. This will give you a very straight and neat cut. Hope this helps.

I used my knife to lop the tail off as close to the body as I could and started the tail by hand ,no cutting once I had enough of the bone sticking out the skin and fur I fed the bone through the round end of a 5/8 in box wrench in my vice and a few quick violent jerks and the tail bone slid rite out, I didnt have to cut down the tail at all. The slit in the tip of the tail is for drainage and to help drying, keeping the whole tail in tact.

o ur just wantin the tail, i thought u were talkin about sellin fur.

Please, review NMdoghunter intruction. I have used this method many times with a few changes.

I use two pieces of 3/8 inch dowel rod, six to eight inches long. With a round rasp file a shallow notch in the center of each rod.

With the coyote hung by the back feet. A length of rope or cord is thrown over something very solid. Loops can placed on the feet. Hang the feet about your eye level. Note, You will be pulling hard so make it solid, you should be able to swing on it.

Skin the legs down to the hips. Split the tail from the anis out to three or four inches toward the tip. At the root of the tail don't cut any deeper than the skin. A box knife works very well here. Continue pulling on the hide/legs and working the skin loose off of the back and down the first part of the tail. Place a dowel rod on the exposed root of the tail. Place the notches next to the bone. Grip the rods with both hands and grip them hard. Now pull on the rods with a quick hard jerk.

A word of caution here, once in a while the fur hangs up stop pulling and look very closely. If you see hair that has pulled thru the hide but still attached to the tail stop. You are about tear the fur. Using the box knife cut above the root of the hair and work it free from the bone. A pair of pliers might help here.
I use the same method on all animals with furry tails. You will need rods with smaller notches.

Review Rich V's instruction: Now slide the umberella rib/support into the tail. Line it up with the bottom of the tail. Run a sharp knife into the tail using the rib as a guide. The rib keeps the knife point from making a second cut in the tail and keeps the cut straight down the underside of the tail.

I hope this helps It is easer than it sounds.