I finished putting up the last of my fur this afternoon so I took some photos of how I do a couple of things. This is what I've come up with that for me is a super easy method of doing canine ears, especially coyote's. With this method I can be assured of not ripping them off or ripping the critter's face off!! The important tool I use for this is a spoon handle.

Insert handle from ear base to tip in between ear leather and cartilage. Remove handle insert scissors in space created and snip. Spread apart a little and snip each corner at bottom edge of ear. Grasp with pliers and pull. Two pieces of cartilage out and a very nice looking ear left.

It goes so quick that it takes me longer to type this then to peel a set of coyote's ears. I added photos of red job because I thought they might depict the method a little better. It's not easy trying to take photos one-handed that I found out.

Coyote-







Fox-









(Edit: Photos archived. -- Hal)

Very interesting.

You work from the fur side once the hide is off the animal. I work from the flesh side with the cartilage staying on the carcass. The end result is the same but yours has less risk of messing up. Easier on the thumbs, too.

Thanks for posting. The photos are a great help.

Excellent illustration. That's how I do it on pelts I'm going to tan.

Hal