This is topic Built me a skinning machine in forum Calls and Gear forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 26, 2015, 05:02 PM:
After last year, and selling coyotes for 40% less than I could have gotten had I skinned them and put them up, along with the fact that my fat ass is getting too beat up to be horsing coyote hides off anymore, I decided to build me a skinning machine for my pickup. Requirements were pretty straight forward: needed to be 12 volt so I could use it both in the shop or in the field. Sturdy enough to handle coyotes but not so heavy that one person couldn't handle it. And don't build a bajillion dollar rig to skin $20 coyotes.
This is what I ended up with.
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The smaller silver doodad is what I've used for the past five years. Manual unit. Worked okay but still needed extra lead in my ass to get the hide over the shoulders. The orange one is the new rig. We named it the "PULLCat" for shits and giggles. Three sections. Base that fits into receiver hitch, top section that carries a 1Ton 12v winch, and a middle extension tube that adds 4 feet to the vertical height of the machine. Short will work well for coons/ cats fox. Add the extender to do coyotes.
At first, I made it with the top and bottom sections as one unit. Then, I consulted Cross and he said 10 feet, 11 if I have the materials. Made it ten and needed every inch.
Here's the unit in use today.
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This is at the top point for the skinner, just where I need to do the finer skinning work around the face.
Finished assembling it last night. Went calling this morning. First stand out, had an adult male and two pups come charging in. Fifteen seconds later, all three were dead. My first thought was, "Hot damn! I got a triple!!!" My second thought was, "Holy shit, I hope that machine works." Didn't know until I put it together. Don't even have the power supply wired into the truck yet. Had to run power off 110 through my battery charger clamped to the leads. Only gave me 6 amps which was just enough for it get where I was going. The first coyote was an adult, took me about 30 minutes. Second one was about half that time. Third one was about 10, as was a fourth one I shot on my second stand. Had a couple hiccups. Stand segments were a bit tight with paint on them. easy fix. Cable got off the spool and into the shaft once which I had to stop to fix, but other than that, it worked pretty well.
Cost? More than I figured. Winch was about 90. Two sets of ViceGrips for clamps, about $8 each. Small steel for clamps, about $15. Tubing is 3/16" wall, 2x2 square tubing, about 18 feet total. Three sticks at ~$99 a stick. Total price would have been over $400 but a guy gave me 3 8 foot lengths of brand new steel tubing. What a deal!
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 26, 2015, 06:09 PM:
First thing I thought when I started reading was Geordie got this shit nailed. But then I remembered that the first one I saw in operation belonged to Steve Craig up at one of the Silegman campouts.
Second thing; TEN MINUTES? Well, it's not a contest, but hanging a gambrels at the proper height, with practice, anybody should be able to put a coyote comfortably in ten minutes. Don't ask me to demonstrate it right now, (on an unfrozen animal) but at one time, I could approach something close to six minutes; assuming not too ripped. I'm sure there are lots of people that can do it.
Third. Wow, good deal on the square tubing! However, it seems a little overkill. I think it could be made from something like 1 1/4, 1 1/2" thinwall cheaper and lighter if you are handy like Geordie. But anyway, I believe in using what you got, so that's only if you have to buy the stuff.
You didn't show your control, I don't know if the motor comes with a pendant? In any case, thanks for sharing!
Good hunting. El Bee
[ October 26, 2015, 06:12 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by Lone Howl (Member # 29) on October 26, 2015, 07:40 PM:
Good setup C.
I've posted before on the old video called" The 2 minute coyote" by Roy Finley, for some reason that video fired me up years ago and I got to the point where I could do one in 2 or 3 minutes if it was in good shape. In the video the coyote is skinned horizontally using a come a long. To this day it's really the only way I can skin multiple coyotes comfortably. It's just hard for me to skin them hanging...manually.
Mark
[ October 26, 2015, 07:41 PM: Message edited by: Lone Howl ]
Posted by TRnCO (Member # 690) on October 27, 2015, 01:23 PM:
so is it operated with a foot pad switch, or a hand operated switch? And were the coyotes all worth skinnin'? From what I've seen so far around here, it's still early.
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 27, 2015, 06:26 PM:
The control is hardwired. You can see it - the small orange box hanging next to the mast. I need to add a couple feet of wire to bring it down a bit. Adults are white skinned, yearlings are a little blue. I'm hunting now because I wanna hunt. That, and my landowners are ringing my phone off the wall asking us to get going. I usually start around 11/1 anyway.
Posted by booger (Member # 3602) on October 28, 2015, 07:30 AM:
Very cool, Lance!
I was going to build something similar, but I don't skin NEAR as many as you!
I did build one without the winch. I set it up so it telescopes to skin the occacasional coyote as well as hanging a deer to field dress.
Good luck on your season!
Tim
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 28, 2015, 02:34 PM:
Thanks, Tim. The "contest" has begun. We are at 11. 9 for me and 2 for Kevin. It'll be a horserace until February 28. He won't admit to the fact that a lot of the times, I DJ and try to steer the coyotes to him for the shot, then I just do clean up, anchor man, or take the occasional dipshit that comes in on my side. LOL
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 29, 2015, 04:38 PM:
Boy, Leonard, maybe your desert-type coyotes are thin-skinned enough to be able to skin on thin-walled 1-1/2 inch tubing, but I wouldn't wanna go any smaller than what I have here. Geordie was warning me all along to go with as strong a gambrel as I can fabricate because of the tension on the winch around the shoulders. With a mast ten feet tall, what you describe would just fold over on one of our prime coyotes. Pups pull pretty easy. Mature coyotes - I'll mail you one in a month and if you can manually peel it in ten minutes from making the first cut at the ankles to taking it off at the nose, you can keep the hide. Deal?
I'm hoping the next ones will peel faster. Been considering different power sources. Like I said, I was jerry rigged to a battery charger and only had six amps to work with, then the doohickey in the charger would click and shut it down. The next ones will be running directly off the truck battery which will gimme a bunch more cranking amps.
Frankly, I don't really care if it takes six minutes or ten to peel one. This is designed to allow me to pull hides without pulling my back. I also use one knee at the torso and shoulders to bounce the hide down over the wide parts. Due to cartilage removal, bending my knee like that is a no-go anymore. Can only bend my left leg to about a sitting position before I hit the stopping point. With this setup, I make the ankle to ankle cut, expose the tendons, make a small slit for the gambrel hooks, hang it and peel the legs and pull the tail. Then, clamp the leg skins in the grips and pull. One continuous pull past the shoulders to where I pull the front legs, then one more pull to the ear bases and finish it out by hand. I'm guessing that by the time I get 50-75 put up, I'll be glad I built this. LOL
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 30, 2015, 10:32 AM:
I'm not arguing with you, Lance
[ October 30, 2015, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on October 30, 2015, 01:13 PM:
Question;
Would a simple boat winch such as found on boat trailers accomplish the same thing as the elect. motor ????
I need to start planning for when I'm frail and elderly.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 31, 2015, 05:26 AM:
Yeah, that (the Rack) would work if we were just interrogating them for information, otherwise known as torture. Skinning alive is truly a lost art.
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 31, 2015, 04:04 PM:
Koko, Yes, I've seen the same thing with just a boat winch. I considered it, then decided to go 12V.
Not trying to argue, LB. I looked at a lot of different materials before going with the tubing, free or not. My first choice (gut feeling) was to go with 1/4 inch thick wall, but I reinforced all the points on the frame with extra straps to keep it from folding under strain and since the boom holding the winch is fairly short, causing the direction of pull to be right up the mast, I think she'll hold. The weakest link is my initial welding. The first welds sucked. Got better as I went along. Hadn't welded since high school, and I just turned 51 years old, so it's been a while. LOL
[ October 31, 2015, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Cdog911 ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on November 01, 2015, 07:48 AM:
Ok, thanx !!
I may have to rig something up.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on November 01, 2015, 10:23 AM:
^ for if and when you ever get a coyote with a recurve? Or have you already? If you have, that's actually awesome.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on November 01, 2015, 12:46 PM:
Proof that God has a sense of humor;
I got into recurve bows for coyotes for fast moving shots at close range.
I've since killed four coyotes with a compound bow and am yet to take one with the 'curve.
Go figure.
Rolled a few with the shotgun, though and one with a rifle now & then.
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