Earl:
You may be able to sell one or two to a taxidermist. If you do, he will want the whole animal unskinned. This is not a big market so don't expect much.
For hide sales, you don't want to salt them nor tan them. All you have to do is dry them. Download this pdf: it gives you all the information you need (except how to scrape them which you can get a taxidermist or trapper to show you).
http://www.furharvesters.com/pdf/pelthandling.pdf
If you can find a country fur buyer, all he will want is for you to roll them up and freeze them. (Still, use the pdf to find out how to skin each species). Roll them up tail to nose so he can hook them by the nose so that they will unroll while thawing. He makes his money on scrapping, drying, and marketing. You will get far less than market when selling this way but the buyer assumes all the risk so this is a viable alternative. When freezing follow all these rules:
1) Put sawdust in the fur and brush out to remove all oils and grease
2) Allow fur to completely dry before freezing
3) Make sure all burs, dirt, and other materials are brushed out.
4) Freeze fur side out
5) Roll up tail first so nose is on outside of roll
6) Remove as much air as possible from freezer bag. Vacuum seal is ideal.
7) Do not leave in freezer more than four months.
I admire you for wanting to make sure your animals are used for something. My dad was a product of the depression. I was taught that if you were not going to eat it or use it in some way, don't shoot it. I thought I was going to have to eat a vulture I shot once. He made me clean it and prepare it to cook
. THAT was a lesson well taught. Comes back to doing the right thing!
Hope this helps.
Tim
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