Folding a Fisher Pelt

Admittedly, last week I promised a beaver pelt storage tutorial. I decided to deviate and work with a fisher pelt - there's a bit more dimension for us to explore. 

Despite their demeanor, fishers really are lovely animals. Picture a rich, dark coat with a subtle shimmer, consisting of soft underfur layered beneath long, glossy guard hairs. Their pelts are hard not to pet. So, we try to balance the excessive handling with careful storage as to slow down the natural processes of deterioration. 

Like their weasel relatives, fishers are long animals. 
Their pelts don't easily sit in a standard rectangular box. 

As I'm learning more about how to properly store our various natural materials in the collections, I'm realizing how much thought goes into preserving even a single animal. Museums like ours - and the team at the Manitoba Museum, whose work inspired this detour - treat the collections with respect that should be afforded to each living Being. 

The keys to respectful storage? Space, support, and strategy. that means laying the fisher flat, nestled in acid-free products like my new friend Tyvek, and deliberately cradling each layer to allow for a secure yet gentle disposition.

In practice, this may mean many layers and tubes fashioned of archival foam sheets at every bend. I found one of the largest boxes yet unassigned and started looking at the large gap between available space and remaining length of the slender fisher. Legs would need to be "folded" back on the body, much like a thick wool sweater is folded for closet storage. 

Significant folding of animal material, over time, may cause unwanted creasing, weakness, and even tears. So, for example, I limited the bend at the tail and legs by fashioning some simple, foam tubes as cushion. 

These nails may easily snag, and excessive rubbing of the paw's
skin surface on other material will cause wear more quickly. 
They get their own Tyvek mitts!

Sensitive areas warrant attention too. Pelts with faces or feet - and nails that snag - benefit from a bit of coverage. I implemented a direct copy from my inspiration at the Manitoba Museum and created simple sleeves for each foot. 

While the process may result in a seemingly exorbitant solution, 
proper storage of animal material pays respect to these Beings
and to their capacity as long-term, valuable teaching opportunities.

Having just shot a photo of the final storage placement, I was joined by two young visitors, their mom, and several dozen, overlapping questions. I pulled the fisher out from the shallow box and held the pelt through the Look-in Lab window for hands-on exploration. We reveled in the beauty of their fur, talked through the typical taxidermy process, and parted ways as I started the storage process all over again.