stingray tails

I want to cut the tail with barb off of one, preserve it and hang it up in my hunting/fishing/spare bed room. Has anyone done this? Can it still hurt you after you chop it off? Will the ray most likely die if I chop off his tail?

  • I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.

The bacteria on the barb which is what is dangerous can still hurt you if you cut yourself with it. And no the stingray wont die after cutting the tail off. Ive seen a lot of them that look like skates but its just that the tail has been just off.

Thanks. So, any idea how long after i cut his tail off will the bacteria live/be harmful?

  • I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.

I wouldn’t worry about it. Just don’t use it as a toothpick. And if you want to be safe bleach kills everything.

you cut off the tail, you leave the stingray defenseless …

hanging a stingray tail on your wall??? How about just cutting off the stinger and then you can start a collection of them, placing the dried stingers in a frame, behind a glass cover, kind of like a butterfly collection.

I agree… it’s kinda like cutting your leg off and tossing you back… yeah you won;t die and you can still get around but why… if ya want the tail the least you can do is eat the ray… they are actually pretty tasty…

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I found a dried stingray barb on the beach while looking for sharks teeth, it could definitely still do some damage if you poked yourself with it. I wouldn’t just go cut one off for the heck of it though.

Don’t cut the tail, just the spine ( barb ). It will grow back.

i have also found a few dried and bleached on the beach, still sharp enough to go through ya.

like mike said, just snap the barb off

yea, just the barb like a butterfly collection is what I am after but i did not think i could get it w/o cutting his tail off. I got to take a closer look at the next one i catch to see how to do it w/o hurting the ray.Or, I could just use him for bait or give him to someone that wants to eat him. I dont care to eat one.

  • I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.

Cut off the tail and give the rest to stanjwarren. Art deco and shark bait…

take a pair of regular pliers and just pull back towards the ray with the barb while u hold the tail. it will come right off. i have about a 4 in barb and a few smaller ones. id like to make a arrowhead out of one like the edistos use to do

Chop the tail off, throw stingless ray back in the water, pull barb off. I am really beginning to think that some of you should take up fish watching, with all of these concerns lately about the fishes feelings.

I agree with flying high. I mean really, do we really need a Greenpeace division for rays now. “Tail” em and make soup…they are in the shark family.

When lizards lose their tail, …nevermind.

i was messing with one my daughter caught the other week and was holding the barb with pliers to show her. i realized real quick that the point isnt the only part of barb that can get you. yes right in the finger. needless to say the pain didnt start right away but sort of took about ten seconds all the while im thinking what the hell is about to happen. anyway it hurts and just comes in waves. worst part was hiding the pain in front of my daughter telling her oh its just like a bee sting dad will be okay.

from now on im rigging up like sailfish. stingray on cut line put on new premade leader.