Skinning Lips, eyelids, and paws. How to?

[BiG Boar]

Going on a bear hunt for up to 15 days. I am looking for information on how to skin out a hide properly as I dont want the hair falling out on me. I know how to do the basic cutting out of the body, however when it comes to the head and paws I have never done it. What are the tricks to each part, Lips, Eyelids, and Paws. What kind of knife works best? Surgeons scalpel? Thanks Dave

[SHACK]

You have to keep in mind, hair slippage is not just about flipping paws, eyes, and ears, but using enough salt, removing enough flesh and fat from the hide as possible, and getting it to your taxidermist asap, if your not sure of the job you have done, or leave him to do it.

Its a simple yet tedious task to do what you mentioned, take your time, and you will get it done, rush and you will make a mess.

-The paws nead only be skinned out to the last knuckle, and the pads can be split straight through. Its also helpfull to tie up the rist with some twine so you can pull down on the hide as you work arround the knuckles. Just cut straight through the knuckle when you get to the last one, as it can be left in.
-Eyes and lips, for this some sort of razor knife always works best IMHO, just take your time and remove the whole cape from the animal always cutting as close to the skull as possible, against the uper and lower jaws, and tight to the skull on the eyes. You will see as you go. Then after the hide/cape is off, work carefully spliting the lips from where they attached to the jaw area up underneath untill they roll outwards.
-ears are simple, just skin them out on the back side of the cartolage, flipping them inside out (you realy only need to skin up the backside)
-now flesh (remove as much meat/fat) as you possibly can and lay your hide out on a sheet of plywood, or something on a slight angle, so that when you start salting all the fluids the salt has removed will run off. You can clean off the salt and add more to dry it completely out. Dont be shy with the salt, your gonna use lots on a full bear.

If you dont fully understand this proccess, I whole heartedly suggest you simply get your hide on ice asap, and get it to your taxitermist as he will more than likely show you what to do if you stick arround, and only charge you a small fee to do this work.

[bushguy]

http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/magazine/blbcare.htm

best to get someone to show you though.definately scalpels w/ changeable blades.ears can be tricky,cut close to skull everywhere,especially eyes.split the cartiledge in the nose,but leave it attached still.skin out paws to LAST knuckle.

[bigwhiteys]

http://www.pristineventures.com/products_publications.html

Larry's Wilderness Taxidermy videos are pretty good... They show you everything you need to know when skinning out a grizz for a rug or lifesize.

If you harvest a G. Bear you're going to be in for a real treat if you don't how to properly cape something... You'll be overwhelmed with several hundred pounds of bear. It might not be a bad idea, to contact some local taxidermists to see if any would be willing to let you watch them cape out a bear.

Or... Like others have said, skin the bear best you can and then beline for your taxi right away... From Kwatna, to Bella Coola, to Williams Lake and Home to van is a long journey.

Carl

[proguide66]

One thing I have found is skinning the main body of anything with a scalpal makes for lots more cuts through the hide. Bears have such thin skin as opposed to moose , elk ect.try to use the razor sharp anything for doing lips , ears , nose , eyes...regular knife is best for the body..as far as the nose goes , if your not too confident , just turn it insoide out , split the nostrils in half without cutting through to the black side... When you get to the pads , cut around them on the hair/pad line...but leave them attached at one side , like flippin over a scalp but leavin it connected by a couple inches..then you can easily shave off the pad fat...another thing that makes doin the toes easier is to skin him off to the wrist/ankle joints..leave the paws it...when you get back to camp , tie a 1/4" line to each individual toe as your skinning it to the last joint...the weight of the hide pulls it back for you while your skinning them...wayyy fatser..easier.We use a full 50lb bag of fine salt on the average grizz...
good luck !

[srupp]

hmm getting the TAXI @ 150 mile Williams LAke is a relatively short HOP..from K bay??

and a demo for the first one..you do Robs = second one..then your ready to teach..

steven

[Mr. Dean]

I've watched my taxi-guy, do it several times. He even gave me some hands on experience with a paw one time.

But I still don't trust myself with a trophy on my own. :redface:


I just pack a freezer and toss it all in there - Let him deal with it.

[bigbore1414]

Your such a funny guy Steve........Do Rob's first !!! ( LOL ) .......Right.....Might as well take the hide and drop it off at Riverview and let the local's play with it.....! :)

[huntcoop]

Freeze it and git 'er to the taxi asap. Leave the work to the pro's that's what ya pay 'em for...plus it may cost ya if ya screw up, which undoubtabley you will.

[mainland hunter]

If you're not going to turn everything and flesh it then don't bother salting it just get it frozen with the head and paws to the outside. salting it without fleshing and turning won't help. as for skinning, Proguides advice is bang on.

[spreerider]

just leave the paws and head attached to the rug and freeze it up fast then take it to a taxidermist.

[GoatGuy]

If you have splitters they're useful otherwise find a piece of wood that's round at the end. Seems to help.

Also I like to tie the knuckles up to a piece of binders twine to a tree. Seems to help as well.

Try to let gravity help with the work whenever possible.

[houndogger]

All good tips so far. Now you have two bear tags a year so shoot a meat bear and use the hide for practise. Cape out your meat deer for practice. Practice practice practice. Once done your meat bear hide take into your taxi and ask his expert advise on what you did right and wrong.

[H Wally]

You said bears had thin skin compared to moose and elk - how is it compared to deer?

[tomahawk]

Going on a bear hunt for up to 15 days. I am looking for information on how to skin out a hide properly as I dont want the hair falling out on me. I know how to do the basic cutting out of the body, however when it comes to the head and paws I have never done it. What are the tricks to each part, Lips, Eyelids, and Paws. What kind of knife works best? Surgeons scalpel? Thanks Dave

From your ask I assume you have never done any caping of any animal. I also am assuming when you say 15 days there is a few of you and the option to head for a freezer or taxi is not really an option.
As helpful as everyone has been with there thoughts on how to do it, when you get there and the griz is on the ground and your adrenalin is flowing like a raging river, most of what has been said will seem like Yugoslavian to you. Nothing beats practice and a good field teacher.
All the best of luck, if you can get an early blackie and have someone show you the proper way you'll be miles ahead of the game.

[wildman 22]

if you are just getting a rug done, you can cut the pads right off (not the toe pads) . if lifesize,cut around pad and leave attached to outside part of paw.

[Hidehanger]

I had done a how-to article a couple years ago on how to cape a deer (turning the eyes and ears are very similar to any big game animal) and provided it to Marc to post on a reference tab for this site...never did see it anywhere...oh well....

Check out this website for more info and a few diagrams that can help you.

http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bearhunt.skinning