Skinning tips

HiBC · October 10, 2013, 04:05 PM

Two

I took a couple pairs of vise grips in my gear this year.Getting ahold of the hide with vise grips is just easier.Saves your pinching muscles.

A friend gave me a Frost brand hunting knife with a molded plastic sheath.The sheath looks like a fillet knife sheath.Its rigid,with a smooth,round tip.

I used that to force between the meat and hide and separate them(instead of my fingers)

I used that to make the cuts inside the legs and and a patch of hide around the anus,also up the middle.

With the hide separated from the meat,its easy to put the blade in and cut out.Less hair.

Once I had the patch of hide off around the anus,the knife sheath worked good to free up the colon from the inside of the pelvis,too,so I could draw it out and tie it off.

We skinned it on the the ground in the field,rolling the hide over the animal as far as we could,then opening up a couple of trash bags as "mini-tarps" to lay down as a clean surface to roll the carcass on to to get the other side.

It worked real well.

RickE · October 10, 2013, 08:24 PM

Great tip. My wife has nylon scraper (looks like a skinner knife) for the interior work. Not used in years, she will never miss it. Until I take it!

reynolds357 · October 10, 2013, 09:50 PM

Hang deer up.Field dress the deer. Cut the hide from the anus to the base of the head( top of the neck.) Cut the hide around the neck. Pell down about 4". Cut the hide around all four knees. Put a rock in the hide at the neck, choke it with a rope and slip knot, hook rope to motorized vehicle and drive.

Jack O'Conner · October 13, 2013, 05:21 PM

I've often hunted far from the nearest gravel road. Necessity causes me to skin and quarter the animals in the field. I cut out the backstraps and bone out the front quarters with my knife. Then I lay the hind quarters and boned meat on the hide (hair side down). Lastly I tie the hide into a pack using para-cord and drag it out. Far less effort and weight than trying to drag the animal out in one piece!

I own a couple of fixed blade Frost knives, too. The sheathes were cheezy so I had a local harness shop craft custom leather sheathes for me.

Jack

October 10, 2013, 04:05 PM	#1
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	Skinning tips Two I took a couple pairs of vise grips in my gear this year.Getting ahold of the hide with vise grips is just easier.Saves your pinching muscles. A friend gave me a Frost brand hunting knife with a molded plastic sheath.The sheath looks like a fillet knife sheath.Its rigid,with a smooth,round tip. I used that to force between the meat and hide and separate them(instead of my fingers) I used that to make the cuts inside the legs and and a patch of hide around the anus,also up the middle. With the hide separated from the meat,its easy to put the blade in and cut out.Less hair. Once I had the patch of hide off around the anus,the knife sheath worked good to free up the colon from the inside of the pelvis,too,so I could draw it out and tie it off. We skinned it on the the ground in the field,rolling the hide over the animal as far as we could,then opening up a couple of trash bags as "mini-tarps" to lay down as a clean surface to roll the carcass on to to get the other side. It worked real well.

October 13, 2013, 05:21 PM	#4
Jack O'Conner Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2005 Location: Manatee County, Florida Posts: 1,976	I've often hunted far from the nearest gravel road. Necessity causes me to skin and quarter the animals in the field. I cut out the backstraps and bone out the front quarters with my knife. Then I lay the hind quarters and boned meat on the hide (hair side down). Lastly I tie the hide into a pack using para-cord and drag it out. Far less effort and weight than trying to drag the animal out in one piece! I own a couple of fixed blade Frost knives, too. The sheathes were cheezy so I had a local harness shop craft custom leather sheathes for me. Jack __________________ Fire up the grill! Deer hunting IS NOT catch and release.

October 10, 2013, 08:24 PM	#2
RickE Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2009 Location: Kirkland Wa. Posts: 516	Great tip. My wife has nylon scraper (looks like a skinner knife) for the interior work. Not used in years, she will never miss it. Until I take it!

October 10, 2013, 09:50 PM	#3
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	Hang deer up.Field dress the deer. Cut the hide from the anus to the base of the head( top of the neck.) Cut the hide around the neck. Pell down about 4". Cut the hide around all four knees. Put a rock in the hide at the neck, choke it with a rope and slip knot, hook rope to motorized vehicle and drive.