Skinning a bear?

B

Budmandan

New member
Tuesday night I'll be leaving to the north woods to video a bear hunt with a friend of mine. If we would happen to get one in the first couple of days we're going to go fishing for a couple of days. If we get one early in the hunt we will have to butcher the bear up there. I beleive that the feet and head need to be left attatched to the hide. Will we be able to just skin it out down to the paws and cut them off? Will we be able to put the hide in a cooler on ice for a couple of days with out ruining it? Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Budmandan
 
A lot of people do it Dan, but you really need to pay attention to things when you do so.
Keep insects away from the hide at all costs.
Do not let the hide go from cool to warm, to cool to warm by letting the ice in the cooler melt away before adding any fresh.
Don't let the hide soak in the water that comes from the ice melting. This could do some serious damage. It's best to fill the cooler up with ice, shut the lid, and open the drain up below and leave it open the entire time, unless it's in your car or truck.
Also,...obviously you'll want to keep the hide out of direct sunlight.
 
DAN, keep in mine that if you are mounting it . how you won’t the mount will determine how you skin it.

If you are going to see the front of the bear when it’s mounted , skin it up the back
And if you going to see the bears back skin it the belly.

I would also call the game officer up there to ask him just what you need to do after harvest and what they need to check it in. and a tag for trans port across state lines.

But as of keeping it in a cool that fine but like was sad in the last post keep it dry and clean and try if you can to flesh as much of the hid as you can.

Best of luck to ya and be safe pal.
George
 
The unskinned head is where you might get some hair slippage if you are going to have a problem. Make sure you have the head out where the body heat can dissipate. Don't roll up the hide with the head on the inside and then place it in the cooler. Bear hides insulate very well and a unskinned head won't cool out quick enough if its rolled up in the hide. Don't put the hide in a plastic garbage bag for storing in the cooler either. They trap heat very well also.

If in doubt head for town.
 
George
Lonny

I talked to a guy today that hunts up in the same area we are going to. He said that there is a locker plant on the edge of town that would do the job for us. For the time we will waste skinning cutting up, packaging and cooling. I think we'll be farther ahead dropping it off there and picking it up when were headed back through town.


Thanks guys, Budmandan
 
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