Skinning & Taxidermy

If you're going to hunt your own food you're going to need to learn proper Field Dressing & Skinning techniques.

If you were successful, you are faced with the question, now what?

Once the hide is removed you have a variety of options. You can have it dry tanned, or you could try tanning it, could give it to someone or try to sell it, regardless of your choice, learn these techniques so there's minimal damage to the hide.

A Taxidermist is a highly skilled profession. You are commissioning an Artist. Not everyone can afford this luxury so learn some Do It Yourself tips

WARNING!!
Images will disturb some viewers! While we apologize for the offence, this is Food Prep 101. No different then a chicken or steak. It's all about Perspective.
Images

I am personally anti-waste and believe it is worth connecting with others to see if someone else would benefit from unwanted parts.
While it is a personal choice how much of an animal is used by the hunter, there are laws regarding not leaving game meat in the bush. So in the end, no one wants to see anything go to waste.
Take proper care and show the animal the full respect it deserves to make the most from your hunt.

Here's a link to a good field dressing guide as it will be easier to see it then read it.

From This To This

Step 1 – Skinning, Fleshing, & Curing

There’s more than one way to skin a cat,… but some skinning methods are standard practice.

Case skinning or tube skinning is used for specific species by trappers for the fur market.

A mammal skinned for a rug is cut up the belly and along the back legs and front legs (the large portion of the paw pad is not required for a rug mount.)

A mammal skinned for a life-size mount can be cut in the same manner as a rug, however if the mount is clearly displaying the belly and chest, the taxidermist may choose to do a dorsal cut along the back.

Additional skills are required by a taxidermist to preserve a skin for taxidermy purposes.

The paws must be skinned down to the last knuckle and paw pads fleshed out.

The ears must be turned, literally inside out, and ear butts fleshed.

The nose must be split into two separate cavities and nose pad fleshed out.

The lips and eyelids must be turned fully inside out and fleshed, taking extreme care to not damage the whisker follicles.

The hide can be cured using salt. Salt draws out moisture and bacteria that would otherwise cause hair slippage.

A hide can be salted or frozen, but not both. A partially salted hide in the freezer will not freeze.

Hair Slippage is when bacteria growth in the skin causes the fur follicle to slip out. It's the basic start to rot. The moment life ends, rot begins. Naturally heat encourages growth so keep your animal as cool as possible until you are able to salt or freeze the hide.

Green Belly, that's a real thing. It's a big red flag the hide may experience slippage but not necessarily.

Step 2 – Tanning & Hide Prep

Tanning is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. It is turning organic matter into inorganic matter.

While some taxidermists choose to send hides to tanneries, some taxidermists tan hides themselves.

Before the hide can be mounted, additional thinning may be required. Holes are typically sewn up at this time. If the hide has experienced major hair slip or damage, a taxidermist may choose to patch these later during the mounting stage.

A good investment is a Fleshing Beam. You can make one yourself too! The idea is to stretch the hide over the beam and scrape off the fat and remaining meat so the salt can permeate the hide. It's also an amazing work out for your shoulders and back so be prepared for some back pain that evening.

Do not scrape bears too thin! The flesher at the tannery needs to have something to slice away to leave a smooth finished leather surface. Spring bears and Fall bears have different hides.

A Fleshing Machine is a necessity to leave the leather with a commercial smooth finish. Yes hides can be tanned with brains, scraped and broken by hand, but with the thickness of an elk or bison it becomes a necessity to thin the hide enough to be able to break the fibers.

Step 3 – Mannikin Alterations & Prep

Mannikins, or Forms, can be ordered from a taxidermy supply company, or made using urethane foam and a cast of the animals’ carcass. Carving foam is also a method used to make mannikins in custom poses. A good taxidermist will be skilled at altering mannikins as some adjustment will typically always be required, whether that be changing the position or size of the mannikin. The skin is test fit over the mannikin to ensure a good fit before beginning mounting. If the animal is to have an open mouth, a jaw set is installed in the mannikin.

Same species glass eyes, very different quality!

Step 4 – Mounting

While the actual mounting of an animal is the main part of taxidermy, it is the prep work leading to this step that will truly make or break a mount.

Clay is used to set the glass eyes and rebuild muscle tissue. A knowledge of biology is critical to recreate an expression with appropriate muscle tension. Some taxidermists use artificial noses and lips which require skills to create a smooth transition. Ear liners, or a fiberglass bondo method is used to create support within the ear.

Once the entire manikin is ready, it is covered in a layer of hide paste and the skin can be put in place. Eye lids, lips, and ear butts are tucked into pre-dremelled, clay filled spaces and held with pins. The skin is then sewn together using a glovers needle. A thorough grooming highlights needed adjustments in the fur pattern and the animal is set to dry.

Step 5 – Finishing

Once the mount is dry, the finishing work can begin. Apoxie sculpt is used to fill in any gaps that may have appeared as the hide shrunk away from the glass eye. The inner nostrils and inside of mouth, if open mouth, are also finished using apoxie sculpt.

An airbrush is used to bring life back into the animal. Beginning with lighter tones, colors are layered around the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Excess paint is removed and a coat of gloss adds a realistic wet look to specific areas.

Birds are a whole different skinning story!

Skulls! The Easiest Do It Yourself of All!

Unless you live alone, take it outside. Your family will thank you!

DON'T DO

Welcome to the gross part! It's OK though, you got this. Like taking the meat off the Turkey after Thanksgiving. Remember you never boil, only simmer. The skull can be returned to the water several times to 'loosen things up' if challenging.

Beetle Juice

Skulls are Awesome! If you're willing to do the work, anyone can do it. While dermestid beetles do a stunning job, you can do it yourself too.

Add this. You're welcome. One cup in a large pot will help the meat peel off the bone and do have the work for you. It also degreases the skull. If you change the water onee throughout you will have a better chance at getting all the grease out. Once cleaned soak for days in dish soap until the grease is gone.

Despite best efforts sometimes grease is stubborn or leeches out of the skull over time

It will eventually come out or lighten with persistence!

It's DANGER Time...

Whitening - NEVER use bleach

Use Peroxide & WEAR Safety Protection!!

Please be careful. Aside from accidently touching it, or having it splash at you all sorts of dangers exist. Containers can mysteriously start heating, steaming and spewing peroxide. You pet or kids may think it's OK to check out,.. and they do that by touching. If the skull has a hidden metal fragment it could react with the peroxide. Whatever the case may be, respect the substance you are using. You're a scientist now,.. Act like it!

Keep an eye on the skulls in the peroxide. It could take anywhere from a day to a few days. This is variable with temperature and how degreased the skull was prior.

If underdone it will have grease spots (see above)

If overdone the bone is left pitted and flaky. If the damage is not too severe a light sanding sponge will smooth the bone.