Sad to say.... I've never skinned an animal

myright

myright

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Alright - I'm not a hunter, I'm a fisherman. I've done my fair share of cleaning fish but have not ever skinned a land animal.

As someone that would like to think I've got the knowledge to trap and/or kill an animal I'm not sure I would have the skills to make a meal out of it. Really, in theory, it sounds easy but I know there's more to it than that. We've got A LOT of rabbits near us and a close second would be squirrel, possom, muskrat, and fox.

I'd love to go hunting just so I can practice skinning/cleaning an animal.

What are some good resources for reading up on this topic in preparation?

The next thread I make about this will be asking someone to let me go hunting with them so I can practice skinning :D
 
Doesn't one of the older Boy Scout handbooks have a section on prepping game? I seem to recall such a chapter. Outside of that, go to any bookseller and check out books on hunting. All of the ones I have read have some remedial information about gutting/processing game...
 
I'm in the same boat, don't feel bad. The most I've skinned is mice and squirrels.

I have this DVD by Rick Gollinger, it literally shows you every single step from the first cut, to plating the meal. Production values are pretty good, too. I see it's out-of-stock at the mossy oak online store; you may be able to find it in a hardware/sporting goods store (I did).
 
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If you ever make it down to Texas look me up. We'll kill,skin,cook and eat something :D. It may not be what you are used to but it will taste good.
 
LOL - I've been there once for an extended stay... USAF

You're not talking about armadillo are you? Can you eat those things?
 
It really isn't that big a deal. It is pretty much just what you would think. As you pull the skin up, depending on the animal and conditions, sometimes the skin just pulls away, when it doesn't, you just slice lightly between the skin and the meat underneath in the fat layer between.

If there is a farm near you, I am sure they would be happy to have you help slaughter beef or a hog and you could get a good lesson on skinning as well as how to quarter and butcher.
 
No prob, myright, that's what we're here for.

I just remembered, that DVD doesn't show tanning, if that's what you're after. Although he does show how to salt the raw hide and prepare it to be tanned.
 
This is something that I'm not good at either. I've done birds before and a rabbit or two, but realistically my soon-to-be inlaws have always helped skin any animals that we get.

I've watched several times and it looks easy enough, but in practice it's difficult and I second guess myself :o

I've seen a few threads in the past which could help, perhaps someone will bring a few up.
 
It's not as hard as you might think. Someone with experience will be faster but it isn't rocket science.

Kill the animal.
Cut off the head, feet, tail, and skin.
Cut out the entrails.
Clean out the blood and whatever guts are left.
Cook and eat.

In simpler terms......cut off everything you aren't going to eat. Eat what is left.

SDS
 
Might want to start small and work your way up as there are different skinning techniques for different animals

Also, know the animal - deer have glands you need to watch out for, whereas a rabbit is pretty much cut the skin in the middle of the back, but not the meat, and get your fingers under each side and pull to each end. then clean out the middle, so to speak after cutting the feet and head off

Small Birds - insert thumb under rib cage and lift up - pick off remaining skin/feathers

Sorry I don't have any links for you
 
Sadly I haven't either. And Ive only been hunting once and we didn't get anything:grumpy:



GhostWolf said:
If you ever make it down to Texas look me up. We'll kill,skin,cook and eat something :D. It may not be what you are used to but it will taste good.
Click to expand...

You wouldn't happen to live in E Tex would you:D
 
I used to run a trapline and done a ton of skinning on fur bearing animals.

Rabbits and squirrels, I don't so much skin. I pretty much make slit, and then just peel them by hand. Too small to mess with much else.

I have an EXCELLENT resource for skinning and processing a whitetail, but it was posted on another forum. Not sure I am supposed to link to another forums. I also notice I can't PM you. So, shoot me an email at briangandrews at comcast dot net, and I will send you a great link.

Brian
 
Here is a good tutorial on deer. I grew up doing this stuff, everything from squirrel to cattle, but it's been awhile. So for brush up on the topic I have a couple good books.
Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game, John J Mettler Jr.
The Ultimate Guide to Skinning and Tanning, Monte Burch
 
myright...shoot me an addy and I will dig through all of my hunting mags and see if I can't find an article about guttin critters...
 
if you have a live game shop or meat and poultry shop ( we have a ton here in the Bronx) you can get live rabbits for prettty cheap they'll even kill'em there for you and you can take 'em home an practice.
 
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