|
|
|||||
|
|
|
The next cut is
down the back of the neck towards the horns or
antlers. (Fig. 2) Make your straight
cut all the way up the back. Stop at the base
of the horns. Next cut at 90 degree angles to
the base of the horns or antlers. (Fig.
2) At this point you will skin around the
base of the horns or antlers. Next peel the
skin forward to the ears and cut the ear butts
close to the head. Insert your finger in to
the eye socket and pull the skin away from the bone
so you do not accidentally cut the eyelids as you
skin. From the front, open the mouth and skin
loose the lips and nose, so you can see
better. Cut away the lips close to the skull
leaving the lips attached to the skin. Sever
the nose close to the skull bone leaving cartilage
in the nose skin. Carefully split the
cartilage down the center of the nose. Do not
cut all the way through. Split the lips to
the edges so they may be spread open for
salting. Turn the ears inside out, separating
the skin on the back of the ear from the
cartilage. Leave the cartilage attached to
the skin of the inner part of the ear. (Fig.
3) Salting: If
there is excess fat or meat on the cape, this must
be removed from the cape before salting.
Spread a generous amount of salt on every inch of
the cape, paying special attention to the lips,
nose and ear area. Then bring the cape and
horns to your taxidermist for tanning and
mounting. Remember treat your cape like
meat. Keep cool and dry. 2. Start
your second cut from the heel pad of the hind foot
and cut along the back of the leg to the
genitals. You may use as a guide, the line
where the short hair of the inner thigh meets the
longer hair of the outer thigh. Repeat the
cut on the other side. 3. Cut
along the mid-line from the chin to the top of the
tail. Do not split the lower jaw through the
lip. Please leave 4 to 5" uncut, from lip
down chin. 4. Peel the
hide off the carcass, leaving the fat on the
carcass, not the hide. You may separate the
feet at the ankle - wrist joints and the head at
the back of skull and leave them in the hide to
finish skinning at home or you may take it in to
your taxidermist at this point. 5. Skin the
head: Peel the skin forward to the ears and
cut the ear butts close to the head. Insert
your finger into the eye socket and pull the skin
away from the nose close to the skull bone leaving
the cartilage in the nose skin. Open the
mouth and loosen the lips and nose from the front
so you can see. Finish: Carefully split
the cartilage down the center of the nose. Do
not cut all the way through nose skin. Split
the lips to the edges so they may be spread open
for salting. Turn ears inside out, separating
the skin on the back of the ear from the
cartilage. Leave the cartilage attached to
the skin of the inner part of the ear.
Take your time and make very few holes, or come see
me! 6. Skin
feet: Cut 3/4 around the large pads on the
feet. Peel the skin back towards the
toes. Split open the webbing between the toes
and peel back the skin to expose the last joint on
the toes (the joint closes to the claws).
Separate the bones at the joint. This leaves
"pocket" where the toes have been removed from the
inside but the small toe pads remain on the
skin. A string double looped over itself
makes toe removal much easier. 7.
Salting: If there is excess fat and meat left
on the hide, this MUST be removed before
salting. Spread a generous amount of fine
white salt on every inch of the flesh side of the
hide. 1 POUND OF SALT FOR 2 POUNDS OF
HIDE. Fill every inch of the flesh side of
the hide. Fine white stock salt can be
purchased by the bag at feed stores or you may use
table salt. Do not salt if not fleshed
completely! Keep cool and dry and come see
me! Thanks, Yukon |
