Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="shorthairman" data-source="post: 309904" data-attributes="member: 6223"><p>Dirty, Have you ever skinned a coyote or coon? The process is the same when it comes to the head.  As SDMF said get yourself a scalpel with replacement blades. Start using your regular skinning knife, and when you gut the deer DO NOT slit the belly past the rib cage. To make sure you do not cut the cape too short, cut around the entire deer in the middle of the body(the taxidermist can cut off what they don't need). Then make a cut following the spine all the way to right between the ears. From there you turn that "spine cut" into a Y by cutting to the back side of each antler using the scalpel upside down so the blade is up.  Now go back and skin the deer just like normal with your skinning knife. On the front legs, cut them off at the "elbows" and make a slit on the back side so you can skin around them. keep working the hide all the way up to the neck. **From this point on 1. Use only the scalpel 2. Cut as close to the skull as you can and 3. You will have to work around the head evenly (meaning you can't cut around the right antler burr, skin past the right eye, and cut the right tear duct out and then go to the left side and do the same). Now go back and carefully cut/work your way around each antler burr. Once you get around the burrs, the eyes are next.  Stick your finger in the back corner of the eye so you can feel where to cut.  Cut following the curve of the skull around the eye.  The tear ducts are tricky, so when you get to the front corner of the eye it is important to remember to cut as close to the skull as you can and use the point of the scalpel.  Once you get passed the ducts go to the mouth and start skinning back toward the ducts.  Do the bottom jaw first.  Right where the teeth meet the gums, start skinning, stay as close to the jaw bone as you can and peel the lower jaw skin back about 3/4 of the way to the back corner of the mouth.  Then do the top jaw the same, but the cut will be different because of the nose cartilage.  Just cut as much of the cartilage as you can and leave it with the hide as the taxidermist can trim it. Now go back to where you stopped after getting by the tear duct and skin down a little ways. Put your finger in the back corner of the deers mouth and skin to your finger and you are done! Leave plenty of skull plate on the antlers so the taxidermist can trim to however they need it.</p></blockquote><p></p>

Verification: What is the most common fish caught on this site?

Reply to thread

Recent Posts

Friends of NDA