Field dressing a black bear.

MagnumPeanut

MagnumPeanut

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Does anyone have any tips on what to do after the bear is dead? I have field dressed dozens of deer, but have never done a bear and want to try this fall.

Is it the same as doing a deer?
Step 1: Kill it
Step 2: Gut it?
Step 3: Skin it?

Just want to know how the pros do it.
 
Bear is like beaver and coon, very fat! I'd part skin before gutting, it'll save you alittle bit of fleshing work. Start by making your "skinning" cut up the body, but dont go all the way threw and open it right up up, then skin each side a decent ways, then open the body up gut it, cut around the wrists,neck and hang the meat and contiue the skinning in the tough areas. Take your time, keep your knife razor sharp.
 
http://w ww.outdoorsdirectory.com/magazine/blbcare.htm

If you're doing a full rug or mount, skinning may be different that what you would think, especially the paws. Here's step by step with photo's.

Then flesh, salt, salt.

Option b: skin, cut off paws at the wrist, head at the neck, cool it with ice, and make a beeline for your taxidermist.
I would actually advise you talk to your taxidermist beforehand and follow his instructions.
 
Suka said:
http://w ww.outdoorsdirectory.com/magazine/blbcare.htm

If you're doing a full rug or mount, skinning may be different that what you would think, especially the paws. Here's step by step with photo's.

Then flesh, salt, salt.

Option b: skin, cut off paws at the wrist, head at the neck, cool it with ice, and make a beeline for your taxidermist.
I would actually advise you talk to your taxidermist beforehand and follow his instructions.
Click to expand...

I don't get the salting part? What is the purpose? Does everyone do this?
 
Salting will dry out the hide, it's easy and cheap to do. I believe if you use the pickle method you dont have to salt? I've never seen the pickle method done, but hear it's a lot harder to do. I know a old fella who's been trapping and a bear guide for over 50years who's done it all and swears that salt/tan is the way to go and much more forgiving, and less time involved.
 
MagnumPeanut said:
I don't get the salting part? What is the purpose? Does everyone do this?
Click to expand...

You MUST salt the hide (or similar process such as pickling) if your taking it to a taxidermist or the hair will sluff. So yes, everyone does it if they want the hide. Salt salt and more salt.
 
Ok, I just spoke with Taxidermist and he says DO NOT salt. He said to get as much fat and meat off as I could and then freeze the hide. So I guess I will do what he says.

IF* I get a bear. Still have to shoot one.

Here is hope.
 
Quick question, where does everyone get those huge bags of salt?
Never seen any at the store last time only the little 5 pound bags.
 
DOn't gut it unless you are moving it whole and need to reduce weight for some reason.

Skin it out to the wrists and base of skull

Remove the skull form the spine, the paws from the forearms.

I do this with a small folding saw or just cut through the cartilage in the joint and then twist them off.

Now you either flesh out the paws and skull yourself, or throw the whole thing int he freezer and let a taxidermist do it. You can't salt until the skull, paws, etc are out, the nose and ears and lips split open and everything removed, and the hide is defleshed, so a freezer is a better option if you are new to this.

Cut the hams, shoulders and loins off the carcass. If you want the tenderloin, do that last, make cut on either side of the rear of the stomach area, reach in and cut them out.

Leave the guts inside the bear, so you dont' have to trip on greasy bear guts.:)
 
Well, I've skinned a swak of bears and I've never thought they looked like humans, but whatever. I've found the easiest way to do the paws is with a caping knife. After you skin the legs out down to the paws, bend the paw back until you can work a sharp caping or pearring knife tip through the knuckle it will come apart quite nicely if you keep pressure on the paw and just keep cutting. Same for the head..or use a saw if you need to.

After skinning we usually lay it out and cover it with salt..stuff it anywhere and everywhere...into the paws and as far into the head as you can if you havn't caped the head. Next morning dump it off, shake it and put on more salt. Ya can't use too much salt but you sure can use too little. When you're ready to come home fold the legs in, fold the backend in and then the front end with the head on top with all of the salt still on. Take to taxidermist, give money, and rec Bear rug back.

If you know how to cape the head, turn the ears and nose, and split the lipsgo ahead, but if your going to get it to a taxidermist soon, leave it to him rather than screw it up. Same for the toes. You can do the toes with a pearing knife (I like the ones with the sharp hook) but be very careful, it's real easy to cut the skin.

I don't know how long you'll be out but I've never lost a hide doing it this way. We've had hides for 5 days in warm weather with the head uncaped and 10 days with the paws done and the head caped as long as its fleshed and salted. Now on fleshing...I prefer to flesh it after I've skinned it. I've seen guys cut the crap out of a hide skinning real close to the hide so they don't need to flesh it after.

If you don't know the primary cuts on a bear, theres lots of diagrams available on line. Bears are not hard to skin, just take your time. We always do them where they drop because it's easier than taking em back to camp and trying to work on a cold stiff carcass.
 
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