Bear Skinning Questions

arcstarter

arcstarter

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Lethbridge, AB
I hope to get my first bow bear this spring and have a few questions about skinning it out.

I read about a "tube method" where you cut from ankle to tail to ankle and then skin it that way and just cut the paws and skull off at the joints. Would this be the best way as I don't know what I want to do with it yet? The only thing I know that I want to do is have the skull European mounted


I also read that some guys salt the hides to dehydrate them before storage/shipping or would I just be able to skin it and flesh it out as best I can then roll it up and freeze it for awhile? I don't live far from where I am hunting so It can be skinned out and put in the freezer within hours

Also how long can I leave it in the freezer before I will start to have problems?
 
Tubing works great if you don't know what you are doing with it as it leaves your options open. I generally half conventional skin and then tube from chest to head. Do not roll up tightly and freeze. Inner portions may not cool quick enuff especially if you put the head on the inside of the roll. Flesh out the best you can, salt and then put in freezer but that is what my tanning guy likes. Probably best to talk to your tanner/taxidermist and ask him how he wants it prepped. He'll appreciate you asking.
 
Usually smaller animals with softer hide get "tubed" I've never tired it with a bear. Might work?

You can just skin it and freeze it. More you flesh it, less work for tanner = less cost to you.

Talking to taxidermist is a good plan.
 
Salting on its own is good. Freezing works I hear. But both does not make sense. Salting the hide pulls the moisture out and at the same time raises the freezing point(think of salt on the roads during winter). If you cannot get it to your taxi right away fold it skin to skin and freeze it. If you can get it to him that day or the next lay out a pound and a half of salt on it(one of the rare times I will say liberal is good) and then scrape that off later that night or the next morning and put another pound on.

Gatehouse said:
More you flesh it, less work for tanner = less cost to you.

Talking to taxidermist is a good plan.
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kastles
 
I have always used the traditional method as tubing an animal that can be 300+ can be a bit difficult to say the least. Get it cooled off as quickly as you can. Not sure on the salting angle - never done it although I know my taxidermist does eventually do that as a part of his process.
 
I've always just done traditional skinning. If river hunting I then tie around one ankle of the skinned hide with some rope and toss the skin in the river to clean for several hours to remove blood (rots quickly) and anything else on the pelt. Once I get the pelt clean (either using a river or with a roll of paper towel, or whatever), I hang it to dry overnight and then salt the hell out of it with coarse salt and roll up. The next day, unroll and add more salt if needed. Roll up again. At this point, the hide can stay in storage for many months and be fine.
 
I am hunting maybe 1km away from my Father-in-law's farm so I can drag it there, start the tube method and then use the tractor to hang from the hind legs and skin down having gravity help me... this way if I use the tube method I can decide later on what I want done and it should be easier for the taxidermist.

I will be skinning the skull out too so that will eliminate that source of heat, how would you fold the hide to make sure that it freezes properly knowing that the skull is out?

Also would you still salt?
 
Demonical said:
What the hell is tubing? Thought you did that on the river in the summer...
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Tubing, or case skinning, is skinning without the belly cut. It's generally done by trappers to make it easier to stretch and dry hides.......... wolf, coyote,fisher,marten,muskrat,etc. You're left with a pelt looking like a sock or "tube".

It's not generally done on bear as they're dried stretched out, like beaver.
 
Salt is cheap, hunting is more costly and taxidermy is expensive.

If you use salt make sure you rub it in thoroughly, everywhere. Make sure its right up to the every edge, in every fold and liberally applied into the paws where you removed the knuckles, under the nose cartilage etc etc. Don;t just pour it on, rub it in too.

I used about 16lbs on my bear last year and would have used more if I had it on hand. Can't use too much.
 
kayaker1 said:
Salt is cheap, hunting is more costly and taxidermy is expensive.

If you use salt make sure you rub it in thoroughly, everywhere. Make sure its right up to the every edge, in every fold and liberally applied into the paws where you removed the knuckles, under the nose cartilage etc etc. Don;t just pour it on, rub it in too.

I used about 16lbs on my bear last year and would have used more if I had it on hand. Can't use too much.
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+1 :bigHug:
 
Talk to your taxidermist. Most will tell you not to salt unless your in a situation where you cannot freeze the hide immediately. The purpose to salting is to prevent hair slippage if the weather is warm. If you're able to skin and freeze immediately then that is a lot better way to go. A salted skin will not freeze properly and should be taken in for tanning asap. If you're planning on keeping your hide frozen for a while before you have it mounted make sure no skin is exposed as freezer burn can damage the hide. These are a few things my taxidermist has told me hope they help.
 
Sorry if this is a newb question, but how small can one fold the bear skin for freezing? And how long can it last in the freezer before it needs to go to the taxidermist?
 
arcstarter-you are on the right path.The important thing is to get the HEAT out of the hide.
Doesn't matter how you skin it,make sure you cool it out.A trough with water RUNNING through it is a good place for that hide,especially if you case it.
Once it's cool fold and roll and freeze.
Make sure when you fold it you have maximum skin to skin contact.If you case it then lay it flat on it's back.Fold the back legs in and start rollin,do the same with the front legs and the head(skinned out).You should end up with a fur bed roll.I give em a loose wrap with twine.
If you skin it belly cut like for a rug,fold it in half like it's layin on its side.Max skin to skin.
Fold the front and back legs in and about 4-6 inches of the bottom edge(belly) so you don't leave the cut edge exposed.Roll it up from the bottom with the skinned out head inside like the case method.Should look like a fur bedroll with one side a litter bigger.
If you are skinning out the head take GREAT CARE around the eyes and the mouth,leave the cartilage in the ears.

salt if for when there is no freezer handy...
Have fun and GL!
 
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