Skinning and Butchering Bear

[NorthernOutdoors]

Hello, I've never cleaned a bear before so I'm wondering what steps and procedures need to be used if I wanted to have a rug made out of the hide.

I'm also curious about what needs to be done to properly butcher the animal before storage. I butcher my own deer so that is really the only relevant experience I have.

Thanks for the help!

[jay83196]

Good questions, I also heard that you don't want to put or drag the hide in a plastic bag, it makes the fur fall out???? That true?

Thanks Jayson

[Boar]

What makes the fur fall out is not getting to the skinning proccess soon enough or not getting the hide cooled down quick enough, its refered to as the hide slipping. I have also froze my hides in a black plastic bag before with never a problem. After you take the hide of the animal you really need to lay it on your lawn with fun down an let the flesh air cool for a while. if you take it off an role it up an stick it in the freezer right away, that hide will trap the heat for along time an can cause hide slippage. As far as preparing a hide for a rug, I dont know what cuts to make, but others will know, i've just prep for my shoulder mounts. Just make sure the hide has air cooled for awhile before freezing, a little salt on the hide before rollong it up has been done before to. I butcher my bear just like my deer, trim any fat off, take your cuts an freeze it. I like to skin, quarter, stick the quarters in a fidge an cool down over night, then take my cuts. Bacstraps, roast an burgers. Later boar

[Random guy]

Just like a deer only much more fat. Boar is correct with the cooling things down ASAP, that is key to everything from good meat to a good rug.

[troutkingmaster]

+1 on what has been said above. I also recommend using a cheap kids snow sled or a plastic feed trough with 4-8" sides (what I used) to drag with. Bears do not drag as nice as deer, it is more like dragging 200 pounds of Jello so the sled keeps them from flopping around and getting caught on everything. IT also protects the hide. When my girlfriend shot hers last year (the first one either of us have ever shot) we took it to a local guy who charged 75 bucks to quarter and skin it. The one thing I noticed him do that I would not have was cutting the armpits open to let the heat out of the quarters faster. I felt good about paying the 75 bucks cause I didn't want to hear about screwing the GFs rug up for the rest of my life.

[motley man]

If you are going to have a mount or rug done, talk to the taxidermist about it. The meat cutter I take mine to knows how to skin them so that helps. The taxidermist sometimes want you to bring it to them to skin. If you are driving any distance with hide on, pack inside cavity with bags of ice to cool it down. I only hunt 20 miles away so that not a problem. Check the area you hunt for meat cutters or taxidermists that will skin it because they have cradle to put it on. If your not going to have anything done with hide you can sell it. Look online and you can find bear sites that give details on skinning and cutting up bear. Just make sure to get it cooled down as soon as possible.