How to Skin a Badger

Step 5 Skinning Open Vs. Cased

There was some controversy about the best skinning method. I had mostly skinnned rabbits and squirrels. You do those "cased", which means skin around the anus and extend that cut with slits along the hind legs. Pull out the legs, step on them and then peel the rest of the skin off "like skinning the rabbit". You end up with a fur sock sort of thing with little inside-out leg skins hanging off it. Stretch the skin by shoving a board shaped like a gothic window into it.

The other method, "open". That's used for bigger animals. It starts the same, cutting around the anus and slitting up the hind legs, but then you cut the skin down the belly and out along the front legs to make a skin that lays flat. Then you peel it off around the animal and down the head. Stretch it by nailing it flat to a board or "the back of the barn". Or thongs through holes in the edge to stakes pounded in the ground.

The book "Wildwood Wisdom" has good diagrams of both methods.

Comments

[knex_builder_freak]

I, am disturbed.

[knexsuperbuilderfreak]

Agreed

[knex_builder_freak]

Scarred for life.