How to Skin an Animal

If you want to enjoy the meat you've earned on your hunting expedition, you need to learn how to skin the animal first. Get familiar with the incisions you'll need to make on the dead animal's body after you've made your kill.

Instructions

1. Lay the dead animal on its back after you catch and kill it.

2. Cut a straight line through the skin from the tail bone to under the animal's neck.

3. Put your pointer and middle fingers between the skin at the tail bone and the thin membrane just under the skin. Your palm will be facing up with your fingers split open like an open pair of scissors. Use the knife, with the blade upward, to cut the skin and leave the membrane intact.

4. Be more forceful when you reach the ribs. Remove your fingers and use the knife only to lift and cut the animal skin.

5. Make cuts from the inside of each leg to the center cut that goes up the belly of the animal. Cut all the way around the neck.

6. Begin tugging the skin away from the animal's body, starting at the points where the long center cut meets the leg cuts. Skin one side at a time, then roll the animal over onto the loose skin and do the other side.

Tips & Warnings

• Some people prefer to hang the animal instead of skinning it on its back. Both ways are acceptable.

• Don't allow the meat to touch the ground while skinning.