How to Skin a Dead Animal

Last Updated: May 6, 2021

Skinning a hunted animal is not easy or hard, but it is a necessary step in getting good quality meat from a wild creature. These instructions offer a basic guideline on how to begin the process as soon as the animal is dead.

Steps

1
Place carcass, belly up, on a slope if available.^{[1]
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2
Remove genitals or udder.

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3
Remove musk glands at the knees.
4
Split hide from tail to throat. make the cut shallow so you do not pierce the stomach.
5
Insert your knife under the skin, taking care not to cut into the body cavity. Peel the hide back several inches on each side to keep hair out of meat.^{[2]
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6
Open the chest cavity by splitting the sternum. You can do this by cutting to one side of the sternum where the ribs can join.^{[3]
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7
Reach inside and cut the windpipe and gullet as close to the base of the skull as possible.
8
With the forward end of the intestinal tract free, work your way to the rear, lifting out internal organs and intestines. Cut only where necessary to free them.^{[4]
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9
Carefully cut the bladder away the carcass so that you do not puncture the bladder (urine can contaminate meat). Pinch the urethra tightly and cut it beyond the point you are pinching.
10
Remove the bladder.
11
From the outside of the carcass, cut a circle around the anus.^{[5]
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12
Pull the anus into the body cavity and out the carcass.
13
Lift or roll the carcass to drain all the blood.^{[6]
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14
Remove the hide, make cuts along the inside of the legs to just above the hoof or paw. Then peel the skin back, using your knife in a slicing motion to cut the membrane between the skin and the meat. Continue this until the entire skin is removed.^{[7]
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15
Most of the entrails are usable. The heart, liver, and kidneys are edible.

Community Q&A

Question

Why do I need to know this?

Community Answer

In case of a survival situation, you may need the materials for shelter or clothing. The skin may also be used to make a sleeping area more comfortable.
Question

How long will the meat last when skinning a dead animal?

Community Answer

Gutting and skinning is only the first step in meat preservation. After that you can salt and or smoke the meat. If you don't salt it before smoking it, cutting it into thin strips and smoking it to the point of being a "jerky" will preserve it for several months. Salt will extend that by making it harder for bacteria to grow. This is if you don't have access to refrigerators, freezers or deep freezes.
Question

When I drain the blood of an animal, do I leave the blood there or do I clean it up?

Community Answer

Drain it in an area where it can be naturally absorbed; in a sandy or rocky place.

Warnings

Don't touch any animal that was dead when you found it, or if you think it may have been ill when it was killed.

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