How to Skin a Bobcat for Taxidermy
- 1). Make an initial incision from the breastbone between the forelegs along the sternum, down the center of the abdomen, around the genitals and to the base of the tail.
- 2). Use your fingers to work the skin away from the ribcage toward the forelegs. Some cutting may be necessary, but most of the skinning can be done by pushing your fingers in between the skin and carcass.
- 3). Skin to the shoulders, skin the upper forelegs and down to the elbow. Once you are below the elbows, you can use the saw to cut through the legs.
- 4). Skin out toward the hind legs in a similar fashion, although they are bigger and may be more difficult to skin. Once you are below the ankle, again, you can use the saw to cut through the leg.
- 5). Make an incision at the tip of the tail, and use a pliers to grip the tailbone and pull it out of the tail skin.
- 6). Skin out the genitals and bring the whole skin outward to each side, around the carcass to the base of the spine, and then skin upward, bringing the entire skin, pushing all the way up over the shoulders to the neck.
- 7). Push the skin up the neck, cutting away connective tissue when necessary. Locate the bases of the ears beneath the skin where they join the skull. Stretch and separate the skin around them as much as possible, so you can make a clean cut through them without perforating the skin.
- 8). Use your fingers to pull the eyelids as you continue up the skull toward the eyes. Skin carefully over the brow ridge of the skull, making sure not to perforate the eyelid.
- 9). Make incisions along the gumlines, just below the bottom teeth and above the top teeth. Pull the gums out toward you as you approach the mouth area, just like you pulled the eyelids. Make sure not to puncture the lips or the skin of the cheeks. Skin out to meet the incisions in the gums, then skin down the face until you reach the cartilage of the nose. Cut through the cartilage of the nose so that it comes out with the skin.
- 10
Return to the unskinned lower legs, skinning carefully down to the paws. Make sure to remove the dew claws on the forelegs. Skin the toes out from outside-most in. - 11
Salt the entire hide well, making sure to reach into every crevice, after removing all remaining meat from the hide.
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