Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

300 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTSkinning a Head.—Begin at a point over thebackbone, close to the shoulder, and run the pointof the small knife, just under the skin, down to thethroat, then down the other side in the same way{AB in Fig. 182). Make these cuts close to thebody where the swell of the shoulders and brisketbegins, as the skin of the whole neck is needed tomount the trophy true to life.JJ^ \\\ Then from C run the knifeayU ^L straight up the back of the neck\ ( y| /fpy to D, midway between the ears.^_^..11J^^^ From D make incisions to EE\^ '^V^'^^^ ^^ ^he bases of the two antlers.(If the animal has no antlersor horns, then the cut from Cto D issufficient.)Now begin to peel off theskin, working first from C downp- i02 on each side. Pull away theSkinning a head skin with one hand while youassist with the knife in theother, cutting off the little ligaments as you go, so asto leave no flesh adhering to the skin, taking carenot to cut the skin or rupture blood vessels. Thiskind of work is not to be done by a few heavystrokes, but by many light ones, holding the knifelike a pencil. Peel forward to base of ears, and cutthese off close to the skull. Then take up the V-shaped point between the ears(D) and skin off thescalp. Cut and pry the skin away from the baseof each antler {EE) all around, working carefullyand close to the base so as not to haggle edge ofskin or leave hairs attached to antlers. It will helphere to insert under the skin a small wedge-shapedstick, and pound a little on it.Just above each eye is a depression in the skull,with no flesh between skin and bone, and the skinadheres tightly. Go slow here, cutting loose theikln to the very bottom of the cavities.