There have been a few posts lately asking how to skin out feet. There is a good pictorial in the archives with a good description. In the end, they snip off the toe bone with side cutters. I differ in this opinion.
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2646618/Skinning_Cat_Paws.html#Post2646618


So, today, the internet was gracious to me and I got some lynx. I took some pictures showing how I skin to the claw, leaving only the claw and no bones.

First, let me start by saying it takes practice to do this timely. It used to take me about an hour to turn the 4 feet. now I can do them in about 20 minutes. I took a hide over to my taxidermist friend and asked him to watch me take out the feet and to show me how to do it. He did his foot in like 2 minutes. Mine took 15. I was doing it right, but was just slow.

I start by making the cut down the back leg through the middle of the pad.


Then, I cut under and around the pad to seperate it from the foot.


once that is done, i pull the hide from the back of the foot as far as it will go. Next step, I use a flat head screw driver and stick it between the foot bones to seperate them. I pull down on the screwdriver and up on the leg to peel back the skin.


You should be able to see through and around the foot bones.


I then use the knife to skin around the side of the foot near the pad. (no pic, whoops)

Then, bend the leg and wrist and push the foot "inside out". I put my finger between the little toe and pull the skin off the toe. you may have to make a cut to a tendon here and there. Pull, cut until you get to the LAST segment/ joint.. on K9's you don't have to go as far as on a cat.


then, I cut around the skin on the sides of the claw and pull, it will expose the very last joint, where the claw retracts. cut the ligaments holding the joint.


now, I pull the skin down further and work around the toes more. I find it easiest to do the two outside toes first, then finish with the middle toes.


If you aren't sure if you went far enough, count the segments. Just like your finger. Knuckle, middle joint, last joint. the joint where your finger nail is is the one you want to get to.


here is the foot all turned out, to the last joint, no bones..

Great method...and needs to be saved

Thanks Hup!

Teach me how to catch some internet lynx.......

Nice tutorial Hup, I bookmarked this for my upcoming wolverine skinning adventure.

Thats how we do it here too Hoopy.No side cutters or bone snippin.One of my boys is actualy better and faster at it than me.Hes got it down pat.

That's the way I do it, and the way they taught us in taxidermy school. Nice pictorial

I'm going to add just a bit without pix because I don't have any fancy gloves.

On cats, wolverines, wolves you'll notice a slight line running from toe to toe as you start rolling the skin down the foot. It shows up down in the "Vee" between the toes. Carefully apply a sharp blade to that line. It will separate the skin on the top of the foot from the skin on the bottom of the foot, between the toes. There's quite a bit of it. You'll end up with a round foot rather than one that looks like a goat udder as Hoopy's does. It allows the whole foot to dry and it makes it easier to get to that last joint where the claw lives.

That whole screwdriver routine is pretty crude. I figured on your internet line you'd at least use a cordless drill or some such.

Nic pics Hoopy. Thanks !

Informative post, thanks. I have always snipped with side cutters on fox. I have never had a problem with doing it that way, meaning the feet have never slipped. I don't skin for taxidermy though, just wall hangers. I can understand that taxidermists would need a cleaner foot.