Do I need to know how to skin bears, or would a background of skinning 30,000 coon and 5,000 coyotes be sufficient? Not that I would have an interest at this late stage of my working years ..

I've skinned plenty of them, not a tough job at all. If you are just skinning them and leaving the feet on. But I suspect by skinner, Bernie is looking for someone not only to peel the hide off them, but to completely skin out the feet, flesh them, turn ears and lips and get them on salt.

I guide for bear and it is considered my job to skin them, but that is just peeling off the hide, leaving the feet in it. I generally always skin out the head, but that is optional. If I skin out the head the hide can go in the freezer immediately and the head can stay out to be unthawed for them to pull a tooth when they check it and seal the hide. Fifteen minutes to skin one hanging that way probably, I've never timed it, a bit more doing it on the ground, but not too much, just a dirtier hide if you have to quarter it in the woods.

Guides ain’t what they used to be. I used to cook too. I’d rather be taxi skinning bears than cook. Taxidermist s loved me. They got paid for my work.

Unfortunately, my professionalism would not allow me to freeze bear meat right away with the fat on. This does not result in the best product.