Skinning cradle

[2busy]

Here's some examples

 

[264killer]

If its a deer hang it by the head & skin will peel off. Convinced some old deer hunters in Arkansas to hang one by its head & skin it they could hardly believe how easy it was to peel the hide off.

 

[tynyphil]

I think they are talking about a "fleshing board" or "fleshing beam". It's for scraping the goo off the underside of the skin. I want to make one. Google image search shows some really simple construction techniques. It seems wood or pvc is the way to go.

I saved a tubular fiberglass tank from a Rain Soft system I had at one time. It's about 5' tall and 8-10" in diameter. Thought it would make a great 'fleshing beam". I purchased a fleshing knife to use with it but I have yet to try it all out. I skinned 3 or 4 beavers I trapped but did not have the fleshing tools at that time. That was my stimulus for putting something together.

 

[tynyphil]

Do you not like to hang them and skin them?

I was fascinated watching youtube videos of skinning a hanging carcass using a winch. So I built a unit that slips into my trailer ball tube of my truck using a winch that I wasn't using. It works great. At my hunting area I strung a heavy chain between 2 trees. That is my support for hanging game to be skinned/quartered

 

[swampratt]

I have always hung them by the head and I have many times pulled the cut hide off with a vehicle after putting a rock or ball under some of the hide I skinned off the neck.

Showed a friend how to do a gutless process leaving the animal on the ground.

I am intrigued by the skinning cradle and I do have some casters I could use and a lot of round top rail pipe.

I think galvanized top rail for chain link fence all welded together would be light and plenty strong.

 

[saddlebum]

is this what you're talking about?

 

[2busy]

If its a deer hang it by the head & skin will peel off. Convinced some old deer hunters in Arkansas to hang one by its head & skin it they could hardly believe how easy it was to peel the hide off.

That's the only way I skinned deer. Still have to deal with spinning and skinning hind quarter. If the cradle is built right you can pivot and skin the whole animal and never bend over or chase it in a circle.

 

[2busy]

is this what you're talking about?View attachment 437224

Similar but more refined.

 

[2busy]

I have always hung them by the head and I have many times pulled the cut hide off with a vehicle after putting a rock or ball under some of the hide I skinned off the neck.

Showed a friend how to do a gutless process leaving the animal on the ground.

I am intrigued by the skinning cradle and I do have some casters I could use and a lot of round top rail pipe.

I think galvanized top rail for chain link fence all welded together would be light and plenty strong.

In a cradle the guts are twords the spine with gravity and less chance of cutting into them if gutting vs hanging and gravity is making a big balloon of guts waiting to be punctured.

 

[swampratt]

In a cradle the guts are twords the spine with gravity and less chance of cutting into them if gutting vs hanging and gravity is making a big balloon of guts waiting to be punctured.

I gut mine in the woods before I move it very far.

I could not fathom picking up a deer with the guts in it and laying it on the cradle.
After you skin it do you cut all the meat off while on the cradle or pick it back up and move it again?

Lets say you did do a gutless process on the cradle now you still have to pick it up.
Much lighter now though.

If you need pipe and casters I have them and you can have them for free if you use them to make one for yourself.