67 
Opening Cuts 
An ordinary medium-sized or large mammal is skinned as follows. 
The opening cut is begun in the median line about the middle of the brisket 
(breast bone) and the skin worked loose for a little distance on all sides. 
Then with the edge of the knife up, to avoid cutting the hair or opening 
the body cavity, run the cut forward to the middle of the throat and back- 
ward to the tip of the tail or under side (Figure 23). Make the cut run 
to one side of the genital organs and perineal region, and avoid cutting 
through the abdominal wall or the intestines will emerge and possible 
offensive gas as well. If the hair on the throat is fairly long, the cut 
may be carried forward nearly to the tip of the jaw if desired, but never 
through the lower lip. If the lip must be slit, do it at the rear angle of 
the mouth. 
Then, starting at the heel, run a cut up the inside of each leg to join 
the median cut; or in hoofed mammals, start at back of hoof and run 
a cut along the posterior surface of each leg to the hock joint or knee 
joint as the case may be, thence swing the cut gradually to the inner 
side of the leg and upward to the median cut. Some mammals, such as 
bears, must have the skin cut away from the flesh inch by inch, but in 
others, such as deer, the skin is loose and may be quickly and easily 
stripped off. A little knife work around the middle of each leg will 
loosen the skin enough that with a little force it may be pulled loose both 
ways. The tail and perineal region are dissected loose, severing the 
rectum well inside the aperture. With some assistance from the knife 
edge and ripping slashes with the butt end of the skinning knife to tear 
the fasciae loose, the rump skin may be grasped firmly and the skin 
peeled off the back and shoulders with a long, steady pull as the oper- 
ator walks forward with the end of the skin. Any interfering strings 
of fasciae may be severed with the knife. If the animal bleeds much, 
