Who has the easiest method of gutting and skinning?? I've been always doing the traditional belly method, but a friend of mine said he saw on a show that guys made a few slits on the pelt, and pulled it right off (i think from the ears).....then gut the wabbit

Anyone know?

I always skin and then gut, I skin by grabbing the Rabbit at the backbone with both hands together, gripping the pelt tightly, with both hands pull in opposite directions, the pelt comes off in two pieces, one with the head and the other at the hind legs, keep from pulling all the way at the head and when the head piece is at the neck, pull and twist the head off with the front portion of the pelt.
Then with the pelt off the carcass, gut in the usuall way, and remove the feet at your desired place.
Whole process takes me approimatley 5 minutes per Rabbit.

People out here seem to favor the "stomp" method of skinning / fielddressing.

On Cottontails you basically stomp down on it with your boot on the front quarters, grab it by the rear legs, twist and pull. The backstraps and hinds come right off and you can just pull off the decending intestine from the anus. toss'em in the game bag and when back to the truck you just pull of the remaining skin and stick'em in the cooler. It works pretty slick actually.



-DallanC

Howdy I use the same method as crackshot, but Dallan's stomp method sounds interesting i never heard of that one before .
Joe

DallanC wrote:

People out here seem to favor the "stomp" method of skinning / fielddressing. On Cottontails you basically stomp down on it with your boot on the front quarters, grab it by the rear legs, twist and pull. The backstraps and hinds come right off and you can just pull off the decending intestine from the anus. toss'em in the game bag and when back to the truck you just pull of the remaining skin and stick'em in the cooler. It works pretty slick actually. -DallanC

I do that with grouse (almost)......never even thought of the same with a wasscally wabbit I make a slit at the feet step on the wings and pull from the legs back.

Dallanc, Put a sight on here for your method of processing Rabbits with pic's.

Crackshot wrote:

Dallanc, Put a sight on here for your method of processing Rabbits with pic's.

I second that

Field gutting is simple. Grab the wabbit with both hands around the chest and squeeze. Rear end away from you. Then in a fast motion sling the wabbit from over your head continuing through between your legs. Good ole gravity takes hold and the guts are gone.
No pix, I don't have a wabbit to practice on and the wife wouldn't take the pix anyhow. But it works.

That one, i'd definately have to see before doing

Ive seen it done,:( and prefer my way.

Well i guess i can try all methods in a few weeks......if i can still shoot worth a darn.....i got these no line bifocals and boy, do i get screwed up because the lense only has a certian viewing range and if i go out of that, it's blurry as a hell. Plus this is the first time hunting after a TIA

Howdy all, I use a method combining Crackshots method for skinning, and popguns method for gutting. Once the critter has its skin off, I pinch the abdomal muscle and open it up right at the pelvis. Hold the front legs in one hand tight. Hold it over your head and prented your throwing a baseball (but not a ninety mile an hour fastball), you'll want to "crack" your wrist a little. This will get the stomach, intestines, etc. out. I then reach two fingers up inside to break the diaphram and extract the heart, lungs etc. You can have a wabbit skinned and guttted in well under two minutes. The bunnies we get are usually infested with fleas, even with the cold temperatures in a normal winter (down to -30 F), so we always skin and gut immediately upon kill, plus lightens the load when trying to manange a full bag and a longer hike back to the truck. Hope this helps.

Ok, what do you guys do to preserve the pelt then?

10ring,
If your wanting to preserve the pelt, then your going to have to take your time and skin the carcass out carefully, then salt and stretch or preserve for tanning. I do not know any easy, fast way to go about it. About the only time I will save any of the pelt would be from the torso area, which comes off clean. I usually don't care about stretching or anything, as this will be used for tying my own flys. If I need a mask, then I will take the time, but not too often.

Meeker wrote:

I usually don't care about stretching or anything, as this will be used for tying my own flys. If I need a mask, then I will take the time, but not too often.

That's what i'm talkin about I'm getting to start tying again......used to years ago but with a recent TIA, i can't remember too much on how to do it anymore Do you preserve it in anyway for tying?