Proper field care for bear hide

[rpm4463]

I'll be on a 5 day bear hunt next weekend and have a couple questions about the best/worst way to properly care for my bear hide. I'll only be about 3 miles from my truck and I expect the temps to be in the 40-50 in the day and 20-30s at night. Keep in mind I will be alone in the backcountry, not in a camper with a few other buddies to help out. I'll get it to a taxidermist within 24 hours. Two questions:

1) Should I cut the wrist and ankle joints and leave the bones and tendons inside the paws? I may do more harm than good if I try to skin them out.
2) Should I skin all the way to the base of the skull and jaw and leave the skull attached to the hide?

Once it is totally skinned out I'll hang it in the shade to cool overnight before packing it out the next day. Roll it in an extra game bag for transport to the taxidermist.

 

[Sam Millard]

Under those conditions, you will have no problem with the hide. Paws and skull in hide will be fine. Keep it cool and dry. I'll bring along an old sleeping bag when daytime temps are warm to keep the hide cool after the initial cool down overnight.

 

[TRIPLE]

If you want it rugged or mounted, I'd just leave them (both head and paw) in...it's not a bunch of weight and some things aren't worth risking unless you know what your doing. If you want specific help pm me your info and I'll talk you through it. As far as temps are concerned, your good to go. Just lay the hide spread out in the shade to cool before you fold it up.

Aron and I shot a "bear field care" video earlier this year, but the busy little bugger hasn't had time to post it up yet. Maybe he'll hook you up before you leave.

 

[Sam Millard]

One other thing to think about...if you shoot a bear that you instantly decide not to mount or rug, it would be the perfect time to learn how to do all the things that must be done when conditions suck. Removing the skull, turning the lips, nose, eyelids, ears, etc. isn't hard, but better practiced on a critter you aren't worried about messing up.

When I started hunting, I caped everything I shot just to learn how. Salted a bunch of bear hides that I still have 15-20 years later. However, if I shoot one now that I want to have tanned or mounted, I just let the taxidermist strip the skull and paws...that's what you're paying them for

 

[Sam Millard]

If you shoot a boar, don't forget the stir stick!

 

[rpm4463]

Thanks for the feedback. Just confirmed what I had in mind. I've heard of some people salting the hide, but with cooler weather I don't think that would be required.

 

[TRIPLE]

If you shoot a boar, don't forget the stir stick!

That's the most important trophy!

 

[rpm4463]

I returned from my bear hunt, but came up empty handed. However, I still had a great time hunting because I discovered a new area to hunt with good future possibilities. I always hear hunters saying "find a good berry patch and you will find the bears..." Ok that does make sense, but in mid October in the Sierra Mountains (I was near Bridgeport) there are no berries! The aspens had almost lost of all the leaves and there were no berries on any vegetation I found. It snowed on me twice. I've been to Washington and found all sorts of berries during the summer and early fall and it is pretty obvious. This trip I basically glassed valleys and travel corridors for activity and saw one bear and several sets of tracks in the snow.

I guess other hunters have been in this same situation? In California most bears in this area are taken by deer hunters with a bear tag.
ps-I got to use my Kuiu hunting pants and was very pleased. They performed very well in sun, rain, and snow conditions in the same day.