Wild & Jag April 2020

Figure 2 Figure 3
It is advisable to at least gut the animal if you cannot skin
it immediately as this helps the carcass to cool off quicker
and also prevents bloat that will damage the skin due to
gaseous distension.
Do not drag the animal across the ground as this will
cause severe damage to the hide. If it is small enough,
carry it (Figure 2). If it is too big, place the carcass on a
tarpaulin or on sacking and drag it to wherever it must be
taken (Figure 3).
Before loading, cover the back of the vehicle with a
tarpaulin, sacking or leafy branches to ensure that the
carcass does not come into contact with the hot metal
body or load the animal onto a stretcher (Figure 4).
Load the carcass so that chafing does not take place
(Figure 5). Hair or horn could be worn away during chafing.
Place a piece of hosepipe over horn tips to protect
them.
Handle the carcass with care at all times. Don’t throw it
onto the back of the vehicle or drag it off, allowing it to fall.
Transport the carcass to the nearest skinning facility as
soon as possible, keeping it covered from direct sunlight.
Animals shot in the late afternoon or early evening should
not be left for the next day to skin.
If the hunter does not do the skinning himself, close
supervision is essential.
If possible, skinning should take place in the shade and
in a well-ventilated area. Hang the degutted carcasses in
the shade where they can air and cool off (Figure 6).
Keep blowflies off the skin and carcass. Covering the
entire carcass with mutton cloth allows for airflow to help
cool it down while also preventing blowflies from sitting
on the flesh and laying eggs (Figure 7).
Remove all excess fat, blood and meat. Wash off all the
blood and dirt on the skin.
If possible, soak the skin for a minimum of three hours,
or overnight, in a saturated salt and bactericide (Dettol)
solution.
As you remove the hide from the solution, open and
flatten the skin on a clean surface with the flesh-side up.
Cover the skin with salt. Be liberal with the salt!
Always remember to place a tag on the skins and corresponding
horns/skulls, which should match the entry in
the hunting register.
Recommendations
It is important, as a guideline, to use an equal quantity of
salt to the weight of the skin (1 kg of salt per 1 kg of skin
weight).
The skin must then lie in salt for at least three days, after
which the skin should be dried out. The sooner the skin
is dehydrated, the better. There is nothing wrong with
drying the skin in the sun. If someone does not have time
to do this, the skin must be rolled in the salt and dried at
the destination.
Salting skins on a cement slab that allows them to drain
properly is ideal. Do not lay skins on metal surfaces, as
rust induced by the salt will permanently damage them.
Predators and scavengers are always a threat to trophies.
They can cause irreparable damage to skins and
may carry off skulls and horns.
Figure 4 Figure 5
46 GAME & HUNT APRIL 2020
46 GAME & HUNT APRIL 2020