Directions to Skin a Beaver

A beaver is one of the few animals skinned "open" as opposed to skinned in the "cased" method. A knife with a pointed blade is used to make the only cut in the skin and around the legs and tail. A second knife with a rounded tip is needed to remove the skin from the carcass without cutting the skin. A beaver skin has a layer of muscle that clings tightly to the back and sides; it is easier for the novice skinner to leave this layer on the skin and use a fleshing knife to remove it after skinning.

Things You'll Need

  • Knife with pointed 4-inch blade
  • Knife with rounded 4-inch blade
  • Rubber gloves
  • Sharpening stone
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put on the rubber gloves. Lay the beaver on its back and cut completely around each foot and the tail where the fur ends. Cut through the skin to the muscle, freeing the skin from the furless feet and tail.

    • 2

      Insert the tip of the pointed knife into the cut around the tail. Start in the exact middle of the tail base on the belly side and slip the knife tip just under the skin.

    • 3

      Slide the knife, sharp edge up, straight up the center of the underside of the beaver's skin. Cut a straight line to the chin, being careful not to cut into the thin membrane covering the intestines.

    • 4

      Change to the knife with the rounded tip and carefully part the skin from the membrane covering the intestines. Lift and pull the skin away from the carcass with your free hand and cut through the tissue binding the skin to the carcass. Skin back both sides of the skin until the legs are reached.

    • 5

      Work your fingers and thumb between the leg and skin, grip the leg under the skin and pull the leg out of the skin like pulling off a sock. Do this with each leg.

    • 6

      Roll the beaver onto its side as you continue to free the skin from the carcass by pulling the skin back and away and cutting through the binding tissue. Skin to the center of the back and then roll the beaver over onto the now skinned side, with the unskinned side up. Free the skin to the back.

    • 7

      Skin out the head by cutting the ears off against the skull and cutting across the eyes, being careful not to make the eye holes bigger than normal size. Cut the lips free from the jaws and cut through the inner nose cartilage. The skin is now free and ready for fleshing.