Hide prep

[Cowtown guy]

I had a suggestion from someone to move my thread in the hunting side here. Since I don't know how to do this I'll just repost it.

How big of a hole can be sewed without making the hide unusable? I had the .243 out with the new varmint grenades and I had a pretty good exit hole. I also want to know if the pelt will be any good now. I shot it Saturday evening and it was real cold down where I was. I let it cool in a snow bank for about a half hour and threw it in a garbage bag so my dogs didn't come in contact with it and the probable fleas it will carry. I came home Sunday and threw it in my shed. The shed is insulated so it shouldn't heat up during the day that much. If I skin it out now will I have slippage? I realize that I am not going to get a pile of cash for this dog. I am doing this more for the experience than anything.
Any info would help. Thanks

[Bushmaster]

You should go ahead and do it for the experience, for sure. And by now, if it wasn't frozen, you will find "green belly" for sure. Not pretty and it stinks...but it might not be too late to save it. Rub some bleach on the green area, should help.

Bottom line is, they should be skinned ASAP or frozen ASAP, as bacteria start to do their thing immediately after death.

As for the hole, it depends where it is and exactly how big it is. Dead center in the back is obviously not good but cut a big diamond shape over the hole, eliminating all the rough edges, etc. and sew the diamond back together in a straight line.