collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Cleaning bear claws.  (Read 111669 times)

Offline billythekidrock

  • Varmint
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 13440
Cleaning bear claws.
« on: August 11, 2008, 06:16:36 PM »
Here is how I do it..

Take the paw and lay it on a cutting board or chunk of wood with the claws pointing to the left. With my thumb and first finger of my left hand, I grab a claw where the hair starts. With my right hand I feel about a half inch behind where the skin starts and feel for the joint. Now with a sharp knife I cut the skin straight down, then rotate my knife hand slightly to the right and cut to the left in a crescent shape.

Once I have all the claws off I clean them up a bit. Here is how I do it.
Holding the claw in my left hand by the long hairs, with the tip facing up and the pad facing away from my hand. Cut straight down between the long hair and back of the claw. Do not remove all of the skin, basically you are giving the claw a close shave. I do this to both sides, then with the pad.

When they are done I put them in a small bowl with Borax. Every couple days I shuffle them around a bit. If they are very wet or damp I lay them on a plate to air dry, then back to borax.

Do not use salt or store in the freezer.

Here are some photos of some claws that I started to clean. They do not have any hair on them but you will get the idea.

I take the claw by the back, where the long hair is and cut right down the back.



Then I do the sides
 


Then what is left of the pad.
 


Here is how I store them.
 




Offline robb92

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2007
  • Posts: 3685
  • Location: Spokane Wa, Andrews AFB, Maryland and King George, VA
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2008, 07:07:29 PM »
Good tip thanks for posting it.
"ITS NOT WHAT THE WISE MAN SAYS BUT WHAT THE WISE MAN DOES IN HIS LIFE THAT MATTERS"


Offline saylean

  • Team Slayer Packmule
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jun 2007
  • Posts: 8380
  • Location: Stanwood
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2008, 08:31:11 PM »
Thanks billy...what do you use em for? I was considering making a necklace of some bear teeth or claws next time around...

Offline DeKuma

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2007
  • Posts: 2016
  • Location: Burlington, WA
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2008, 08:33:04 PM »
HE uses them in his pierced nipples............ :chuckle:
- Scott

Offline saylean

  • Team Slayer Packmule
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jun 2007
  • Posts: 8380
  • Location: Stanwood
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2008, 08:33:56 PM »
My eyebrow is pierced...

hmmm...

Offline billythekidrock

  • Varmint
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 13440
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2008, 08:57:25 PM »
You guys are funny...NOT.

I only have two or three sets now and they just sit in the bags of borax. Over the years I have lost some and put some on Christmas gifts (key chains, calls & dreamcatchers).




Offline ICEMAN

  • Site Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: May 2007
  • Posts: 15575
  • Location: Olympia
  • The opinionated one... Y.A.R. Exec. Staff
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2008, 02:51:20 AM »
Hey, maybe you can make a real purdy necklace for your wife. That ought to impress her friends!

Just for *censored*s and giggles, you should string one up, and wrap it. Give it to her on your anniversary with a serious look on your face. Tell her how much you love her, and right as she unwraps it, explain how much time it took to make, and how proud you would be if she wore it to work. "It would mean so much to me, so much..."  Fake some tears... :'(
molṑn labé

A Knuckle Draggin Neanderthal Meat Head

Kill your television....do it now.....

Don't make me hurt you.

“I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”  John Wayne

Offline billythekidrock

  • Varmint
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 13440
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2008, 06:19:30 AM »
Hey, maybe you can make a real purdy necklace for your wife. That ought to impress her friends!

Just for *censored*s and giggles, you should string one up, and wrap it. Give it to her on your anniversary with a serious look on your face. Tell her how much you love her, and right as she unwraps it, explain how much time it took to make, and how proud you would be if she wore it to work. "It would mean so much to me, so much..."  Fake some tears... :'(

Hell no! Why would I want to give one of my precious claws to my wife?  :chuckle:
She had 3 sets of her own. Besides, she'd just wear the damn necklace to work (or at least wear it out of the house and leave it in the van).




Offline ICEMAN

  • Site Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: May 2007
  • Posts: 15575
  • Location: Olympia
  • The opinionated one... Y.A.R. Exec. Staff
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2008, 09:10:09 AM »
My Bad!  :chuckle:
molṑn labé

A Knuckle Draggin Neanderthal Meat Head

Kill your television....do it now.....

Don't make me hurt you.

“I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”  John Wayne

Offline BC CHASER

  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2008
  • Posts: 1393
  • Location: Sh!thole WA state
  • Si vis pacem para bellum
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2008, 09:43:22 AM »
Btkr are you leaving the quick in them?  The way that I have always don it is cut around the claw and peel the skin back.  Next I will cut the toe off at the first knuckle.  Let them sit for two days then boil some water in a pan, toss them in the pan for about 30 sec-1 min. Pick them up with a pair of pliers then grab the bone with another and pull them off.  Then it is just the claw.  I have done a few necklaces like this now.  How I make my necklaces is after the claws are off I will lay them out on a piece of paper.  Get the hot glue gun out and get that going.  Next you can use a multiple of things to fasten onto the necklace.  I use what I call horseshoe tacks.  They are like wire nails but are much smaller.  You can also use little I-bolts but make sure you get ones with long shafts on them.  Then fill the claw with hot glue and stick your choice of attachment in and let dry.
WA.MT.UT.AZ.KS.NM.CO.AK.NZ.
Lion Pride founding member

Offline billythekidrock

  • Varmint
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 13440
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2008, 04:15:09 PM »
I leave the quick or bone in.




Offline winston2789

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Feb 2008
  • Posts: 467
  • Location: everett
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2008, 08:03:22 AM »
i do the same except i put them in lemon juice for about three days. when you take them out of the lemon juice the tissue pulls right out. they turn out really nice and shiny. after they dry i will put an apoxy in there.

Offline littletoes

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: May 2007
  • Posts: 885
  • Location: NE Part of Worshing-ton,
  • old fart
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2008, 07:26:09 PM »
I hold the feet, with the pads facing up, at the pad that the toe nail is attached, I cut it right in the middle, split the bone, then cut it out the top of the toe.

When the nail is free from the foot, I then hold a bit of the skin that is left on this last joint, and skin it by holding the skin in one hand, and running a razor sharp knife "around" the bone. It will slide easier than fileting fish if you use a good thin, sharp-ass knife.

"The People of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln

Offline cohoho

  • Trade Count: (+9)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2007
  • Posts: 4191
  • Location: Black Diamond
  • Sturgeon Time Yet????
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2008, 10:18:03 PM »
I had a couple bags of claws and we had a parent on our kids hockey team that was into arts and crafts stuff, she made them into individual necklaces with rawhide and we gave them as gifts to the host team (18 kids and their coaches) at a tourney when traveled down from AK to Colorado.  Should have seen the kids that got them, man they were in pig heaven...  Our hockey team was the Alaskan Glacier Bears...  So you see where the ideal came from.  I'll see if I can find a pic of one of them...

Offline ICEMAN

  • Site Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: May 2007
  • Posts: 15575
  • Location: Olympia
  • The opinionated one... Y.A.R. Exec. Staff
Re: Cleaning bear claws.
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2008, 06:01:29 PM »
Very generous gift.  Great memory to give. I bet they will never forget those...
molṑn labé

A Knuckle Draggin Neanderthal Meat Head

Kill your television....do it now.....

Don't make me hurt you.

“I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”  John Wayne

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

10th Annual - 2024 YOUTH TURKEY HUNT CONTEST (enter by Mar 14) by bearpaw
[Yesterday at 11:27:12 PM]


World Record Archery Blacktail by huntnnw
[Yesterday at 10:09:06 PM]


Let’s see your best Washington bull by huntnnw
[Yesterday at 10:06:34 PM]


Fishing with kids in Wenatchee by HardCorpsHuntr
[Yesterday at 10:03:34 PM]


Let’s see your best Washington buck by jjhunter
[Yesterday at 09:12:44 PM]


Hunting Dog Memorial by ghosthunter
[Yesterday at 08:55:30 PM]


Pairs by Dan-o
[Yesterday at 08:15:34 PM]


Springer 2024 Columbia River by Blacklab
[Yesterday at 06:50:06 PM]


Holster for FNS 40C by bb76
[Yesterday at 06:37:56 PM]


Bangers and mash by elkrack
[Yesterday at 04:32:06 PM]


Wenatchee Hydro Park Fishing by Jake Dogfish
[Yesterday at 03:40:17 PM]


Owners of Ireland Farms Dogs by ASHQUACK
[Yesterday at 12:24:39 PM]


1x scopes vs open sights by andersonjk4
[Yesterday at 09:23:28 AM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal