Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: SilkWWU on November 15, 2009, 10:25:07 PM

Title: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: SilkWWU on November 15, 2009, 10:25:07 PM: I was skinning out my buddies Elk this last week and the knife slipped and I cut my leg, just a flesh wound, but it was close enough to my femoral artery that I'm kicking my own ass for being careless for that ONE second. It didn't even bleed as it only punctured muscle and must have missed every vein in the area, but it opened about a one inch gash on my leg. (I should have gotten stitches but didn't feel like driving an hour and a half to the hospital, and it's healing fine now)

How many of you guys have cut yourself while skinning out an animal?
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: andrew_12gauge on November 15, 2009, 10:42:17 PM: seems i always manage to cut a finger or my hand but never anything too serious, cuttin open your leg is scary
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: bobcat on November 15, 2009, 11:17:11 PM: It seems I used to almost always cut myself at least once while gutting and/or skinning, but it hasn't happened for quite a while now. I guess getting old has its benefits.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Cylvertip on November 15, 2009, 11:22:34 PM: Every time I handle big game. :bash: :bash: :bash: I carry a pair of hemostats with me when I'm chasing big critters. There's always a set in the B.O.B. in the rig. :twocents:
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on November 15, 2009, 11:47:53 PM: during the gutting and skinin i always seem to knick myself but at least i get lots of practice :IBCOOL: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: gasman on November 16, 2009, 05:09:21 AM: My son cut off the tip of his finger while cleaning the rib meat off the carcus.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Swiftkid on November 16, 2009, 05:53:01 AM: I cut myself alteast once a year guttin out a deer, i guess you could say i'm blood brothers with bucks!
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: ICEMAN on November 16, 2009, 05:57:04 AM: I often get small nicks from broken bones when cleaning ducks or grouse...they always seem to infect.

I also seem to get a cut on the fingertips when cutting meat, trimming the intricate little things out you dont want.

Usually when skinning, I am a bit more careful, heard horror stories...
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: rasbo on November 16, 2009, 06:13:38 AM: Not while skinning.Im pulling with the other hand and its pretty safe.I have nicked myself reaching up into the neck area and upper chest bring out windpipe lungs and so on,and releaving it.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: markts on November 16, 2009, 06:31:36 AM: Quote from: bobcat on November 15, 2009, 11:17:11 PM
It seems I used to almost always cut myself at least once while gutting and/or skinning, but it hasn't happened for quite a while now. I guess getting old has its benefits.
Same here, older and wiser or just lucky :dunno: Mark
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Jason on November 16, 2009, 06:40:14 AM: This was the first year that I did not nick my self while gutting or skinning :chuckle:, why did I say that? I still have late archery Deer :bash:
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: SilkWWU on November 16, 2009, 06:57:16 AM: Quote from: rasbo on November 16, 2009, 06:13:38 AM
Not while skinning.Im pulling with the other hand and its pretty safe.I have nicked myself reaching up into the neck area and upper chest bring out windpipe lungs and so on,and releaving it.

I was pulling with the other hand too, except i was cutting down, I was trying to think of a different way to do it and while I was cutting down and away from my body, the full arc brought it right into my leg. So I guess I technically wasn't cutting away from my body since it went right into it hahaha. Glad I can laugh about it. People die every year from that *censored*.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: C-Money on November 16, 2009, 08:52:46 AM: When I was just opening up my elk a few years ago, I got my self good. I had the hind leg of the elk tucked behind my left leg. The knife was in my right hand. The elk leg slipped out from behind my leg and pushed my left hand onto the point of my knife in my right hand. OUCH! The meaty part of my left thumb got harpooned badly.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: bow4elk on November 16, 2009, 09:06:21 AM: always wind up with nicks and small cuts. Only once did I mess up good. I was caping a caribou and slipped, jamming my small caping knife into my ring finger. Had I been married at the time, a ring may have saved me. Then again, I may not have been able to go on that hunt :chuckle:

I quickly rinsed out the gash with cold water and packed it with neosporin. Then I wrapped it tightly with a long piece of a bandana. Healed up fine but I learned to be more careful, especially so far from medical services.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Little Dave on November 16, 2009, 09:18:52 AM: No cuts yet. Memory of a deep cut in my thumb when I was nine seems to keep me from putting my hand in the wrong place.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Yak-NDN on November 16, 2009, 09:41:01 AM: I have cut myself several times and when I think about all the times all I needed to do was slow down.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: vfilbert on November 16, 2009, 11:18:30 AM: i sliped and cut my leg on my bull in 08, all alone and the cut was to close to an artery, i slowed down after that.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: saylean on November 16, 2009, 11:24:33 AM: I get a few nicks here and there..but nothing major yet....knock on wood.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: KNOPHISH on November 16, 2009, 11:32:00 AM: Bad subject for me, twice I've cut my knuckles down deep & severed the tendons requiring surgery. I know a good Doc if anyone wants a referral. heh heh. I think it's from going too fast. Have many other smaller cut just needing band-aids or tape. None this year yet, knock on wood.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: SilkWWU on November 16, 2009, 11:52:57 AM: Think I need to go in for a tetnis shot?
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Caseyd on November 16, 2009, 12:00:08 PM: Nicked myself butchering this year...we did 4 deers at once! No biggie though, didnt even really bleed, but im a pro with a blade :chuckle:
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Axle on November 16, 2009, 12:09:40 PM: Usually get a few nicks while working the meat up on the table. Fingernails have saved me many times.

I've read a few stories in the hunting magazines of guys who cut their femoral arteries while working up an elk. Scary! You only have about 45 seconds if you cut it and don't stop the bleeding.

I try to be very careful not to make the same mistake.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: furchaser on November 16, 2009, 05:54:48 PM: hope you fellows cutting yourselves are disinfecting those cuts properly.

a good hunting friend of mine turned me on the wearing gloves many years ago. Offers some protection against nicks but still need to use caution when working with knives & game down.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: alanger on November 16, 2009, 06:16:15 PM: Not yet for me.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: TrkyBob53 on November 16, 2009, 06:25:12 PM: always seem to nic myself pretty good. sliced my finger while cutting cheese last year.( a block of cheese that is) band aid didnt work. kept dripping blood. pulled out the tube of super glue. dabbed it on, ready to go
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on November 16, 2009, 07:59:58 PM: I always seam to cut myself working on everyone elses animals. LOL
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: bobcat on November 16, 2009, 09:01:10 PM: Quote from: SilkWWU on November 16, 2009, 11:52:57 AM
Think I need to go in for a tetnis shot?

Yes you should if you haven't had one within the last 10 years.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: WSU on November 16, 2009, 09:01:38 PM: I often cut myself. I cut myself this weekend while cutting meat for the grinder. At least it sounds like I'm not the only one with issues...
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: h2ofowlr on November 16, 2009, 09:13:17 PM: My friend was trying to skin his deer and was pulling on the hide when the knife slipped and stuck him in the wrist. It was squirting blood several feet. Had to rush him to the hospital.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: the1rod on November 16, 2009, 10:01:33 PM: i managed not to cut myself this year, but also managed to stab a nice hole in my boot, got lucky it dident go into my foot.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: ScottyG on November 16, 2009, 10:35:13 PM: I got in too big a hurry a few years ago gutting a deer and, oops... I'm still missing the feeling in about a two inch area on the backside of my left thumb. A quick stab severed a nerve. It didn't bleed all that much, but it gives me a pretty regular reminder to take my time with the gutting work.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: poohdog on November 17, 2009, 07:13:33 PM: I cut myself a few years back getting the last few hairs around the base of the horns and it didn't bleed. A few days later I notice a red line from my finger to my arm pit. I went to the hospital and they told me a few more inches and I could have been dead. Just a reminder to clean any cut good if it bleeds or not.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: SilkWWU on November 17, 2009, 09:09:24 PM: Quote from: poohdog on November 17, 2009, 07:13:33 PM
I cut myself a few years back getting the last few hairs around the base of the horns and it didn't bleed. A few days later I notice a red line from my finger to my arm pit. I went to the hospital and they told me a few more inches and I could have been dead. Just a reminder to clean any cut good if it bleeds or not.

What did you have?
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: longstevo on November 18, 2009, 12:15:12 AM: Holy S**t! :yike:

You guys need to be careful! Bleeding out all alone in the woods is nothing to take lightly. Whenever I'm skinning something out, its always slow and careful.

It wasn't too long ago that that one dude up in Alaska sliced his leg open and nearly died from blood loss while his buddy went for help. They finally airlifted him out, but it was close.

Sorry, I don't mean to come on here and harp and b!tch, but this is a serious risk. I know that a lot of the posts are of knicked fingers and close calls, but like the topic creator's post of getting stabbed next to the femoral...

Damn...wow. Scary.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: SilkWWU on November 18, 2009, 06:54:51 AM: Quote from: longstevo on November 18, 2009, 12:15:12 AM
Holy S**t! :yike:

You guys need to be careful! Bleeding out all alone in the woods is nothing to take lightly. Whenever I'm skinning something out, its always slow and careful.

It wasn't too long ago that that one dude up in Alaska sliced his leg open and nearly died from blood loss while his buddy went for help. They finally airlifted him out, but it was close.

Sorry, I don't mean to come on here and harp and b!tch, but this is a serious risk. I know that a lot of the posts are of knicked fingers and close calls, but like the topic creator's post of getting stabbed next to the femoral...

Damn...wow. Scary.

Um, ya scary is an understatement...But thankfully, after going into the doctor and getting my tetanus, I asked him how close I was to any danger, and he told me I wasn't really close. He said it's pretty tough to actually slice your femoral because it's down by your groin, my cut was more on the top inner thigh. But still, I will be moving 100% slower for the rest of my life. I was cutting safely, but I think I was moving to fast and that's what did me in.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: longstevo on November 18, 2009, 10:41:53 AM: Quote from: SilkWWU on November 18, 2009, 06:54:51 AM
Um, ya scary is an understatement...But thankfully, after going into the doctor and getting my tetanus, I asked him how close I was to any danger, and he told me I wasn't really close. He said it's pretty tough to actually slice your femoral because it's down by your groin, my cut was more on the top inner thigh. But still, I will be moving 100% slower for the rest of my life. I was cutting safely, but I think I was moving to fast and that's what did me in.

So glad to hear that you're alright. Had to be pretty painful too, huh?
Did you get a good animal out of it at least?
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: robb92 on November 18, 2009, 11:15:26 AM: Done it a couple of times gutting deer and also cutting them up. If I am out in the woods I carry my first aid kit with some super glue in it, I will clean the cut with iodine and then dry it and close it with super glue.
Title: Re: Cut Yourself Skinning?
Post by: poohdog on November 18, 2009, 11:17:43 AM: I had blood poisoning and if the line makes it to your heart it can kill you. You cant miss the line if you get it.