The Packhorseman

17. How to Skin a Deer

17 How to Skin a Deer They awoke early the next morning, glad for a clear dawn and the prospect of a sunny day.Their first order of business was to build a shelter that would keep them dry and tolerably warm during their stay in the woods. Jim-Bird and Otter Queen knew just what to do. They selected a spot by a small oak tree. And about eight feet out from the tree Jim-Bird and William planted a stout post with a fork on its upper end, positioning it so that the fork of the post was at the same height as the fork of a stout limb on the young oak, about nine feet above the ground.They then lifted up a strong roof beam, placing one end in the fork of the post and the other securely on the limb of the oak tree. Next they cut four long poles, set their wide ends into the ground, and laid their tapering ends across the ends of the roof beam. With a pair of these peaking at each end of the beam, they now had an open frame in the form of a wide A. They filled in this frame with additional poles laid parallel to the first ones and then attached numerous small cross beams down each side, making the framework of a roof. Small open spaces at either end of the roof beam would allow smoke to escape from the hearth that would be positioned directly below. Next they cut numerous lengths of large-diameter river cane to form the walls at the two open sides of the frame, leaving an opening in the middle of one side for a doorway. Then the three of them went into the woods to collect sheets of bark to cover their shelter. They found a downed poplar tree—a big one—and Otter Queen tested it to see if its bark had rotted enough to be easily removed. She used her hatchet to cut a ring around the large trunk and then cut a slit lengthwise along the bark. Using the edge of her hatchet, she pried it up. “This is good,” she said. “It will come off.” Jim-Bird cut and trimmed a tree limb to use as a spud to pry the sheets 202 / Chapter 17 of bark from the trunk, and they fell away easily. Otter Queen collected the ribbon-like fibers of the inner bark and bundled them for later use as cordage. After several trips to carry the bark back to the camp, the men put the sheets in place against the roof, while Otter Queen used the fiber to tie them down.This bark-covered shelter would be their home for the next couple of months. Otter Queen dug out a shallow hearth pit in the center of the structure. She sent the men to gather a large quantity of small green pine boughs, and as they brought them in, she laid them on the ground for their beds, the springy sides up to create enough loft to keep the cold ground from draining away their body heat as they slept. From poles in the roof they hung gear, goods, and food, including some dried and smoked meat they had brought with them. The meat was greasy, especially the bear meat, and they tried to position it where its dripping would cause the least unpleasantness.When at last they were finished, they stood outside and admired their handiwork. “It is a good camp,” Otter Queen said. William could see that it was quite neat compared to the Gunsmith’s camp. Judging from that one, he knew to expect the ground in and around their own camp would eventually become darkly covered with blood, grease, and the byproducts of worked deerskins. Close by their camp they set another horizontal pole, this one high up between two trees. On both trees they cut the lower limbs back to short stubs to serve as rungs on which they could climb up to hang meat that was to be cooked and barbequed. It would be safe there from dogs and scavengers. Otter Queen explained that they would also drape dressed deerskins over this same pole,covering them with oiled cloths to protect them from the weather. It took an entire day to build the camp. December 2.Today the three of us constructed our little shelter in the woods. I will not call it snug...