I fleshed out the pads of a black bear down to the toes, but I don't know what to do about the pads of each toe. Leave them or cut them open and flesh them? I am salting the hide for LS tanning.
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Be able to flesh them without making an incision if you've skinned the feet down to the last knuckle.
The last knuckles I SAW was near where the toe webbing was. They were ball & socket joints, and when I cut through them there was still about 1/2 to 3/4" of bone that I THOUGHT went right to the nail. I did not cut past those joints, so I don't see how I could flesh the toe pads without making incisions in them.
ALL that toe meat has to come out, and it looks like you've put yourself into a rather strong pickle here. I'd SUGGEST that you take a #8 wood screw (3 inch variety) and TRY to screw it into the toe bones. Then PULL the remainder of the toes out to the LAST JOINT. No one ever cuts bear toes open because that means you'll have to sew them back up again. Trust me, once will be more than enough if you try it.
If I screw into the remaining bones I am assuming just PULLING will not pop them out? Surely the tendons won't just break. Furthermore, even if the last bones do come out, the fat under the pads will still be in there. How do I get the toe meat out after the last of the bones ar removed?
Obviously you've never done a bear before. THERE IS NO TOE MEAT! When you pull the bone, it doesn't just come out like a squirrel tail. You must take a scalpel or some other very sharp instrument to cut away the skin from the bone and connective tissue. When you get down to that last joint, you simply sever the tendons that hold it. That's it. No hidden agenda, now space aliens, that's it. Then you salt the hide and either tan it yourself (NOT recommended for you, sorry) or send it to a professional tannery (there you go). When it returns, then you stuff those toe "tubes" full of Critter Clay and then mount your bear. Once mounted, you can adjust the toes as you'd like. (SOME industrious taxidermists actually carve individual toes in the form as provided. That also works, but I have a gasoline ass and I don't like taking the chance of snapping these foam toes off. I cut the toe area completely off the form and rebuild it with Critter Clay.)
You told him there was toe meat in your first response.Second,give the kid abreak all he did is ask a ? .Isnt that what this is all about.