1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of fabric handling. The present invention is in the field of tools for skinning game.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hunters have killed and skinned wild game since before recorded time. Skinning of game requires the gripping and forcible pulling of the skin of the game. Animal fat and body fluids can make it difficult to grip and pull the skin from the body of a game.
In the skinning process, cuts are typically made around the neck and on the limbs and extremities of the game in order to expose a suitable flap of skin for gripping and pulling. After the game is suspended by the neck or hind legs, a flap of skin is exposed and is generally gripped and forcibly pulled downwardly along the length of the body of the game. Gripping the flap of skin with bare or gloved hands is often difficult, especially in cold weather when the skin adheres more securely to the game. Tools commonly used by hunters for gripping the skin of a game include pliers, locking pliers, clamps, etc.
Another method of gripping the skin of a game is to use a mass, such as a rock, wrapped in the flap of skin of the game and then captured by a noose formed in a rope. This technique for gripping a flap of skin is demonstrated in FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,534.
However, these skin gripping tools and techniques are often ineffective, difficult to use or difficult to implement in the field. Pliers and clamps securely grip a very small area of skin, and may tear the skin upon forcible pulling. Such tools may become lost in forest undergrowth or may be difficult to locate in the dark. The “rock and rope” technique shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,534 grips a larger area of skin, but a rock of the needed size and shape may be difficult to locate in the field. Even where rocks may be plentiful, a rock cannot be coupled to a length of rope, and the rock or the rope are easily lost in the field. Rocks may be unavailable or difficult to find in the area where the game is obtained, especially in swampy regions. Also, rocks are often smooth and unsuitable for gripping the skin of the game.
What is needed is a tool for securely gripping and pulling a sheet of fabric, such as skin. What is needed is a tool for securely gripping and pulling the skin of a game. What is needed is a tool for gripping skin that is easily coupled to a winch, a cross-bar or some other tool that enables a user to comfortably grip the skinning tool or to forcibly pull the skin using mechanical advantage. What is needed is a tool for gripping the skin of a game that is easily and quickly engaged and disengaged from the skin, and one that is self-contained and designed to prevent misplacement of its components.