Once Venters reaches Surprise Valley he skins the rabbit and saves the hide? Why would he want to keep this hide? What feeling is Venters trying to capture and hang on to?

Once Venters reaches Surprise Valley he skins the rabbit and saves the hide because he wants the hide to be a symbol of something good. He is trying to capture and hang on to the moment he saw the beautiful valley and when he began nursing Bess back to health. The hide is a symbol of being a good man and adulthood.