I grant you that it would be distasteful (although possibly popular on
tv) to try a similar experience on the side of the abdomen
of a recently dead deer, but that would be a far more plausible physical
analogy.
Another problem with the TV experiment may be that they first stuck the
replica claw in, then waited, and then tried to pull it through the flesh,
as opposed to having all of this in one sweeping motion. I mean, sticking it
in without slashing would require a precisely straight kick, how realistic
is that...