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Willamette Valley Trappers?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:01 pm
by Moonshiner
Any live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that could show a fella how to properly skin and take care of a hide to be made ready for sale?
So far I know i can get some coyotes and a beaver, plus numerous nutrias.
Have skinned animals before, just not to keep the pelts.
Thanks

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:21 pm
by doug
Do you have a furtakers license?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:32 pm
by Moonshiner
as of yet, nope, but my decision to get one of them depends on if i can learn how to properly skin a critter. Right now i got a hunting license and an eager hound, so as long as i stick to coyotes, nutria and badger I should be fine, or at least thats how the regs read.

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:13 am
by Arkansas Frog
skinning a yote if he is cold is hard work, beaver is a lot of work and the Nutrias is a waste of time, we had some to stay up at the Nafa for 3 years [not sold] finaly sold for 1.50 each. coon and possum is good to pratice on, find you a old trapper and buddy around with him do his chores help him work. go to trapperman.com and see if any trapper lives near you.

Re: Willamette Valley Trappers?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:13 am
by steeliekingfisher
Moonshiner wrote:Any live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that could show a fella how to properly skin and take care of a hide to be made ready for sale?
So far I know i can get some coyotes and a beaver, plus numerous nutrias.
Have skinned animals before, just not to keep the pelts.
Thanks
I dont live near you, but will be speanding many weekends down in Oregon running my dogs. If you get some critters, I can come by and we can have a skinning party. Its not too hard once you learn, the more you put up ( thats what skinning, fleshing and drying for fur sales) you will get better. I can even give you some stretchers to get started. It will be time consuming at first, but once you get it down its done in a jiffy. All the animals you have listed are easy to put up, except for beaver and coon. But once you learn to do it right you will find it easy to do. You will need a good skinning knife, I use a scapel to do my cased cuts, thats where you cut from ankle to ankle around the anas opening. Nurtia are super easy to flesh as well as muskrat and mink. Cats are super easy too. Coon arte a little tougher, along with otter and beavers. A good fleeshing knife (two handed) and a good fleshing beam are needed for the last listed animals. Once you skin and put up a few, you have paid back the cost of buying the needed tools.
Keep in touch with me, I can bring my tools down and show you how to do it, from there if you like putting up your fur and making money off it, you can buy the tools needed.

Putting up fur is alot more than skinning and drying. You can make a 100 dollar fur turn into a 10 dollar fur with bad prep and putting up, but remember you can't make a 10 dollar fur a 100 dollar one either.

Proper fur tachnique and drying and stretching and cleaning and fluffing will bring better money than poorly put up fur. If you don't use my technique, make sure you learn from someone that knows what they are doing, learning the wrong way will only cost you if you plan on selling in the end.

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:31 pm
by Moonshiner
Wow, alright then, a hunting party, nice, lol. Been trying to find someone to go hunting with, its hard since there aint many hound hunters out here cept for beagles and ya really cant count rabbits as big game, lol.

Steel what are ya running ur dogs on down in Oregon? which weekends?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:36 pm
by steeliekingfisher
I will be running cats down there. Coons at night maybe. :O)

I probably will head down every other weekend, dependingt on the cougar tag draw here in WA. If I get drawn, I will be running here, but if not down there.

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:15 pm
by Moonshiner
well id be more than happy to run some coons with ya, im trying some yotes on wednesday, been trying to find a catch dog though, cause where im hunting i cant use a weapon other than a knife.