I hope to trap some emore beaver this year. last year was my first year an i was wonderin if any of you had any tricks to make the job go a little faster this

Just trap more beaver and practice skinning. There is no magic.

Family trapper was talking about a video that F&G had made. It was supposedly one of the better videos out there. I dont remember the name but someone here will. I would like a copy of it as well.

what is the best way to fless i just used a knife. Is there an easyer more efective way?

Alaska Guide to Fur Handling - 1996 ADF+G.

If you clean skin - Sweep Blade knife, sharpened piece of bone, sharpened piece of steel with wood handle ( like Percy uses in the above tape ), rounded beaver knife from trapping suppliers, etc. If you don't clean skin - draw knife on beam.

The above tape is a must have. Many other beaver prep. tapes out there as well. Minn. trap has some in their catalog.

I mostly just flesh them over my knee cleaning several inches off all the edges first; then i board them, sew the legs, and clean them up on the board.

I close skin them as much as possible. Maybe some beam work around the legs and the face.

I hate to flesh a loose hide so bad I clean skin beaver.
Here is a link I posted elsewhere if you are interested.
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=48289
I was to lazy to re-post the whole thing.
Bob

I use a Necker 600 fleshing knife for the edges and easy fat, and then go to the Grizzle Getter (it is like an ulu, but with an angle to the blade from the handle) to do the rest. Works great and is much nicer on my back.

Grizzle Getter

Might also suggest getting Clint Locklears Speed Processing Beaver. Lots of tips and tricks for skinning and fleshing and also shows you how to use the Grizzle Getter.

Spead Processing Beaver


In the end, practice, practice, practice is what you need.

-TJ

The first hundred beaver you skin/flesh will be the most difficult...

I haven't gone after big numbers for beaver in a while (smarter now)LOL What Pete says, very true....

If you call the local F&G office they should be able to hook you up with the video. They sent me two for free. It is a great video, I even watch it for something to do in the evenings (we dont have TV)...my wife loves to watch it too...NOT!!!

I, too, hate to skin many of those things. And with the prices being what they are, I won't be doing many this year, either!
I clean-skin as much as possible, and then tack them out on a piece of plywood and get busy with a round knife. I think a fleshing beam can wring out more grease, though, speeding drying time.

I second Top Jimmy's response
Kusko and I try to follow Clint Locklears video but are not quite that fast. Ruff skin in about 10 minutes. Use the Necker on the belly and arms/legs/face. I use a MB-Cutting Edge (big sharp knife) for the back and the Grizzle Getter for the tail.
Hoops with large hog rings @ 2&1/2 to 3 inches long.
Still takes quite a bit of time to put up a beaver but makes it bearable. @ 30 minutes to get it on the hoop.

I clean skin as close as possible. The more I have the rougher they are but never have used a fleshing knife. I use to sit on the floor and use my leg to hold the beaver in place gave me plenty f tension and such. I can't sit like that as easy anymore due to a busted tailbone a few yrs back so now I prefer to stand at a table but loose the support or tension on the hide so things are not as clean. Do any of you clean skinner use a trough and does that help?

I don't clean skin, but did build a trough to skin in this spring and I like it as you can put tension on the hide and just roll the beaver out of the skin as you work.

-TJ

I have thought several times about making a trough. I'm sure it would help but that would be a bad idea. If it made it easier I might be tempted to trap more beaver and that's never a good idea.

I kinda use a ( V ) shaped trough..built out of scrap wood..The secret that I have found is to anchor it really well..It allows you to pull much earier,with out tipping it over or pulling it off the table. A sharp knife around the tail and leggs helps

I have been meaning to build one to try. I might make one to mount in a workmate table or something like that.

I have already rough skinned all my beaver this year and dont have any plans to catch more. Maybe next year.

I also use a trough and necker 600 and recomend them. I need to try something different for the tough spots.

... worth every penny for opening them up.

~ADC~

Second that one! Works great around the tail and up the belly around the vent. When dull, go to the next blade in the package.

-TJ

I use those, too, on just about everything that needs un-zipping from stem to stern.

OK I'll bite. What are they, what kind of handle, where do you get them. Give me a web site. I use a Havalon,Piranta surgical type of scalpel with replaceable blades. I've never seen that type of blade though. Here's the Havalon:

http://www.havalon.com/xt-60z.html

Very very sharp knife.

Its just a roofers blade that fits most utility knives.

I have done both clean skin and rough. Mostly clean skinned.
I have never used a trough. But I will tell you that I would never think of skinning a beaver without the aid of my two wires. Imagine the beaver on a table and the wires secured to the back side of table. It allows you to pull on the beaver.
I can skin a beaver all the way past center and even to the other side if I wanted. Just a wire with a bend nail attached. Hook in the legs when you can and skin away. I actually like three wire at times. I use it to hold the tail straight.



For skinning out side in the cold. I have done it at 20 below. This setup worked well for me.

Latex gloves. size xl over a knit liner. By themselves the latex is coooold. But amazingly for the short time it took me to skin two to three beaver it was fine. The wires are imperitive for speeding up times in both rough and clean for me.

A few years ago I was intrigued by the guys skinning them in 5-10 min and wanted to learn more as I would be skinning them on the line at times.
I like clean skinning the best but some times it is nice just to get the hide off and put them in the freezer. This can be done fast and with a lot less practice than clean skinning. But then you have to master the fleshing knife or griz getter.
With little practice and some pointer a guy can rough skin in under 10 min. consistently. My record. The first beaver I ever rough skinned is 4min 47 sec. It was a spring beaver (May) and I was not worried about the outcome. Just speed. No holes and very fast. I was hooked on the method after that. Will get it on video in December.