i just finished fleshind a 37 lb beaver, and some of the fat will not come off. is this ok? i fleshed 2 10 pounders and it came off like butter.



tm

Keep working on it. The fat has to come off.

The cubs will flesh very easily - like butter.

I assume your refering to the gristle on the rear end of the big beaver. This is exactly what it is; gristle as opposed to fat and while it can be pushed of with a dull flesher (prepare for some sweating and !!$%**$$#@@!!), you're better off teaching yourself to get the feel of a quality fleshing knife such as the Necker 600, Zeph, or something similar with a sharp edge and learning to shave it off.

First week catch

Beaver 9
Mink 1
Fisher 1
Rats 120
Coon 12
Fox 1
Coyote 1
Stinkers 2

Im not saying this particular beaver is perfect but its a decent example of what one needs to look like after fleshing. That grisle and fat needs to come off or you will be left with white spots on the leather after drying. Like what was alreadys said invest some money and practice in a good sharp flesher for beaver.

it looks alot like that one, thfat around the tail wasnt that bad to get off, its around the head.


tm

agree,,,, agood necker knife will cut away at grissel, fat etc.
make your work much easier

Trapper Max, as far as the head goes; from the ears to the nose - don't worry about it - similar to the gristle on the head of a coon - it doesn't have to come off (remove any chunks of actual meat).

Flesh from the base of the ears to the tail. The flesh/fat from the head to the shoulders should remove rather easily as well as the flesh on the middle back. Sometimes on the shoulders there will be a little bit of gristle but this pushes off rather easily - if not just remove it with a knife.