I am having a hard time fleshing red fox without getting holes in them. i have done 8 last year and 6 this year. probably have cut more than half of them fleshing. it usually happnes under the front legs and down about 1" from the base of the fur. I am using a dull knife and pushing. any tips?. I skin them and freeae for a month. the meat and flesh is kinda dry at the base. is that the reason they rip there becuase they are to dry.

Fox aren't very fat so when you do flesh, push gentle and not at a very sharp angle. Make sure if you are fleshing around the legs that you put the leg openings over the board. Don't push hard and it will come off easy. I freeze quite a few and that shouldn't make any difference. I freeze mine fur out and roll in a ball and put in a gallon freezer bag.

What Foothills said and remember to have the fox completely thawed before fleshing...also, try to keep the skin flat and tight on the beam while pushing the fat off. Don't forget to remove any burrs or mud before fleshing.

I use a spoon on those parts of the fox for fleshing.

When i flesh i have a dull knife and i have the knife backwards. bevel edge towards my body and i hold the knife prepidicular to the fur. that is the correct way for pushing right.

Ron -

I used to live and trap just north of Bemidji so I am quite familiar with your critters. Of all the fox I caught up there I never had any that I even put a fleshing knife on. Just cut off some odds and ends here and there to clean it up. Hardly any fat on them, mostly membrane that looks bad but doesn't harm anything if you leave it on.

Clark

I too have never used a flesh beam. Well, maybe a couple. But its not the norm. Put them on the board/wire and trim the fat and some membrane under the armpits. you can also trim up the membrane some around the ears and lips if you so wish. I would be afraid to use a beam on one. They are very light skinned and I would be afraid to tear one for sure. Chub.

i never flesh my fox. i jus rim them up a bit when they are on the board. they don't have any fat on 'em.

i don't see the need to flesh either/really don't need to

i had to reply to this post, i have stretched hundreds of reds, you do not flesh any reds at all, greys, coyotes, need fleshed, but not reds, just pull off the leftover big pieces of red meat with fingers or pliars, you dont have to get perfect, it would be good to carefully cut the cartiladge out of ears with a knife to get started, then pull out carefully, the inner lining of ear,with pliars, watch to not rip ear, turn when dry to touch, before getting overdry, or well wrinkle,dry by fan,where fairly warm,well dry in less than 10 hrs. reds never need fleshed at least around this part of country