I have 32 beaver yet to skin. Going to take two days to finish so that I can get back out there trapping. Conditions are perfect right now so I need to take advantage.

And they’re all biggies!

Way to go guys ..geez BP putting an hurting on them big beaver all tanks ...I'm back on the board had 3 traps out set them Monday after work checked Tuesday had the snare pulled down an the 330 fired an pulled tight up stream both belise 330s so scratched my head there don't really recall that trap firing without something in it ...anyway go to check today both 330s untouched the snare had a blanket in it necked snared em

Nice looking beaver Keystone.

These two beaver hung in my shop for a couple years, guy wanted to tan them and we never got to it, they needed some more fleshing, had a little slip by the ears and nose. I rehidrated them, fleshed them and boarded them , used trapper Les trick with newspaper under because pelt was still damp.works good. Got$13 apiece.

well done-thats alot work right there! Keep it up BP-wish I had more to do-I did 161 this fall all stretched and dried and sold!

Lots of work there BP.
You should learn to pace yourself, your quality control may suffer.
Do you have to check traps daily?

In theory I agree, but since I'm driving 100 miles round trip to run a beaver line right now I like to take advantage and catch what I can haul in the boat. I run two-three checks and then have a pile of work to do for the next several days. Temps are too warm to let those beaver sit for more than 5 days so it kind of compels me to get on it. Usually I just freeze the pelts after skinning but right now I'm trying to get ready for a March 2nd auction so I'm skinning and putting up. And after running my river line all day I'm generally too lazy to work in the fur shed that evening. Also, beaver clean-skin a lot easier after they've been resting 3-4 days.

Out trap check laws are 48 hours in Oregon. But I almost always do a 24 hour check since nearly all sets will have been visited by beaver within 24 hours.


PS>>>Quality control? They're all hatters!!!!!! LOL

Nice one keystone, looks like a real big one.

Dang BP your gettin after it. That's a lot of hard work right there!

Musty, I'll refer you to the Wife Dept at my business...she has a different attitude about how much time I spend after hours in the shed...LOL

I get meeting the deadline for fur pick up.And yes,way easier to skin after they have set up for a day or two.
I generally have all my fur put up a year in advance,and sorted for tanning or raw fur sale.
Freezers are my friend.
I see I will have time to put up my freezer fur for the next sale,Last recieving date for the June auction is April 20.
This year has slowed me down a bit-not enough cold weather for frost scraping.(fast and easy)
Gotta dry them the old fashoned way and it takes twice as long to dry them and cycle the boards.

You need a good cabin on your trapgrounds so you wont be burning up all that gas and time travelling.
You could use that time at camp to put up a bunch.

There are multiple homeless camps on the rivers I trap. Maybe they'll let me stay overnight and I can add some meat to their soup pot!

You be like a mountain man fighting off the Indians,lol.

No where near the catches as you guys but I'll slowly keep chipping away at her ..one out of three today

A slow drip will fill a bucket! Keep at it,you are doing great.

Wyatt erpp is catching a few.

I give Wyatt two thumbs up. That one he working on would make some nice dinner. Just the right size

I'll second that Turtle.

Thanks nf I'm gna keep after it till she closes ...hey you guys that clean skin beaver I've been trying really hard at it but keep having trouble coming back up the back legs towards the back there an even a little on the back in between the back legs any suggestions to getting past that I know practice but tip technique maybe ?

Dale, Wyatt saved the backstraps for his grandpa from both of the ones he skun tonight. He's a good kid.

I'm not sure I envision your issue. But I basically skin evenly between nose to tail working back and forth with sweeping strokes. With a sharp curved knife like a Caribou 5" or Dexter, Dunn, Victornox, etc.
my strokes are kind of like shoving butter off of toast. How you hold the pelt is key too. Hold it so there are no wrinkles around legs.


As you can see from the pic I start one side and go all the way over almost to the other side before I flip it to finish the other side.

If possible take a pic of your problem area as you're working it and maybe Boco and I can help trouble shoot.