mudmarlin70-your reds

[ub1243]

i didn't take any pictures of your reds fur in.
this is how i put them up.
skin, wash, board fur in. then flesh with a knife.
the way you board fur in will give you the shape you want. it will be ready to flip the next day. you may have to wet the skirt a little, it dries faster then the rest. just a damp rag, then wait a few minutes.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50137.jpg
this is a few years ago. i trimmed the legs after this picture. but you set the legs, open the tail to the tip. pull it down tight. doen't forget the belly wedge.
when you flip the shape is already there. your just pinning it down so it doesn't wrinkle and shrink.
these are you foxes.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50199.jpg
i like ears forward and a reverse brush while they dry. the forward ears makes it look a little longer. and pinned down ears and short legs stack nicer at the buyers. before i sell i will brush the pelt the right way. when the buyer snaps and wrinkles the pelt the fur will pop up.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50200.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50201-1.jpg
one was longer, but thinner. the short one was fatter. you'll notice the belly wedge sticking out more on the short one.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50198-1.jpg
you only need a few pins to finish fur out. you'll use more fur in getting the right shape.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50197-1.jpg
i like putting a short piece of 1/2"od tubing in the ear holes. this keeps them open as they dry. they fall out as the pelt drys, thats ok cause the holes will stay open. sometimes when you pull it off the board the head will have a little mold in there.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50179.jpg
i take a paper towel and mist it with wd40, wipe the mold with it. it will remove it and nothing will grow back. just a wipe.



river rat may do them different, everyone does. HLR, if you have any tips you want to add jump in. we have a young trapper that lurks here. he could use a few other ways to find what works best for him. not sure who uses wire, who uses wood. i like wood. you have more control over the pelt. you can hide holes when your pinning fur in. they will dry closed. some guys like to leave more hind leg on, i cut at the ankle. the fronts i like right at the elbow, even a touch less.

[mudmarlin70]

we have a young trapper that lurks here.

Must not be referring to me!! If you were, NOW THATS FUNNY!!! "young":eek:...."newer" would have been a litte more accurate, atleast in my case!!!!

Great pictures...Thanks a ton. Glad they went to good use..Pictures worth a thousand words, believe me.

talked to the owner of the place the longer thin one was taken today. He found five dead chickens today...One torn apart at the pen cage which was most likely a coon as he tried to pull the bird through. 4 dead ones inside the coup....looked in pretty good shape until you looked closer at the neck...long-tail weasel fangs at the base of the head on all four....

[mudmarlin70]

Also, after you wash, you board fur in right away while fur is still wet?? Did you end up using the large or small boards??

[ub1243]

after i washed i put them, right on the board, wet. they were rung out and they dripped for a few hours first. they leather will will be dry/slightly tacky to the touch after a night on the board. the skirt drys quick, the head and shoulders are tacky, but soft. you may have to mist or wipe the skirt with a damp towel to rehydrate a little. you'll see what i mean. the skirt is paper thin and will tear easily.
they both fit on the large fox board.

coon get alot of cock birds out of the state land down here. the dumb birds let the coon walk right up to them and grab them by the neck.
weasels are a big problem with chickens. you have a lot more up your way. they run those stone fences you have up there.
make a few weasel boxes. they have a ton of pictures on t-man. looks like a long bird house with a 1 1/2" hole in it. they put a victor snap trap (rat trap) in there, a piece of fresh meat in the back. that weasel will be back. they seem to like to kill as much as eat.
you don't need a lic. if they are killing livestock.;)

the young trapper is not you. lol

[River Rat]

As much as i like the way the Fur looks on the wood I use Victor Wire Stretchers.Joe as you know I used to dry all my fur.Then a few years ago i started to sell everything Round.At the time it all averaged out close to the put up prices.Then the prices dropped and Skinning was the way to go on the Rats this year.The Fox we have along the River are drab looking and the always have a slight rub on the shoulders from the frag.The wire stretchers are just faster for me.I dont have to put as much time into the finished product.I do clean my fur first then I brush and fluff them.Next i skin them and stretch them fur in.I mix a little sugar in some water and put it in a spray bottle.I let the skin dry for 2 hours then lightly mist the whole hide.Then it drys for another 8hrs and its kinda rubbery and easier to turn.The sugarwater kinda cures it some.My granpop showed me that trick when I was 8 and i still use it today.He also would put some cotton balls in the ears so they wouldnt get moldy.The same trick works with the yotes.He used to dry all hes greys fur in never out.I use the ole Q-Tip trick if I hit the neck vein on a coon or fox.If you do just shove a q-tip head in there and will stop the bleeding.I always rag my Rats once a day until they come off the stretchers.I always wd-40 the last rag and kinda polish em.Theres so many tricks its endless I guess my suggestion would be to keep it simple,and always invent your own ways of doing things.HRL:thup:

[ub1243]

thanks for you input river rat.
i have never heard of the sugar water. nice trick.
the Q-tip shoved in the neck vein seems to be used by everyone. as carefull as we are, those to veins just jump right out at the knife. sometimes they just tear.
i've seen were guys are skinning and fleshing k9's, then rubbing the leather with borax. then right to the board, no flipping.
i was everything but rats. it makes the mud and blood go away. but it really fluffs everything up. i'm alergic to reds and coyotes. the dander kills me. but if i was them, most of it's gone. greys don't bother me, and i like the smell of them, can't wash that away.
think i may see out friday. still waiting for the red ears to dry.

[River Rat]

I have off today and I am getting the itch to make one more set.I have 10 Doz in the boat just wanting to be set.My bite ratio last week was 20% Slights.I'd like to put another 50-60 on the Stretchers by Sunday.Low is at 10:15am.Man i better get the boy up.HRL:confused:

[mudmarlin70]

I'd like to put another 50-60 on the Stretchers by Sunday.Low is at 10:15am.Man i better get the boy up.HRL:confused:

Man, Your numbers of rats is unbelievable down there!! This is one big tiny state.

[River Rat]

I have decided to hang it up for the season.The New baby will be here 3/20 hopefully thats when they are going to induce.My mother-in-law will be here on 3/18 from South Dakota.I have to get my traps put up and my gear and Boats stored.Also need to clean yard and start packing up my hunting stuff to get ready for the move.I said my goodbyes to my favorite meadow last weekend.I am going to miss trapping tidal rats thats for sure.I have caught over 1000 a few seasons.This year i am a little over 700.I have caught as many as 75 Rats on one check this year with 10 Doz set.Yes we do have a ton of Rats down here.There are good numbers north of me in Camden/Burlington Counties and they get little pressure,HRL:thup:

[ub1243]

sold today.
one red was $17 the other was $9
rats at $3.75, slights at $2
coon
XXXL 'ab' $14 for a high
L 'ab' $4 for a low
XXXL 'c' $14
XL 'c' $8
$10 ave.


they are waiting for ya HRL.
tommy and harry always say they like the wood put up. feels good when the buyer likes the goods. can't do much about the prices though.
always next year.:rolleyes:

[mudmarlin70]

That's pretty good on the one red....Which one UB??, and what was the difference....was it the shot damage????

On the raccoon..a,b,c refers to grade?? I better figure this stuff out!!

[ub1243]

no damage on those reds. you pin the holes shut when it's fur in. after the flip they will never find them. even the bigger holes.;)
to tell you the truth i'm not sure, i was talking to one of the skinners when harry was grading the reds. the smaller one was nicer, more cherry/less frosting. one was a 2/3, one was a 3.
was told, the last auction the reds went for a $9 average. so if that was true and not a way to talk me down, i think a $11.50 ave is good.
a-b-c is quality
it's all grading. color, guard hairs, then clean leather.
watch, they will dazzle you with a few high price, then hit you low on some that aren't that low.:fight: it's about the averages. you can do better at the auctions, but you'll wait for your money, sometimes a year. today i walked out with a check.:thup:
other guys are showing lower averages then i did today. east coast is getting good prices. except for coon, midwest is getting beat up. northern coyotes that should go for $35-40 are selling for $20. trim prices suck.

[mudmarlin70]

I've seen alot of the comments in the midwest...guys were holding back on this years stuff until next year....

Things are lining up nicely up here for me for next year...should have quite a few different options. We'll see.

[River Rat]

sold today.
one red was $17 the other was $9
rats at $3.75, slights at $2
coon
XXXL 'ab' $14 for a high
L 'ab' $4 for a low
XXXL 'c' $14
XL 'c' $8
$10 ave.


they are waiting for ya HRL.
tommy and harry always say they like the wood put up. feels good when the buyer likes the goods. can't do much about the prices though.
always next year.:rolleyes:
I like those prices.Coons are way more than i was told.I have a pile of them here.Mostly XXL/XL C's.I like the Rat price thats over $5 for the skin and the meat,I'll let ya know what I average I am going Monday,,,HRL