Serious Fur Trapping

[CountrySon]

Everybody on this site is into catch and release of critters, especially coon, but these days skinning and drying (the hides) not only saves your birds, but also can make you a pretty penny.

For coon it can be a pain to scrape the fat off of them, but with practice, the whole process of skinning to stretcher takes an hour or less. And why not? Last year, I got $74 for one coon!

In my parts, there are fur buyers that even take critters on the carcass; weasel, mink, muskrat, beaver, coon, fox, coyote. Mind you, they pay less for them, but they still pay you for something you don't need, and would have otherwise buried.

Do yourself a favor and read up on this fun and profitable activity that was American before the existence of the US. Odds are most of you already have a trap or two in your arsenal. As they say, The best defense is a good offense.

Happy trapping.

 

[bobbi-j]

It does seem like "everybody" is into catch and release, but if you do some looking, you'll find that there are at least as many who are in favor of "dispatching" their predators. My husband spent many years trapping, and thoroughly enjoyed it. He trapped muskrats, though. I have a nephew that will trap just about anything with fur, and is teaching his son the sport, too.

 

[bwr719]

I think it is illegal to relocate wildlife here, besides, as another post stated, there can be a little money in furs

 

[Hope Frazier]

Thats awesome! I dont think we have any kibd of a fur trade around here. We are definetly not "catch and release" here. If it kills one of our animals, its only a one time thing!

 

[PlatteRiverPs]

I'm a hobby trapper around my house. Its fairly easy to nab 50 coons, a handful of fox and a couple coyotes. Even landed 42 muskrats on my stretchers.

Here's a photo of what my son and I sent up to NAFA last month for the January sale.

 

[aart]

I'm a hobby trapper around my house. Its fairly easy to nab 50 coons, a handful of fox and a couple coyotes. Even landed 42 muskrats on my stretchers.

Here's a photo of what my son and I sent up to NAFA last month for the January sale.

Nice! Are the coon skins stripped of fur?

 

[PlatteRiverPs]

No, the fur is on the inside. Basically, you skin them and turn them inside out. Then you scrape the fat off of the leather, then slip them on a board and staple around the edges and pin the tail open. Once they are dry, you take them off the board and hang until you are ready to sell.

You can't see it in the photo but the opening cut creates an upside down U shape on the lower belly. This is called the inspection window and it is used by buyers to grade the fur.

 

[aart]

No, the fur is on the inside. Basically, you skin them and turn them inside out. Then you scrape the fat off of the leather, then slip them on a board and staple around the edges and pin the tail open. Once they are dry, you take them off the board and hang until you are ready to sell.

You can't see it in the photo but the opening cut creates an upside down U shape on the lower belly. This is called the inspection window and it is used by buyers to grade the fur.

Gotcha, thanks! Why are the yote and fox not done like that?

 

[PlatteRiverPs]

Foxes, coyotes, bobcats and badger are dried fur out for the fur market. Most of the water critters are dried fur in, muskrats, mink, otter etc. Not exactly sure why coons are done fur in but that's just the way it is.

It may have to do with the fact that the fur out animals are drummed to soften them up before they are garment tanned. I believe everything else is dropped right into the tanning solution.

 

[aart]

Foxes, coyotes, bobcats and badger are dried fur out for the fur market. Most of the water critters are dried fur in, muskrats, mink, otter etc. Not exactly sure why coons are done fur in but that's just the way it is.

It may have to do with the fact that the fur out animals are drummed to soften them up before they are garment tanned. I believe everything else is dropped right into the tanning solution.

I take it you don't do your own tanning? Sorry for all the questions, am just curious.