Do you guys remove the ears when fleshing a beaver hide or do you leave them on. I've done it both ways, but I've been leaving them on for the last several years. Wondering if the hide would make a better grade if they were removed. I ship my fur to NAFA. What are your thoughts?

I don't think that I have ever seen them removed.
kw

dito - leave em'

MM1

Always remove the ears unless you are planning on the beaver for taxidermy or a wall hanging. They dry so much better.

I remove em. Learned it from beaverpeeler. That is the last spot to dry, cut em out, and nail the hole. No difference in price, and they dry twice as fast.

Aaron

And ol' beaverpeeler learned it from me! LOL I do NOT nail the holes closed and my top lot awards from NAFA indicate that it is not needed.

So are you saying you do remove the ear, and don't nail the holes?

that's right

Do you pull them through the hide side of the pelt, and then cut them off?

ok, so what about the nose and whiskers?

After I get the hide nailed to the board, one of the last things I do is cut the lips and nose off. Your right, they never dry either.

For the ears ive usualy seen them cut off before skinning (NAFA demo at the MN convention)

Nose, whiskers and lips all off.

They only measure 1/2" past the eyes.

never thought about the ears, hmmm. when fleshing i remove nearly all the cartilage tho. i leave them on, but i'll try it next year. i always cut the lips and nose off.