Outstanding post....I will probably never get to trap an otter here, but if I do this post will be in my files to use...Great Job...and a GREAT helper....Tom

Excellent tutorial and a great job of fur handling. Notice the nice inspection window and how the tail is boarded short and wide rather than long and skinny. Very clean leather also.

For me I use the beam for the whole process, then tidy up with my safety razor and beaver knife also. Do not want to high jack this excellent thread but I could post a few pictures to add to it also, but only with the permission of the OP.

Thanks for taking the time to teach us. Really professional post . Grampa , Anthony & Emiliano

Great post T4E I clean skin them but have been thinking about trying a beam out when the new fur shed gets finished so next winter this may help me figure it out. How long does it take you to skin and flesh one

Ok, here's an update to answer more PM's. On the front legs, I use the beaver knife vertical on the underside of the front legs, kind of scraping down. Once I get to the armpit area on down, I resume using it flat to the hide. If you try to do the whole thing flat ,in a shaving motion, its easy to cut the hide, as you transition from leg, "2 layers of fur" to armpit, "1 layer".



The membrane around the legs can just be pulled out, and trimmed off.



Along the belly fat, I trim the membrane in a filleting motion. In this picture, the membrane is scored, and rolled back on itself. The row of belly fat is under the beaver knife blade. This separation is necessary, if you want to be able to flesh the strips of membrane separate of the fat along the belly, as they are usually adhered to each other, especially in the chest area.



On these, notice the front legs. If they are skinned down to the feet, generally you can just tuck them inside the hide. If you cut them off up the ankle further, you may need to nail or tack them shut, like one in the photo. Also, notice the belly boards. I generally wedge something under them. If you don't, after the otter dries, it can be tough getting the belly board out. It doesn't take much, just enough to give you a little slack under the belly board, so it slips right out.



On the tails, I just try to keep them wide, and as straight as possible. With a little practice, they get real easy.



Pull down the tail snug, and put in a couple nails on each side of the tail base, to hold it in place. Always do the tail first on any species, not the legs on the belly side of the board. Doing the tail first, gives you maximum length.



Then I rough tack or nail out the tail. A couple nails between each of these will finish this one off.



For the inspection window, I start up maybe 1 1/2" and cut out a small crescent shaped piece of fur. This is always done after the otter is boarded, and tail tacked out. Notice I scored the approximate piece to remove.



I even went so far as to put a hole in one, just to show proper repair. I use dental floss. Notice all the fur is pushed back thru the hole, and none is showing on the leather side.



This is what I want my inspection window to look like.



Any other questions or comments? Feel free to PM if you prefer.
Trapper Ron, yes, by all means add on if you wish.
Otterman, depends on the otter, but you already knew that, huh? Do you do the case skin, clean skin method, starting from the back end, working towards the front. Sharpened moose-shin bone, native style? Or do you do them like beaver? Or maybe another way?

Do you use many push pins ?

That's really beautiful work !

I case skin from the tail and work towards the head have used a bone in the past but they just don't do the job for me with tendinitis in the elbows so stick to a razor sharp beaver skinning knife like you use with the wooden handle & round nose tip.

Thanx for the permission trapped4ever. Here goes a couple of add on pictures:

For the fleshing of the legs I just put the end of my beam in the leg and flesh with my two hand flesher. I use a dull flesher by the way. Just a few different things to arrive at the same finished product.



I use fine sawdust, but not plywood sawdust, to keep the fat from running everywhere and getting on the fur. Be sure to clean it all off real well after boarding and before drying.





I just keep turning the pelt on the beam and working my way to the skirt. I do like the scoring idea and have heard of it before ... gonna try that.



I use my razor to clean up the head and those two hard strips of fat down the tail. Works very well. Also use my beaver knife in conjunction.





Two methods of drying the tails, one with screen which I prefer, and one with pins like trapped4ever.







Leg closure either by pinning pulling the skin from each side, but not overlapping, or sewing like making a beaver leg hole closer. A purse stitch. I always trim a bit to make a neat closure. Mostly I use the pin method. It is quite acceptable to just trim and leave the hole open also.











Inspection window cut out and belly wedge inserted



Couple of other tips:

Use a burlap sack to hold the otter from slipping on the beam which can cause singe. Also dampen the fur a bit to avoid friction. Just a wet rag and wipe it or mist with a spray bottle.

Threads like this are what make Tman so great. What a GREAT and informative thread!!!

If you don't have access to fine sawdust, cornmeal mixed with kitty litter absorbs grease really well. Some of the otter guys around here use it a lot. Even after a pelt is fleshed, they put it on, then wipe it off with a rag, after the pelt is dry. It absorbs a lot of grease out of the hide, and keeps them from yellowing at all. I just use lots of paper towels, and wipe off oil, as it beads up on the pelt.

What works well is J Cloths. Do you have those in the US. We probably import them from you Anyway they soak up those beads of fat on both otters and beaver. Keep using the same one over and over and it gives the pelt a nice fresh look. One cloth will last for maybe 10 otters.

Awesome guys!I was goin to mention the Razor Ron.For you guys that have never tried the razor on Otter, you won't believe how easy the tail, gristle on the neck, or gettin the saddle started is.I make mine out of disposables, single blade.I gotta put up a few tomorrow, I'll try to get some pics.I've gone to usin mesh for the tail on all Otter and Mink.I find it much less time consuming with the same and result.I never flesh Otter without fur-grade saw dust.I just use a one hand scraper with a old Ranch Fox beam.

Great post! Your pelts look great. I see so many greasy, poorly put up ones on fur tagging day, when they can be done clean and grease free just as easy if people would look at this post.

I usually put up my otter similarly, but havn't tried the razor. I have more troubles with small otter, cut a couple holes in one this year after doing some large otter nicely. I think my flesher was too sharp for the young small otter. I use a pvc beam also, taken out of the dumpster at work. I will try the sawdust too, I do have access to large quantities of ground corncobs, I imagine that would work also. I also frost dry mine in the -20 degree weather or colder and they come out snow white and tan great. Takes a long time to frost dry though, and you can't let the sun shine on them at all even in the cold or they will not turn out well.

this is a great tutorial for some of us younger trappers.I have a question. Would i be able to use a beaver skinning knife to flesh the gristle of of a coon if i had to?

Yes

Great post!!! Thanks

Outstanding job with this post.......THANK YOU