wondering why you need to remove them by the 3rd day?

And Beav some muskrat are "papery" by genetics. Papery is a Groeny term.

I use a spoon too. The one side has a slight edge.

If the guy who is buying or grading can shake the pelt and hear a noise, that could be considered papery even if it's not Groenwald.

Winter rats need the fat removed. They’re like little pigs under that ice and the later it gets the fatter they become. Even after you scrape there we be more than enough residual fat to “oil” the skin. Fall and spring rats are more active and lean

What I tried to say was "papery" muskrat skins usually aren't from over-fleshing. Just the make up of the genes. And Groeny is the only buyer I have heard use this term personally, not saying they came up with it.

That Is 100% correct. But by leaving as much fat with In reason and not over drying them will help In not making them worse.

Normally rats that were caught In ND are graded central. Most of the rats I caught out there were graded eastern.

When I get those rats off the boards they get packed In cardboard boxes. I pack them as tight as I can. I don't want those rats drying out any more then when they came off the boards.

I just get the big globs off, and get them all uniform, don't open up a scar, don't be rought on them at all. My rats have lots of saddle on them. It should take just a few seconds to clean up a rat each side.