A diet of Osage ...?

Beaverpeeler.... red beets, or white?

Seriously with all the disease out there, why doesn't everybody wear skinning gloves? They're cheap and if they save you one time?! Firstly you're healthy and second avoided a steep medical bill... and it keeps all that stuff from under your nails and smell on your skin... Yeah I skinned plenty of critters in the day no gloves but was stupid for doing it... Recommended by every game dept and trappers assoc... Think about it people... a box of skinning gloves cheap insurance!

Its just meat-and how else are you going to build up your immune system,

Seriously-nitrile skinning gloves is a good idea.

I see the orange fat beavers here its fairly common, not sure why, but it could be from eating the red bark of the alder bushes here, or the water plants in the lakes. The alder bark makes a natural red dye. I have eaten them with no problems. they are fat and healthy just any other.

Beta carotene is found in high levels in certain root plants. It is a fat soluble vitamin so in excess amounts it is stored in the fat.

This

Okay! Much appreciate all the come-backs on my question. Indeed, the grandson of the friend of mine is named Troy, so undoubtedly we're talking about the same trapper. Interesting. Thanks Sharon.

Its obvious that diet can, and does, influence coloration of fatty tissue. The suggestion of perhaps beets sure makes a lot of sense to me. Also, Boco talking about the "pineapples", leading to a yellowish fat makes perfect sense as well. Thanks to all!

I'm reminded of mink in the intertidal zone of SE Alaska. During my time there, I cleaned several hundred mink skulls. Every so often, (maybe one in 50 or 60 skulls), I'd get one that, even after the bleaching in peroxide, would be purple. Yes, pastel purple-colored bone! Finally figured it out, in that these were mink that were consuming sea urchins, and this dietary component would actually stain the bones and teeth. To me, fascinating. You are what you eat.

Again, thanks all!

Jack

Many thanks for your share of your AK mink experiences , Jack. Always enjoy your life adventures and narrative thoughts along the way .

Just shows how much trappers contribute to learning of the natural world mechanics .

Wondering if my foundation reflects all the chocolate I have enjoyed ovah time

Never seen orange beaver fat but I have seen chicken skin, yellow, coon fat a few times. Those coons were usually younger (about 10-12 pounds) and caught in corn fields.

Mike

The beef we used to raise on our place all had orange fat. Not much grass, mostly browse.

In Mexico the broiler chicken operations used to add dry marigold flower material to the feed so that the chicken skin and fat would be more golden colored as if they were being corn fed which the consumers there demand.

Funny you should mention "Pautzke's". I caught a trout once that had been feeding on a jar of Pautzke's "Balls-o-Fire" that had apparently fallen overboard. The entire trout; guts, flesh, and skin were stained hot pink from the dye in the eggs.