Out 40 mink I finish in last few wks, a few bigger ones. Heavy oilers an heavy saddle, I told not remove saddle. An I flesh to heavy in past, remove last 4 of boards before after 6 days, most remove 5 days, 2:mink I put back on board. In middle almost soggy , dry where in low 60s an were flesh of heavy stuff an some fat under saddle. But put 2 back on boards. Put next to fan, well they likely dry up? Not wsnt to slip, these are not as heavy as minnesota mink, was told in past that I shouldn't remove hardly nothing but heaviest stuff

Leave.saddle but remove all fat

yep^

I try to with out mess up saddle, hopefully dry up in front fan. Couldn't get all way back on board, ones in pile off stretcher, anything large an very prime is heavy oilers

I've not seen much fat on mink. Usually I scrape with an ice scraper for a car windshield it cant cut the saddle but it gets what little fat there is. how are you ruining the saddle?

Worst case scenario, you only messed up a couple dollars worth.

yep^

some older mink will have a thick layer of fat underneath the saddle. only way to remove fat is to remove saddle first. never had a mink docked because the saddle was removed. the fat will render into oil and saturate the leather if this isn't done. the pelt will remain "soggy", never dry, and look like crap.

fat that's not under the saddle will "melt away" and run down off the pelt, no problem. fat trapped under the saddle remains there til it all soaks into the leather, and cant run off. hope this helps.

I have not run. The saddle, try get fat out underneath saddle, the 1 feels particularly soggy in placez the few other ones s little but not as bad, I guess to late to do anything now, I wonder if cause slipping if remains soggy ? No idea if ever dry

oil soaked pelt will never dry. next time remove the saddle on the ones with a fat layer under it.

Give them some more time, wipe them once in awhile if it bothers you. The main thing I'd to not get excited.

Use the broad you will stretch the pelt on and flesh with a small fur pelt/stirrup scrapper.


Pull the pelt on so that you can flesh the side and then flip the broad to do the other side. Then straighten the pelt out so you are ready to tack the pelt on the board. Then finish the belly and back, leaving the saddle membrane on the pelt, except if mink has a lot of fat under the saddle then remove the saddle carefully without over hair scraping and exposing/pulling hair roots. Dry your pelts at 50-60F with good air circulation, BUT NOT DIRECTORY on the pelts. Remove the pelt from the board when the lips and nose are dry

Why do I have the feeling coonmans been doing this for the last 40+ years yet asks the most basic of questions?

Use the broad you will stretch the pelt on and flesh with a small fur pelt/stirrup

Hmmmm....

Put you in jail for doing that here. Lol

Yeah, this isn't his first rodeo so either he constantly questions himself, likes to fret, or likes to see the reaction of people on tman. But, I guess if a person wants to experiment on doing those old fat-behind-the-saddle buggers, this is the year to mess them up. If he trashes a couple of old bucks, he can finally get across the "turn-back" lane at the plasma donation place and get it done!

When you get mink with fat under the saddle,you can either remove the saddle and fat or scud all the fat out from under the saddle with a dull scraper.
Either way you gotta get the fat removed one way or the other.

You understood what he was asking from that? Has Keith been translating for you?

Iffin he remove saddle how he ride them to nafa to get that advance??
His truck noise make when cold. He will be up that creek without paddle or even a moldy coon board
Somebody help him please.