Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6834385
04/08/20 11:13 AM
04/08/20 11:13 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
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Try It both ways and see what works for you. I like all my hides to be at room temperatures when fleshing.
Last edited by The Beav; 04/08/20 11:13 AM.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6834803
04/08/20 05:46 PM
04/08/20 05:46 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 371 North, MS
TrapperCarl78
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 371
North, MS
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I won’t touch em unless they chilled out. They are pain when warmer in my opinion. Especially the ones I flesh over the knee they gotta be chilled.
TC
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6834993
04/08/20 08:41 PM
04/08/20 08:41 PM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,446 Houghton Lake, MI
strike2x
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,446
Houghton Lake, MI
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Clean skinning is an option also. Big adult beaver are always tougher but I prefer clean skinning over beam or knee fleshing. I have done all and this is just where I landed.
Wish I had more time to trap....
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6837844
04/10/20 11:24 PM
04/10/20 11:24 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
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Why do you prefer the hide to be chilled?
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6839621
04/12/20 11:34 AM
04/12/20 11:34 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
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When I flesh a coon I start about 6" from the bottom and flesh off this fat. Then I start at the top and flesh down the hide. When you do It this way the fat and gristle doesn't hang up at the skirt area, It just rolls right off that already fleshed area. I do the same when fleshing coyotes. You just end up with cleaner fur by doing It this way.
I had a metal pan built that sits under my beam. This catch's all the scrapings and I just load pan and all Into the back of the truck and get rid of It.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6840418
04/12/20 11:37 PM
04/12/20 11:37 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 11,832 MT (Big Sky Country)
Allan Minear
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 11,832
MT (Big Sky Country)
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Year's ago I watched a fella who worked for NAFA flesh a couple beaver over his knee I never even consider it as being possible until then, the important thing was to keep your knife razor sharp and work the fat and grease to the middle I've never seen such a thing. I tried it without much success so I learned how to clean skin beaver then touch up the semi dry pelt with a scrapper to remove what little I may of missed.
Personally I hate a trough and prefer a old kitchen table with a tarp strap on each end to hook into the front and back leg so I can pull against it keeping the hide tight if that makes sense. When your skinning knife drags more than cut is when you want to touch it up with a quality sharpening steel . As mentioned above give each idea a try to figure out what work's best for you it didn't take me long that one month I caught and skinned 456 beaver I cheated and had a friend help with stretching them we both made good money way back them. I'm old enough now I don't want to try that again ha ha Allan
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6874121
05/16/20 04:20 PM
05/16/20 04:20 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794 100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
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I like my beaver chilled prior to skinning as it firms up the meat and fat and makes them easier to clean skin.
Last edited by bctomcat; 05/16/20 04:24 PM.
The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6874155
05/16/20 05:26 PM
05/16/20 05:26 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
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Well when I was trapping beaver full time I would catch 10 or so a day lay them out on some old bed springs to dry. After about 2 days I would skin them. I can't see how I could have been able to chill all those carcasses. Same with after I rough skinned those beaver I'm not about to take all those hides place them In freezer to chill them. For the most part those freezers were filling up with already fleshed hides so there wouldn't have been room. I never found beaver to be all that greasy. I remember one time I got a bunch of frozen beaver hides I partially thawed them and then started to flesh. It didn't go so well since I kind of lost my feeling between the knife and the hide. Room temperature works for me. Now coon are greasy.I like to start out by fleshing off the bottom 4" or 5" this lets the rest of the fat as I flesh roll right off that bare area and I won't build up all that fat and grease like happens when you keep building up fat when you start from the top. I do the same thing with coyotes this keeps the skirt area lot less greasy.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: The Beav]
#6874339
05/16/20 09:13 PM
05/16/20 09:13 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794 100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
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For chilling I mean hanging in a cool area for several days at a temperature of about 0-5C or 32-40F.
The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: The Beav]
#6898201
06/13/20 02:00 AM
06/13/20 02:00 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007 WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
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Well when I was trapping beaver full time I would catch 10 or so a day lay them out on some old bed springs to dry. After about 2 days I would skin them. I can't see how I could have been able to chill all those carcasses. Same with after I rough skinned those beaver I'm not about to take all those hides place them In freezer to chill them. For the most part those freezers were filling up with already fleshed hides so there wouldn't have been room. I never found beaver to be all that greasy. I remember one time I got a bunch of frozen beaver hides I partially thawed them and then started to flesh. It didn't go so well since I kind of lost my feeling between the knife and the hide. Room temperature works for me. Now coon are greasy.I like to start out by fleshing off the bottom 4" or 5" this lets the rest of the fat as I flesh roll right off that bare area and I won't build up all that fat and grease like happens when you keep building up fat when you start from the top. I do the same thing with coyotes this keeps the skirt area lot less greasy. Good insight. Congratulations, by the way, on you being honored into the Wis Trappers Association Hall of Fame in a few months at the FTA in Marshfield. I'll be awaiting your acceptance speech, as I think I will be there that night.
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: YOTEBOY]
#6898369
06/13/20 09:37 AM
06/13/20 09:37 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
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Thanks.
Not to be critical but It sounds like a lot of trappers take 30 min or more to flesh a beaver . If that's the case the hide will be at room temperature before you get half way done. LOL
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Fleshing Beavers - Chill Them Or Not?
[Re: The Beav]
#6957257
08/07/20 04:17 PM
08/07/20 04:17 PM
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Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,215 W NY
Turtledale
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,215
W NY
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Thanks.
Not to be critical but It sounds like a lot of trappers take 30 min or more to flesh a beaver . If that's the case the hide will be at room temperature before you get half way done. LOL Not really I also liked them chilled. I fold them and put them in the fridge overnight. My barn is not heated but I can run a torpedo heater and get it up to 38° F when I'm fleshing. My "room" temperature is still a chilled pelt. The fridge actually keeps them from freezing
Last edited by Turtledale; 08/07/20 04:18 PM.
NYSTA, NTA, FTA, life member Erie county trappers assn.,life member Catt.county trappers
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