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Marten Fur Issue #7443339
12/28/21 01:31 AM
12/28/21 01:31 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
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AK
This marten was hanging dead in the trap upon arrival. Didn't notice anything unusual at the time except for a thin spot in the tail fur. I had it hanging outside for several days to let the fleas die. Tonight I brought it in to thaw. I brushed one and little to no fur came out in the brush and then this one:

[Linked Image]

What caused/is causing this? It had some fleas but it didn't seem excessive.

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443340
12/28/21 01:38 AM
12/28/21 01:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,064
Wasilla AK
HFT AK Offline
trapper
HFT AK  Offline
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Posts: 2,064
Wasilla AK
I have that happen on fox tails sometimes. It is like the tail gets frozen then thawed and falls apart. Cant tell if it because it was tainted or dehydrated. Curious what others have to say as well.

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443488
12/28/21 10:07 AM
12/28/21 10:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,116
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,116
Manitoba
I would be leaning towards mites being infested, either skin mites or fur mites.

Ones that I have washed have had up to 1000 fur mites collected and you could not have noticed any problem with the pelt.
They are 0.1 to 05 mm in size so the eye does not pick them up- well at least my eyesight,
they are still being ID through DNa what species they could be

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443545
12/28/21 11:29 AM
12/28/21 11:29 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

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McGrath, AK
I have never seen that on a marten but have on one fox.The tail was apparently dead from the joint closest to the base. It fell apart completely when I pulled it. The skin inside the tail was flaky and falling apart. The joint closest to the body was black


Mean As Nails
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443670
12/28/21 02:02 PM
12/28/21 02:02 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 765
Anchorage, Alaska
broncoformudv Offline
trapper
broncoformudv  Offline
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Posts: 765
Anchorage, Alaska
Something it had going on before you caught it. I forgot one in the freezer for over a year and had no hair, loss just tough to skin around the face due to it drying out.

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443675
12/28/21 02:05 PM
12/28/21 02:05 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
A
alaska viking Offline
"Made it two years not being censored"
alaska viking  Offline
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Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
I saw one last year from this area that was much worse. It's whole belly was nearly hairless. Sure looked like mite infestation, to my un-trained eye.


Made it almost 3 years without censor!

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443770
12/28/21 05:04 PM
12/28/21 05:04 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Ryan McLeod Offline
trapper
Ryan McLeod  Offline
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Posts: 3,263
NWT
I’ve had foxes with broken tails that were the same. Seems like the tail froze and the skin died


If you take care of the land the land will take care of you
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443842
12/28/21 06:15 PM
12/28/21 06:15 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,266
james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Online content
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Boco  Online Content
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james bay frontierOnt.
Small birds like whiskeyjacks been pecking at it.When you skin it you will see little holes where they been pecking.I see it around the hips on that one.Check there when you skin it.

Last edited by Boco; 12/28/21 06:16 PM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443894
12/28/21 07:20 PM
12/28/21 07:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
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AK
Thanks everyone for the replies!

I skinned it and the leather side looks great. No damage of any kind. Do mites bite people? They could be the issue. I also thought about gray jays, but dismissed it as I have never seen it happen before. There are no holes either. Why would they peck at it?

After the initial brush, no more hair seems to be coming out.

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7443922
12/28/21 07:47 PM
12/28/21 07:47 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,266
james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Online content
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Boco  Online Content
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Posts: 45,266
james bay frontierOnt.
They try to get at the meat but because it is frozen they just leave tiny little pinholes in the skin and a bunch of loose fur.They work the tails quite a bit for some reason.
If you didnt see any tiny holes in the skin then it is likely some sort of parasite.

Last edited by Boco; 12/28/21 07:50 PM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444010
12/28/21 09:06 PM
12/28/21 09:06 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
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Posts: 1,144
AK
That makes sense Boco.

Do mites die just the same as fleas by freezing?

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444129
12/28/21 10:32 PM
12/28/21 10:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
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alaska viking Offline
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juneau, alaska
I haven't had luck freezing out fleas. Even in a chest freezer set at -5 f. for 2 weeks.


Made it almost 3 years without censor!

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444131
12/28/21 10:33 PM
12/28/21 10:33 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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McGrath, AK
I have seen thousands of hair mites come to the ends of the guard hairs when thawing wolverines. So bad I bagged the critter along with several good shots of Raid.

I suspect they will bite bigly with an infestation like that


Mean As Nails
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444234
12/28/21 11:47 PM
12/28/21 11:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,827
Alaska, USA
Top Jimmy Offline
"Assistant Speling Zcar"
Top Jimmy  Offline
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Alaska, USA
I have seen that on fox tails, but not Marten, and always at the end. Almost like they got frost bit at some point and the end died. The part that died would just disintegrate when you pulled the tail.

-TJ


Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444333
12/29/21 03:28 AM
12/29/21 03:28 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,735
SW Alaska
otterman Offline
trapper
otterman  Offline
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SW Alaska
I have seen this more times then I care to remember on fox at least a couple a year the tails just disintegrate when you pull the bone into a thousand little tiny pieces .I have asked but never gotten a solid answer of what causes it maybe if they hire a bio for this area again I will gove up one and have them get it tested to see what it is


We get out of life only as much as we really want and work hard enough to achieve
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444335
12/29/21 03:32 AM
12/29/21 03:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,790
M.T.V. Alaska
Y
yukonjeff Offline
trapper
yukonjeff  Offline
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Y

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,790
M.T.V. Alaska
I see it alot here too with our high fox population.
I determined it was the beginning of mange setting in before the tail is bare. The hair eventually falls off on a live one as it advances.

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444548
12/29/21 10:58 AM
12/29/21 10:58 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
D
Dirt Offline
trapper
Dirt  Offline
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Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
Originally Posted by bfisch
Thanks everyone for the replies!

I skinned it and the leather side looks great. No damage of any kind. Do mites bite people? They could be the issue. I also thought about gray jays, but dismissed it as I have never seen it happen before. There are no holes either. Why would they peck at it?

After the initial brush, no more hair seems to be coming out.


They don't bite me.


Who is John Galt?
Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: Dirt] #7444587
12/29/21 11:30 AM
12/29/21 11:30 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,116
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
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N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,116
Manitoba
Originally Posted by Dirt
Originally Posted by bfisch
Thanks everyone for the replies!

I skinned it and the leather side looks great. No damage of any kind. Do mites bite people? They could be the issue. I also thought about gray jays, but dismissed it as I have never seen it happen before. There are no holes either. Why would they peck at it?

After the initial brush, no more hair seems to be coming out.


They don't bite me.

They only chew into your skin for refuge.
I would post pics, but that would be the YUK FACTOR, and against personal health maters regarding health confinduality law

Re: Marten Fur Issue [Re: bfisch] #7444673
12/29/21 01:10 PM
12/29/21 01:10 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
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drasselt Offline
trapper
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Posts: 2,686
Alaska
I've seen similar on fox too but wrote it off to hungry country. The fox seemed to be on the verge of starvation. No body fat etc. The belly skin was super thin and fragile , the tail skin pretty much disintegrated.


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