I have two beaver questions which, if resolved would improve my meat-keeping. Could I ask them?

1.) Yesterday I found in a beaver hide, in the skin itself (skin side, not fur side), just after skinning, a "ping pong ball sized thing" which I cut open. It had in there some type of light green/white paste that looked like tooth paste. But the thing itself was hard to the touch before I cut it. What is this? AND can I still eat the meat or was the animal sick?

2.) Pee question. I ruined an entire beaver (for meat) because I didn't get all the urine out of it, and it then got all over the meat as I was skinning. Besides just rubbing your hand over the area before skinning, does anyone who keeps the meat have a smarter way of draining out the urine prior to skinning?

Thank you.

a healing wound probably a bite

I only use the meat from the front legs and backstrape.

Hanging it to skin or process. Or at least put it on a slanted board helps minimize body fluid contact with meat.

I think I'm going to do this. I might try hanging it before skinning to see if it will drain out any fluids before I lay it flat for skinning. Thanks.

Another thing too is to milk the urine at the catch site

Tie off the cloaca before skinning/processing.

The other thing you mentioned is a pus pocket.

Pus pockets don't affect anything as far as meat quality goes. It is a bacterial infection where there was a puncture, usually a very small one that didn't get enough air to heal correctly. I typically see them where thorns or blackberries have pierced the hide. (Although I'll admit I catch enough beavers that I don't need to choose beavers with any infections for table fare).

After I make the belly cut on beaver and peel both sides back a little bit I then carefully remove castors and oil sacs. Liquid castor is always a threat to contaminate meat but I can't ever recall having urine leech out and be an issue.

I use a skinning trough so after the beaver is completely clean-skinned and resting on its pelt I remove back straps and if I wish some of the hind leg meat. I make sure I change gloves and knives for any butchering or handling of meat I intend to eat.

You really dont need to gut a beaver for meat. Take off the legs at the joints and you have a meal that will feed six people. Other than the tail muscle (that has the castors on it), not much meat on the rib cage of a beaver. I dont even bother with the backstraps, not really much meat there either.

Thanks! It could have been, "liquid castor," I don't know. I just thought it was urine. Strange, usually doesn't happen.

I follow Tim's video. I use almost the entire beaver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loxT9LHmrOY

Easier to hang beaver by the tail, get hind quarters off then take the castors.