With the hatter market heating up I got to wondering how much my beaver pelts weigh. I've heard tell that most collections will average right around 1.6 lbs.

So, I just got done taking some off the boards . 12 beaver total, of that there was 1 LM, 1 L, 4 XL, 5 XXL, and 1 XXXL Kind of an average size class for me. So the total weight was 24.25 lbs

The super blanket weighed 2.6 lbs and the LM weighed in at 1.0 lbs. Most of the XL's were right at 2.0 lbs and the blankets at 2.25 lbs.

I'll wait to hear what some of Boco's frost scaped beaver will weigh

Buyer quoted me a price of $10/lb. last week for hatters.

Which Buyer Mike ?

w

Sounds like you might want to start leaving the saddles on your beaver. Never tried doing that, but I've seen it done: not pretty, but doable.

From what I'm hearing that number will likely rise.

Most of the weight of a beaver pelt is the fur.
25 prime heavy beaver will weigh a lot more than 25 flat early beaver with no underfur.
When it comes to leather,late fall and early winter beaver leather is heavier than late winter early spring leather.

You might get away with a few in there like that but I doubt whether the felters would not dock for the excess leather weight. They would be nuts not to.

Then there is the issue of thinner leathered beaver and thicker. I have a genetics in one of the rivers I trap where the leather is noticeably thinner than all the other places I trap.

I would guess that in my section the leather outweighs the fur...but unless I want to shave one I guess I'll never know.

(Did I just mention shaving a beaver)?

You are getting worse than me.

do a demo on that shaving beverpeeler!

When you frost scrape a beaver pelt it is very simple to either leave the skin thick or thin it as thin as you want (for home tanning).
I have never sold any fur by weight.If I was going to sell flat beaver pelts by weight I would leave the saddles on.maybe even load them up with birdshot too.
Sold lots of castor by weight though.

Did you put that Birdshot in the castor??? LOL

That is interesting - BP I may have to weigh a couple of my pelts. some of the beaver I catch I weigh (just a curiousity thing) - I just boarded a 65 lb one I caught - may have to weigh that pelt when it is dried.

BP, I've never weighed them but a real good source told me ours will run 1.5 on an average run.

Was always told northern central us average 1.5- 1.75...southern 1.75-2 leather thicker on the southern ones

My south Arkansas were #1.7 last season, I skin everything.

It's the average size of the beaver that always helps me out. More than once FHA receiving agents have asked me what I did with my small sizes. Couldn't believe that my collection was so blanket heavy.

You fur trap and target big males. It makes sense

Catching them all doing nuisance work equals more 2 year olds and cubs while killing colonies than skimming through fur trapping in our country.