I'm on my way to the DNR skinning party. I'll see if I can get some pics. I know there will be some otters to put up.

I know its not an option in the south but here I can frostscrape all my otters,there is no difference in effort between a fatty or a grisselback

There is an excellent tutorial in the Wilderness Archives called A Whole Otter Fun, by trapped4ever. To say he is an expert fur handler would be a gross understatement, and his otter put-up is flawless.
I, on the other hand, hate skinning and fleshing those things. I have trapped my share over the decades, but until they go north of $120.00, I limit myself to 1 per year, just to remind me how much I dis-like handling them.

Thanks for posting that AV, I'd forgotten all about that thread!

I do a little knife work on the tail and the head and the rest with my trusty 2.5" pull type paint scraper.

These are some that I had to measure and show to a potential buyer. (He bought 'em).

BTW, the otter that Boco shows with a narrow tail would be worth about $20 less on our western sales where craft buyers for Indian regalia are the best buyers. They want a wide tail that takes up the whole board at the skirt.

I do my tails even wider than BP, but never pleated.

I do them like mud.

That first pic was the first year I sold to Dennis and my understanding of what he wants with otter pelts just in its infancy.

A later otter job:

How wide are those boards Beaverpeeler?

7.5" (I know, the pics make it look like 6.5" lol)

Yep, Dennis hates pleated tails. I do mine wide like beaverpeelers second pic. Those narrow tails will cost you money out here. Never did understand the pleated tails unless peoples boards were too short to fit the tail on. Seen a batch of coons at the sail this year with pleated tails also.

Boco do you think frost scraping could be replicated using a chest type or walk in freezer? I’ve been scraping otters, and often wonder if there is an easier way then bending over a beam with my necker. It does the job and the end product is great, but always looking to be more efficient. Also interested in that paint scraper - beavpeeler.

Nice otter Walt, that set was productive

The pleated tail craze was supposed to push more fur up into the window. Was always a poor idea in my opinion.

Some day I'll take pics and do a tutorial. Not sure what I do is any better than anybody else's; but it suits me. I don't own a two handled fleshing knife.

Back in the day the otter were shipped in watermelon crates which were 40x44" long tails had to be folded inside creating problems for inspections.....time consuming and breakage damage possible and bulky
Some of the shipping crates now are 40x56" so folding/ pleating not needed