Washing coyotes?

Good morning,

As a second year trapper, I am trying to learn more than just the catching part of coyotes. All of my coyotes were caught on frozen ground so no mud. I comb all the burrs out but am wondering if I still need to wash them to get the blood out of the head area?

I skin and then roll the hides to freeze. After I get a few in the freezer, I go to my buddies to flesh and put on wire. Would it be okay to skin in the evening/wash and hang in the basement over the sink until the following morning, then roll and freeze to be fleshed at a later date?

Lastly, what would you say the price difference is between a washed and unwashed coyote when selling to NAFA?

Thanks

I am not sure on price difference, though I would think there would be a difference. However I also wonder if the drumming process that we pay NAFA for would remove a significant amount of things dirt or blood left on the head of the pelt. I like to snap the pelts to almost dry after washing but I flesh mine before I wash so I can board after snapping dry.

For me I comb out the animal first to get as much I can out of the fur of dirt and burs.Then I skin and when I to put up the skin later I will do like the OP stated and then when to do up the skin I would put it in cold water and wash it with only that and make sure all the dirt and blood is out the best I can and see if there is any burs i miss and then hang over night to have the fur dry for the next day.It depends on when I would work the skin to put on boards to see when the fur is fully dry and then work it and board. For how I do them .I did get top lot at NAFA for some of my furs when I use to send my fur to them.

I've never washed a coyote myself. Inquired into the idea, but it seems like another step that isn't likely to result in a better price for me. I don't think I can help a $10 yote by washing it. Yote fur seems to clean up pretty well if the burs are removed and the fur is combed out well. Blood, as long as it isn't clotted up, once dried, combs out of coyotes. That's been my experience. I know they can be bloody skinning, and they smell like a yote. Washing could help with the smell, I'm sure the fur can be softened a little bit using a little Woolite, like many do, but coarse hair will still grade like coarse hair does. Ultimately, it's a preference thing I think. If it's a step that aids you in producing a better quality fur for sale, if you and your buyer are happy with the result, then go for it. I know several who wash their coyotes and they say their furs look better. So I'd have to say it helps some produce a better fur.

it definitely helps. I wash all my fur. everything except water animals. wash on rinse cycle with downey, hang to dry and flesh next day.
sold some furs to a local for couple years. always gave me more than other people I knew. he asked me all the time why my fur smelled so good and was so fluffy.
all mine goes to nafa now so cant be sure if it helps with them but I like the way they look.

try it. wash one and put him up against a nonwashed one. you will see the difference.

The high bid on a lot of 74 coyotes at the NDFTA sale was $35. They ended up selling for $60, but the sale average was $84 or 85 dollars with them figured in. The owner had not fleshed or washed them. Fur is bought on eye appeal. The better it looks, the more it brings.

Could you elaborate? What do you mean the high bid was $35 but they sold for $60?

The high bid was $35 and the seller said no sale. The buyers had the option to raise the bid, and seller was ask how much he wanted for them and he said $60 and a buyer said he would give it to him. The seller could state his asking price and the buyers could agree, or dis agree.

MJM,

Isn't that buyer taking a big risk buying coyotes that hadn't been fleshed? Or is it a easy fix?

I used to wash mine and hang and dry with a large fan and dehumidifier. Then I would flesh the next day and stretch. They looked nicer, but they need to be fur side out longer and flipped as quick as possible because most the time the fur is damp. The best thing a person can invest in is a good fur drum. Brush them out good then drum them. Very few get washed.

I wash mine. Cold delicate cycle with borax. Four at a time. After I flesh. Hang to dry for a bit. Board. In my experience selling my yotes to NAFA does not get the best prices. Only once in ten years did I make more money. I sell mine to the mid level buyers. Mid level buyers appreciate the extra work. NAFA could care less. I say they could care less because they tumble everything. Having put up fur for several fur buyers, a well cared for pelt is rare. Most of the fur at NAFA is dealer lots. Yes you can tell them not to tumble but you still get no appreciation for the finished product.

I do not freeze after I flesh. When the skin thaws out it gets all sorts of dried spots that causes the fur to slip.

I wash mine because I take pride in a nice finished product. I was so amazed how dirty the water was after washing my first effort, that I will ALWAYS wash from now on. This from a country where the yotes are ALL caught on snow/frozen ground conditions. after fleshing and brushing, I do the following:

I simply fill a 5 gallon bucket up with warm water, put a good squirt of dish soap in the bucket, throw the pelt in and stir it with a stick. I then walk away for an hour or so, come back and stir again. Leave it for another hour. The water will be dirty now. Then I put the pelt in the second bucket, which is just plain rinse water. Takes a bit, but I farm, so am at home almost all the time. I then let drip dry before boarding.

30% of my coyotes last year were over 200 bucks Canadian. Yes the yotes are nice to begin with, but I firmly believe the washing upgrades them. Most were in the top 5% of the lotting list. Previous years I did not wash, and didn't do near so well.

I do think it helps a lot. The fur is just gorgeous after this treatment, smells good too!

I don't know if you get better money by washing or not but I myself take pride in what I catch ..I think if your gonna go balls to the wall and put in the time to do it ..you may as well do it to the best of your ability..I wash in a clothes washer I found for free ,just cold water and a bit of fabric softener..drain .rinse then spin the water out hang for about an hour and board .Very little water left in the fur after the spin cycle

exactly

FYI, I wash mine also but NAFA will still charge for tumbling. It's a pride thing for me also.. And respect for the animal. A small amount of bleach helps too but don't over due it.

I only ways if muddy or bloody. If so I put them in five gallon pail with cold water swish them around a bit and let sit five or ten minutes. Repeat once drain and wring the coyotes out and let drip dry overnight

I agree 100 %, I do the same in 5 gallon bucket, fill first one up just water start churning the pet around with my hand for about 30 seconds, then dump water and ring out pelt, second bucket with dish soap and churn for 30 sec then ring out, third bucket with water and that bucket usually has clean water at the end of the churning. Be surprised at how dirty they are even if they look clean. Do this after fleshing, snap dry and spin around real good and hang out in the breeze for an hour or so till the pelts pretty dry then go straight to the board to dry the lleather then flip

I think the tumbling at both auctions are to facilitate grading, not necessarily to clean your fur.

I agree washing if there's time to do so makes a nicer end product after working for a buyer for a while first appearances are very important I use a clothes washer with cold water and a little borax

In my mind there is no fix for a grease burned coyote. So yes the buyer was taking a risk. I don't think he was using his money and wanted to be a hero.

...I like to give them a good washing while they're still alive in the trap....that away they can shake theirself dry afterwards...cheap dog shampoo cut with a 50-50 borax/water solution is what I use

Lol

Mrs. Stewarts Blueing does the trick too! A couple drops per batch. Actually taught to me by a NAFA Grader!

Several years ago had some really muddy coyotes and had to wash before fleshed. Discovered that they flesh easier, in my mind, by washing them before flesh. So now skin bag and freeze, when have time pull out four at time thaw, wash in a tub, approximately five gallons of water, in dawn detergent and downy fabric softener. Hang and a squeeze water out and wash in clear, hang, squeeze water out hang several hours or whatever works, flesh board, turn and use electric leaf blower fluff and dry. When ready take off board give front and back sot of Frabreeze and rub in corn grit and blow out with blower. Don't look to bad.

I wash all coyotes also. I skin, then wash. Hang overnight to dry, flesh, tumble and board. I use an old wringer washer with cold water and woolite. I sell to a country buyer that compliments me on put up. He comments how soft and clean smelling they are. Even if they don't bring anymore money, I take pride in doing a good job.

I always had good success getting blood cleaned up with a rag and water with a bit of dish soap and fabric softener. You can clean up a fair bit of blood without getting the fur very wet, and the remainder will comb out when the hide dries on the board (or wire). Learn to avoid cutting the carotid artery and the artery near the joint in the front legs and there will be a lot less blood to deal with.