So...er...what...do...

What do you pros carve your weasel stretcher belly boards out of... ?

Signed, Curious George

Cypress

Linden

Good answer, I was thinking basswood instead, lol.

I use those shish kabob wooden skewers that they sell at the grocery store.Or you can pick up some small dowels at the hardware store.Or you can use the thin ends of dried cattail stems.If there is a respectable taper to your weasel stretcher,you can just pull them off without a belly key.
Same for red squirrel.

This

Thought you were going to ship them whole and frozen.....or your putting some nice white fur cuffs on your Robe ?

I have never used a belly board, and they come off fine , but I've considered it.

And I leave the hind feet on too.

I don't have the robe yet, Ness

#2 pencil

I glue two cocktail straws into each other than double split one end about 1/4"(so it flattens nice) and clip off sharp corners. But I only catch Shorttails(not from lack of wanting Longtails). I would use regular soda straws on them. My larger boards(made from old cedar siding shakes) are tapered enough that it takes very little belly stretching to get them off. Had those wood kabob skewers pull some hair out if they aren't really smooth.

Need to sand the belly keys just like the stretchers.

I've never skinned and stretched a red squirrel yet. Is there some value there ?

You’ll be able to say you did it. Lol

You do it first, lol

I don't carve my own, I get the man in the yellow hat to do it!

Box elder or north of you it's called Manitoba Maple.
so pcr2 has gone all Latin
belly board use some old chop sticks
when you are at that restaurant they get their bok choy in boxes that the side slabs are just the right size for squirrel/ weasel boards, it is a soft wood and behaves much like basswood does
averages for red squirrels last year was a dollar

I’ve done a handful. I’m good for the rest of my life lol.

If I do it, I'll stew the reds, I hear it's awesome, lol.

Les every time I'm in a Chinese resteraunt I grab all the chopsticks I can. Nice n light ,rounded edges and free. Works great on weasle boards. Big long tails you can use two.

fast food restaurant straws...hardees has nice big ones