Summer caster/oil

[mmwb (Andrew Parker)]

I remember several years ago that one of the gurus on here stated something to the effect that castor is valueless on summer beaver. Is this true?

I'm not interested in selling it, but like to use it during the fur season. I tend to save the oil as well. It all smells the same to me...

[bobwendt]

I never saw any difference, just that the young pup beaver are tiny shells at best( just too small), as is the old sow flat and shell-ee, and the male not a lot either in the summer. but what they have always smelled and worked the same as the good spring stuff, from what I could see.

[robertw]

I have observed one extreme to the other on the volume or size of summer castors. I think alot of it depends on where the beaver are living. Beaver in an isolated area such as a farm pond tend to have larger castors than beaver living in the river where they are maintaining castor mounds daily.

[mmwb (Andrew Parker)]

So what I hear is that it is basically a seasonal size difference. I'll put the castors and oil to work. Appreciate the input.

[ltgrey2]

I will often keep aside the castor and oil sacks from a peticular beaver if I'm doing an ADC job.
At times an old female will often be the last one and the hardest to catch.
I use the castors and/or oil sacks for a mate or offspring. It often times can make the difference. That has been my experince anyway.