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Post by trappnman on Mar 13, 2008 8:11:20 GMT -6
Can't see where the time comes in- it takes less than 5 secs to hang them-
belly time is the same- agreed?
so hanging- I can pull that hide right off the back, skin the head and you are done.
Doing much pulling on a bench? if so- you got arms like popeye because you would need to hold him by both ends....
and yes, about 5 minutes if I got a clock on me....
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Post by Stef on Mar 13, 2008 8:20:07 GMT -6
Steve, why hanging... just do the belly on the table like you usually do, skin the tail/rear area + rear legs than the front legs. Take and hold the hide firmly by the rear and swing the carcass to the floor while holding the hide = beaver done just have to skin the head, no hanging etc..
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Post by trappnman on Mar 13, 2008 8:23:22 GMT -6
so take hide by tail area and shake beaver out of it (kind of?)? Same principle I guess- I just have the tail held up, and can then pull hide off with both hands. My gambril swings to the bench, so really very little time taken in hanging, slip snare end of gambril over tail, and hes hung..
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Post by Stef on Mar 13, 2008 8:38:59 GMT -6
yep... a good swing..is all that is needed. pretty hard to do with 60lb + beavers
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Post by trappnman on Mar 13, 2008 8:41:40 GMT -6
LOL
Do you stand on tail and pull?
al I can say, is on a table, its a slow mess- hanging no mess and quick- for me.
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Post by mustelameister on Mar 13, 2008 8:43:20 GMT -6
I like the hanging method for the larger beaver. I start the beaver on the floor, then bring the gambrel down to the tail and wrap up.
Boat winch brings gambrel and bevaer up to desired height and work is begun. No lifting beaver up by hand.
I too like the weight of the hide helping the skinning process. As I get to the head, the works is cranked up more to a comfortable working height.
I'm not fast, but I get the job done at a comfortable pace. Smaller beaver are skinned on the table.
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Post by trappnman on Mar 13, 2008 8:57:26 GMT -6
that about sums it up mike....
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Post by Stef on Mar 13, 2008 9:17:46 GMT -6
No no Its the weight of the carcass I swing/pitch to the floor that pulls from the hide. I hold the hide firmly. Easy as playing baseball and I was a catcher but I always had a good swing
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Post by thebeav2 on Mar 13, 2008 9:27:23 GMT -6
Pull on a beaver why? let the knife do the work the hide hangs over the edge of the table and the weight keeps tension on It as you skin. If I was on the clock It would be around 3 min. At 5 min I'm not rushing or working up a sweat just cruising along at a steady pace. But then I normally do 100s of beaver In a month and I want the best system I can use to minimize my time in the fur shed. This system works for me.
Stef If your doing all that work on the bench you might as well finish It there. Your about 90% done. The only benefit I could see In hanging It would be In skinning out the head.
Do you cut off the feet before you hang ? do you ring the tail before you hang? So your beaver Is hanging at skinning height now you have to skin out around the tail area because your not free pulling that area. Then you need to pop out the hind feet. So the tail area Is skinned now your going to free pull the hide to the shoulders. So now the hide is now hanging down around your belt buckle you now have to stop and crank up your gamble to comfortable height or squat down to finish the job. I also don't like the Idea that I will have to have one hand on the beaver to steady It while skinning. I like that beaver laying down and steady as a rock when I'm working On It. Not swinging around on the end of a rope or what ever. But If It works for you more power to you.
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Post by Stef on Mar 13, 2008 9:34:50 GMT -6
Gary, the work is almost all done on the table.
When its time to do the back ( because both sides, legs and tail area are all done ) i just take the hide, pitch the carcass "Direction" to the floor, put the carcass back on the table and i skin the head and I'm done. Think this way is faster Gary, learned that from the best skinners I've seen in North Bay.
BTW.. I don't pull... the carcass does it for me just the time to turn the beaver and its done.
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Post by trappnman on Mar 13, 2008 10:13:55 GMT -6
Of course you cut of the feet ahead of time, and you ring the tail.
It takes no longer to hang him, then to flip and then turn him while skinning.
and yes, head lots easier.
beav, I have no doubt you are a beaver skinning machine- I can do most in about 5 if hustling right along- but I don't hustle too much- haste makes waste it seems for me-
I do everything like you do until time to flip him over- for me, I find the hide hanging straight down, makes it easy to rip off, whereas on the table, lots more knife work.
legs by the way are skun out 90-99% on table when on back.
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Post by thebeav2 on Mar 13, 2008 10:34:54 GMT -6
when first started skinning these beaver I struggled with the hind leggs that was my down fall as to time. But I have since got that figured out. I have watched a lot of hobby beaver skinners and this Is where they struggel It would be Impossible to type out how I do it.
Stef I see where your coming from. Might have to try that but I'm not going to hang them LOl I even thought My power skinner would work but It doubled my time per beaver Yes Steve I'm a beaver sknning machine and I wear a sized 3 hat. LOl But Wadells hat Is even smaller LOL
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Post by T-Bar on Mar 13, 2008 11:23:22 GMT -6
HOLY CRAP!!!
I checked this last night and had 3 responses then this morning its up over 30!!! LOL!!!
Alot of good information though guys, I appreciate it. So what I'm reading is just get the beaver at a good height and then find out what works best for you.
In reading about the different ways you guys skin I guess I'll have to try them all out this spring and see what I like best. I do have one question though.
Any tips on skinning the tail area? I've probably done 15 beaver now in my short trapping career and every one gives me grief around the tail. I can never seem to start around that area very good...but once I can get a handful of hide its not so bad. Any tips/tricks?
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Post by thebeav2 on Mar 13, 2008 11:52:29 GMT -6
When In doubt leave as much fat and gristle as you can on the hide. This will keep you away from the hide and you won't be apt to make any extra legg holes . I know one I first started I had a lot of 5 and 6 legged beaver well anyway the holes indicated that LOL It's a lot eaiser to flesh It off later. If I were you I would drop In on Steve some day with a few beaver and have him give you some pointers. And then drive over here with the rest and I'll show you how to do It the right way. Roflmao
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Post by marbleyez2001 on Mar 13, 2008 11:59:02 GMT -6
T-Bar, Leave a lot of beat and gristle on the tail area. Easier to take off with a fleshing knife on a beam, then with a knife on the carcass. Once I get around the castors and oils, its just a couple quick, deep cuts and I am around the top of the tail. If your worried about blood, if the temperature is cool let the beavers sit a day or 3. No more worries about excessive blood. As for the hanging, ive never had a system set up to swing ot over and slide a noose around the tail. Thats might make the process go a little better. But if your already picking the beaver up to move it (after youve gone over all 4 legs and over the base of the tail) just throw it on the ground, step on the tail and grab the two leg holes and pull up. It will take it clean to the back of the ears. Throw the beaver back on the table and finish up.
Im not the fastest skinner, ive got a few hundred more to do before I become seasoned. But have a few friends that can easily average 5 minutes a beaver with 10+ to do. This includes time to grab another drink, chopping all the feet and pulling castors and oils.
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Post by ColdSteel on Mar 13, 2008 12:55:03 GMT -6
Why do people talk about speed 4 to 5 minutes and yet spend hours talking about it on the internet .I can skin one in 5 minutes 2 but after a 1/2 dozen that time increases after a dozen its probably 10 minutes
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Post by T-Bar on Mar 13, 2008 13:15:15 GMT -6
Well Gary I'm suprised that comment got no reaction from Steve yet. LOL!!!
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Post by trappnman on Mar 13, 2008 14:16:03 GMT -6
beav gets into the glow when Pam's gone...poor beav...poor Pam.....
hey, I'm not trying to convince anyone who does it their way that my way is the only way or the only right way.
All I'm saying- is that skinning beaver for me on a table was always a pain, turning him around as you went, etc. And even on day old, 2 day old beaver, you get bleeding at the head.
Since I like to do things te easy way if the time involved is the same, I found that doing the belly on a table (and for heavens sakes its not a time consuming thing to hang it) then hanging by te tail makes the back 100 times easier (for me), the hide does the work, and there is little or no blood mess.
I offered it hear for those like me, that have never thought of hanging beaver up, since the traditional way is in a trough or moveable table.
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Post by thebeav2 on Mar 13, 2008 15:15:34 GMT -6
Hey Tony were all bored to death with nothing to do but sit her making noise. I just got back from collecting 150 gallons of sap Isn't enough to start the fire yet. But I did get out today LOL You see when boss Is gone I have compeat controll of this beast and I don't have to fight for equall time. LOL
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Post by musher on Mar 13, 2008 18:22:00 GMT -6
I don't like skinning beaver. I'm not particularily good at it either.
I've tried several ways. When I've hung them I did the half case skinned thing first. You remove the front feet and open from halfway up the belly to the tail. You work the back legs free, ring the tail and hang. You then winch it off.
Having the front half of the beaver still cased makes it a breeze to hold on the fleshing beam. Once fleshed, unzip the rest and nail.
Another way is to ring everything, unzip, and work your way from the belly to the back. Your goal is to get a space big enough to slip you foot into. Once you can get you foot on the backbone, you step there and pull the fur up towards the head and down towards the tail. If you have a little power the hide rips off. A llttle knife work on the head and tail finishes it.
Then you flesh.
All the fast guys I know are clean skinners. Zero beam time. And they do it Beav's way.
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