beaver fleshing shortcut?

[musher]

I was talking to a guy regarding skinning beaver. He says that the easiest way to avoid fleshing that gristle part above the tail is to rip the hide off that section when skinning. No knife cuts - just pull. The gristle stays on the carcass.

Anyone ever try this?

[rk660]

I would think you need Hulk Hogan arms to accomplish that, and eat double helping of wheaties in morning.

[thorsmightyhammer]

My limited experience with fleshing beaver makes me very skeptical.

[bobwendt]

clean skinning is the only way I know to handle volume beaver and stay up with a catch. no scraping at all and no stenuous work . I got to where I could do a huge one in 15 minutes, but then he was so clean you eat off him and ready to tack. maybe 1 minute more knife work on the leg holes and head and cleaner than scraping as no grease line on the fur at all. it take about 20 beavers to learn it right, but then you are good for life and will never scrape or rough one again, in the bush or not. plus a clean skinned hide is maybe 1/4th the weight of a roughed hide if packing them out on your back.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Bob the only way I know how to handle true volume on beaver is throw them on the buyers floor, short of that I rough them and throw in freezer or plum take a day off of trapping and catch up.

[musher]

rk: You power skin it off.

Bob: I've got more than 20 beaver skinned and clean skinning 100% hasn't found me yet. I haven't knocked myself out trying, though. Maybe I should. Rough skinning takes less than 10. If you have to refreeze the pelts it's good to have grease on them.The provincial record is under 3 minutes. I've got a good bud that cleans skins xl's in about 25 minutes. He entered the provincial championship once and won. He didn't bother entering again.

[ohiyotee]

case skinning them makes the fleshing go very easy i think.not a lot of effort to it if you know how and your knife is sharp. greg

[rk660]

i can skin out in 5-7 minutes, and have cased them out to mid belly hung and kinda used power skinner the rest of way. time spent hanging up kinda kills ya compared to just keeping at it on bench though.

[bobwendt]

maybe I should enter that contest. I think I`d win if just clean skinning alone. with clean skinning it actually takes a tad longer on little 20 lb ones as the big 50 lbers. more corners to go around . I kneel and do it all on my knees, I mean pull the hide over my knees and cut against my knees, like filleting a fish but my leg is the backing. I carry an old folded up thick rug to kneel on so my knees don`t get too knotty.

[ColdSteel]

I have never tried clean skinning a beaver maybe I should .I just skin as fast as possible and put in freezer.Ihave a hard enough time keeping up that way.I have a friend that puts mine up after season for 6 bucks and in the long run for me its worth it.Now with no otter market my beaver catch now is only around a 100 a season

[3n]

Bob..I watched a guy at are state rondy clean skin a beaver just the way you do..he did one in 16 min. kneeling on the ground..he was a skinner for Pacfic Hide and Fur..in Wiley Carroll's book he talks about a beaver trapper from ND who clean skinned his beaver using a gallon vinegar jug..he put the jug along the beaver and stretched the hide over the jug as he fleshed..sorta the same concept.

[bobwendt]

felling the knife and strokes against my leg, like above the knee actually. I can control the closeness and depth and stroke better. in fact a guy could be blindfolded as you do it as much by feel as eyes. pull the hide with one hand, hard, while stroking sideways swipes with the other .

[bobwendt]

ps, last year I caught over 100 beaver was about 20 years ago. they never have been worth the effort financially since, relative to the way I operate now. I catch a few each year to eat and just as soon eat the meat and throw the hide away as put it up. generally I can taxidermy sell 2-3 maybe. after that it`s the hide market and I don`t go there anymore.

[ColdSteel]

I have never tried any beaver meat Bob what kind of recipe do you use

[bobwendt]

back and ham meat. chunk it walnut size, roll in flour and fry in grease. salt and pepper. and you won`t believe this, fresh beaver liver sliced , rolled in flour and fried. doesn`t even taste livery. I`ve cut them open and ripped the livers out and fried and ate before skinning. it`s that good. out in bush in skillet, flour rolled and grease, plenty salt and pepper. of course I live on bobcat meat when in ks., so most hink I`m whacked. pa. larry and I have say and ate 3-4 lb of liver at a sitting.

[trappnman]

never ate the lvier, but the back is very good, as is the same on muskrats.

[marbleyez2001]

Never tried pulling on the tail to get the gristle off. But you would have to skin the face out first to be able to get any leverage to do that. Interesting Idea...might have to try that once or twice this fall.

But rough skinning a pile of beaver should be about a 5-7 min average time doing 5+ at a time. My partner has no problem doing then in 5 min (and hes done no more than 200 in his life), for me it takes about 7. This is pulling castors, and oil sacs. But when it comes to putting them up I always get the knife!

Chop legs and tail with a loppers, and open with a hooked utility knife.
The 2 best time saves out there.
The other thing I like to do is skin the face as far down as I can while the beaver is on its back, much easier and less knife dulling when you go to skin out the face.
Then its just a matter of working around the beaver and grabbing the next one, and the next one.

But for real numbers of beavers, I dont know how anyone can keep up, except for a few freezers or a local buyer. Especially here in the spring...loosing $10-15 a beaver hurts!

[thorsmightyhammer]

Beaver is also real good if you put it in the roaster in the oven and throw on some sauce.

Makes a dang good sandwich. As good as pork I think.

Bob I know a guy that rough skins his beaver and than fleshes them over his knee.

I'll maybe go to that method someday when I get older.

On real numbers you cant keep up if trying to finish.

I'm too stubborn to sell in the round so try to max out at 20 or 25 a day. Skin them and throw into the freezer.

In the winter I try to keep up and at 15 a day its tough.

[ColdSteel]

Steven you are just a plain tough ass beaver trapper ;D

[bobwendt]

about ten a day maxs me out on beaver, what with the other mixed fur a guy always gets. coons maybe 30-40 a day. past that a guy needs a decent buyer on carcase and can take a $5 a head beating just to double the catch. my wife and I have done 100 plus coon a day before with her opening and hanging and me following grunting and ripping, gutting and bagging. we can do 100 in 2-3 hrs. a lot depends on if we are in the "zone" ,or not. I`m, not sad those days are over. we have other zones now however. if fur ever shines again I`m sure it`s like riding a bicycle