this falls muskrat market

[trappnman]

if you can find the old Peerless wire stretchers they are the best by far- right size, and HEAVY wire-

[thorsmightyhammer]

Got some, dont really like em.

Personal preference deal.

Also I am going away from the heavy wire stretchers.

[trappnman]

why don't you like them?

I've got 5-6 brands, and by far, I prefer Peerless the most- dukes the worst

[thorsmightyhammer]

See my last comment.

I probably like the dukes for the reason you dislike them.

I can make a rat that was a large on a heavy wire stretcher an xl on a dukse.

Rat market is hot and nobody seems to care if they are a bit narrow.

[trappnman]

for smaller rats, I got a bunch that are broken on the bottom, where the 2 sides come together- so I can make then any width I want.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Most of my fall/november rats are on the smaller side.

If I put them on the heavy wire stretchers I'd end up with a pile of large and under.

One thing I like about the low grade steel in the dukes is the stretcher will kinda collapse on itself when I am pulling them down.

Like the beav is fond of saying, most stretchers imho are too wide in the shoulder region.

[trappnman]

I see your point, but thats what I don't like about the dukes-

and the bigger the stretcher, the worse it gets- bought a couple doz coyote ones years ago, and don't even use them any more.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Only thing i use wire on is rats. Everything else, wood.

On rats length is money. Want to average a buck less in my area, stretch them too wide.

Buddy of mine had a guy put up 300 rats or so and I'd wager there wasnt 10 xxl rats in the bunch.

It was because they werent there it was the stretch. I'd have got a 100 out of that bunch.

[trappnman]

but beav states unequivably, that wood gives you a larger rat, does he not?

I know only this- this past year, I put up 100 or so rats on wood. I thought they looked great- to be honest, was thinking if it paid off, I'd go all to wood. Imagine my surprize, when I proudly point out the ones on wood, and was told by my buyer- "what happened, you run out of wire?"

When I said no, was just thinking of changing over, he said NO- stick with wire.

I think length on wire, is determined almost entirely, by the method used- I put all mine on wire sitting down, squeeze the middle or slightly below on the stretcher with my knees, narrowing it down considerably, then I pull the skin on tight, before releasing the pressure.

I've never seen the need for clothespins- tried them, saw no measurable difference in side creep.

[thorsmightyhammer]

If you dont send to auction wood for rats is a waste of time imho.

[thebeav2]

I'll say It again MOST STRETCHERS ARE WAY TO WIDE and that goes for most of the wood I have seen on the market. Most wood stretchers try and copy the average wire stretcher and that's where you go wrong.

Tman If you have to sit around and squeeze the stretcher to narrow It then your STRETCHERS ARE TO WIDE to begin with.

"Wood gives you are larger rat"

NO NO No It just displays the rat better 90% of guys let the skirts ride up and you are going to loose money that way. That never happens when using wood.

And when the final grade Is being done and there looking for fur quality and weight and that solid feeling when that rat Is bent and shook. Wood Is going to get the average rat In a higher grade.

[thebeav2]

One more thing. In a STRONG market It probably dosen't matter what you do to your rats you could probably streach them open. BUT In a WEAK market wood Is going to come out the winner.

[trappnman]

no beav, they are not- they were MADE for rats of the size I have here- literally

you squeeze to get maximum length w/no creep.

I've got a couple of doz newhouse ones, with the open bottom, and I can see why the guy gave them too me- I tried them a year, and said not for me.

Each to their own.

tried wood, no longer trying wood.

[thebeav2]

Muskrats around here? What does that mean Do you have a special sub species In your area??

[trappincoyotes39]

Beav how much do you think you gain wood over wire? We are talking muskrats after all correct?

Years ago when I trapped rats I used victor and peerless for many rats and the buyer always stated how well our rats looked. Get them drawn down tight and hook the tail skin until dry and then cut it off prior to selling.

[trappnman]

finally getting the emoticon thing down?

what it means, is that Peerless were made and sold in one region first- doesn't take emoticons to tell me that Peerless Chain company started making them early last century, because the LOCAL demand was there-

would seem obvious to me- that if a product was made locally for demand locally, that they would be made to those specs.

When my dad bought his first, he didn't buy them mail order or from a supply shop- he went down the street to the factory.

[trappnman]

I don't know how many 100,000s of rats my buyer has bought over the years- but when he tells me NO on wood, that wire gives you a better shaped rat AND longer and go back to my wire- the debate for ME is over.

[robertw]

If your rats are not being scanned for sizeing, you will never understand the difference in wood or wire stretchers.

Beav, is going for the best possible return for his rats, he ships them and he understands what is needed to get the top price. Anybody want to compare prices with him???

[trappincoyotes39]

well then explain it to us. How much size are you gaining wood over wire on most rats?

[kelly]

At least, another size larger!