Opinions please

[bogio]

click it


Disregard the commentary as it serves no purpose here.

Look my put up over and tell me what you feel would help make it more saleable. Hard to make a silk purse from a sow's ear but you work with what you have. Just started tucking the front legs in last year, stripping and tucking the ears this year. I feel it gives it a cleaner more professional look. I also narrowed them up this year to try and make the necks and bellies appear fuller. Too narrow? Wash or no. Straight water, soap, woolite? Been doing a straight water wash, this one had a little shampoo put at it. Seems to add some fluff. Wire need to be traded out for wood? Why?

[mastermink]

Nice job, big femal caught with foothold trap and killed by head shooting,isn't it? Good color. Maybe a little bit narrow.

[trappnman]

to me it also looks a bit too narrow, but it could just be that individual pelt

I'm almost 100% on wood now, occasionally I run out of wood but that's rare

I think wood does give a wider pelt overall, and I THINK it makes them appear fuller- but its a small difference. I am coming around to the belief that on most coyotes, esp large ones, they benefit in stretching by having more than 2 anchoring points like you get with wire, but its pretty subjective

I've tried shampoo and woolite in the wash, and find that it takes far longer to rinse and I just don't see much difference overall. I do however see a day and night difference in just the over all look of shiny and soft, plus the obvious fluff, in using baby oil and then a few minutes in warm dryer.

I don't think any of that matters if shipping, since from what I understand, no grading is done til after drumming occurs

but local, I haven't a doubt the few hours spent before sale, increases the bottomline

stripping the ears is like pleating the tail for mink for me as it gives me zero $$ back,

does no harm, or good, either way.

I know about the so called ears rotting, esp as pointed out when tanned- I've got 7-8 tanned, all done just cutting ears, and some are 20 years old and they have shown me no deterioration around the ears.

so I just cut them....after all, if I save a few seconds, that translates into setting 50 more traps that day....

[bogio]

It seems to be the general consensus that I squeezed the stretcher in a little bit too much. Perhaps I'll spring it back out a bit and not put much tension on them.

mastermink you are on track.

I started stripping the ears as they dry considerably faster and I like the look with them tucked in. I'm doing it on the beam with a pair of pliers. Just grab the ear butt and pull. Takes about 10 seconds per.

So Tman, you are doing a clear water wash and giving them a little oil massage before going on the stretcher? Do you oil them up wet then tumble dry them or let them hang dry/oil/tumble? Scrape before the wash or after?

[trappnman]

clear water wash

after pelt is completely dry and off stretcher, I VERY lightly rub a little oil on both sides of the pelt, then put 4 coyotes, or 6 fox, I the dryer at the lowest warm temp, for about 4 minutes. empty the lint tray often.

we do this the night before we sell- run a little assembly line

I've never had any problem with the ears drying- the only drying problem I have, is when it gets later in season and colder, takes under front legs a bit longer to dry- my legs are cut 3-4 inches from chest, and then if drying problems a toilet paper roll is stuck in for a day or two

nice having a helper-

I skin in field while she remakes

at night, I wash and shake out then hang for next day

lori fleshes the previous days coyotes while I'm doing this

then we both put up those coyotes, and then work on either turning, taking off, etc already stretched pelts.

makes the work go faster, and fun to have someone to share the day with

[TrapperRon]

I would say too long and narrow. I take it you used a wire stretcher. Hope you put it on leather out first and then turned it.

[jim]

I have never washed a coyote, just spot washed a bloody one once in a while.

Jim

[trappnman]

if you ship your coyotes it most likely matters little, but it does make a huge difference selling local

[bblwi]

I don't catch many coyotes but I feel it is quite a bit too narrow. This is especially true if you want to show a nice sizable white clear belly that is really the good trim for many coyotes. You lose square inches of that valuable fur and it may decrease value. The pelt itself as to quality etc. looks very good.

Bryce

[RdFx]

I found washing yotes when selling locally does make a differance but not the big auctions. Got two wringer washers in fur shed. Ones for sale!