DIY trapping a Coyote/cat/coon

[Tuffbroadhead]

Love the thread.....boy that seems like a lot of work for not much money. How long does it take you to skin/flesh-out a coon hide?

Takes less than 5 min to skin one out and about the same to flesh it, a few more to place it on a stretcher and set the pins.

I should get good money for these...never selling green again.

[yanta61]

Dale who are you going to sell your stretched hides too? Fur buyer or auction?


I have the skinning down to under 5 min but a little longer on the fleshing....

[Tuffbroadhead]

Thinking of selling at Nafa... (auction)

A west texas guy just sold to groewnalds and got 12.00 for his finished west texas coons.

[yanta61]

Saw that too in trapperman..... The only good thing about groewnalds is they call you with the price. If you don't like it they will ship the furs back to you at their expense.

Dale what do you think about these???



Do you think their fleshed good enough? Going to take them with me tomorrow and see what the buyer says.

[BTLowry]

OK so you skin the coon, flesh the hide and stretch

Then what? Freeze? or dry some way?

[Tuffbroadhead]

They look pretty good!! Just get your base line at your tail nice and straight across, looks like you could have used a few more pins and made it nice and level all the way across, same for your view window and rear legs, try and keep them uniform and straight.

Once I get mine were I want it, I take a razor and cut off any excess to make it look uniform.

IIIIIIIII see you did the same thing I did today, boobees got ya . I got a nice tear in a belly when I hit one fleshing, LOL!! Just for a cleaner look sew your tears up with tan string..

Great job !!

Quick question, what kind of stretchers are you using?

I'm using the "Top lot " adjustable ones and don't set the width till I have the coon on the board, only going 7 1/2 inches on each one....that way once I get a pile of them I can put like sizes together and they are all uniform..




Once they are dry you can wrap them in paper and store in the freezer for a LONG LONG time..

But yes with good air flow and decent room temps you can dry a coon in a 3-4 days, leaving them on longer will not hurt them at all.

[yanta61]

Thanks Dale..... I only have two boards and I made them from measurement off of NAFA. I need to build a few more. I thinking that I will make some adjustable for cats and coyotes. The adjustable boards should help with air flow when drying with the fur out.

[Fergeris]

Man y'all are getting me to want to start finishing my furs next year

[Tuffbroadhead]

Man y'all are getting me to want to start finishing my furs next year

I buy mine direct from the guy that makes them...great people to do business with and a quality item..

http://www.toplotstretcherco.com/

[Fergeris]

Thanks I have some stretchers. I did it before i was a goverment trapper. But quit Cus of lack of time

[drop dead fred]

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[yanta61]

Here is my end of year pic....The majority were caught in the last 20 days. I already sold 1 cat, 1 coyote, and about 20 coons earlier this year.... Ran 8 coyote/cat traps and 8 coon traps.

[Coach W]

WOW... Thats impressive!

[yanta61]

Lucky I trap because I like it and to keep the tradition alive and not for the money.....

Sold furs today all green except 4 dried coons....Lewing fur

5 coyote @$8
1 coyote @$4
25 Coons @$5
10 coons @$3
1 cat @$40
1 cat @$35

I talked to the buyer about my stretched hides and he said they look ok but still only offered me green prices.... So if I decide to stretch I really need to find a place to ship.

[ground level]

Seen dried and stretched hides before, but was curious of the 'window' being that large - is it customary to have it so large? Seems I've seen them smaller and not as high up.

Yanta, nice looking bunch of hides there and you did some great work on the skunks!

I had thought about drying mine, but then took into consideration on the price for shipping, not knowing how your bunch of furs will be graded and at what price, then they take 8% for selling and you get the rest. Unless you can actually haul in the fur, it might be worth it, but I have a fellow that buys my coon whole between $12-15 and I don't have to skin or sell green or dry & stretch. Other species are not as easy since he will only buy the coons and I then sell to Ron.

I don't fool with coyotes except for scalping and I get $12 bounty for them. Heck, I skinned enough coyotes to know it isn't worth it here in Texas and especially if they are not still warm when you attempt to skin them. Bounty it is.