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Post by Scott Kimball on Apr 18, 2012 17:13:09 GMT -5
I am robbing a thread from another forum but would be interested as to who may or may not skin on the line and what are your thoughts about skinning on the line are be it good or bad.
or even if you have contemplated doing it what are your view points good or bad.
just trying to figure out if i want to come home and call it a day and be done with it all or.... do a few more hours in the.......as Mark Zagger would say ( in the peeler room)
Scott
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Post by Itrapny on Apr 18, 2012 17:34:41 GMT -5
Have thought about it when having to pack out a big beaver once or twice....haven't ever tried it though.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2012 17:44:31 GMT -5
Once, I tried skinning a coyote hot at the set........ never again. Just my opinion. Out west were the dogs are the size of fox every one seems to.
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Post by mikespring on Apr 18, 2012 18:00:46 GMT -5
Start checkin around 5.30...done around 8,00 am..I`ve never had a reason to skin in the the field. I could see where some of the guys that run all day long would do so tho.
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Post by mexicantrapper on Apr 18, 2012 18:18:23 GMT -5
Never done it but the couple times I've had more fur than I could carry back to the truck in one trip I thought long and hard about it. Decided I didn't have the right tools for the job on me. A couple coon with a fox or 2 get heavy quick when you're a half mile from the truck.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 18, 2012 20:21:42 GMT -5
During that Hot weather streak in Mid-marsh when I was down in the marsh and a couple hours from getting back to the truck I was skinning rats if they were reasonably dry to keep them from tainting in the heat.
If you had an O'Gorman Style Reese Hitch skinning post set up and were "back in the sticks" or in a remote area, I could see it being an advantage for a longer line.
but in Central or Upstate New York, I could see where you could run into potential problems with "proper" ethical carcass disposal, as most Landowners really don't want carcass piles dotting the landscape on their ground. some don't care but most would rather you didn't leave them around to rot.
I usually don't catch enough animals each day where it is a problem for me.
walleyed
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Post by slyfox74 on Apr 18, 2012 21:51:42 GMT -5
In extreme cases like Walleyed mentioned I've done it, but prefer the comfort of my work shop for skinning. Radio, TV, heat, skinning bench, all the comforts that you don't have in the field
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Post by sthet on Apr 18, 2012 22:10:20 GMT -5
If you have time to skin in the field you aren't trapping hard enough
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Post by mole on Apr 19, 2012 2:36:54 GMT -5
Depends on what you are trapping and where. I have skinned many beaver back in the bush . it is a whole lot easier carrying a couple pelts a couple miles than a couple whole beaver. Charles Dobbins wrote of stopping to skin on the line and I suppose he trapped hard enough. C . O' Gorman writes of stopping to Peel Hot as he says and he catches a few. I guess what works for you is what you do.
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Post by trappermac on Apr 19, 2012 5:19:38 GMT -5
Back in the day when I ran long rat lines with a partner we used to skin out all our rats in the field weather permitting. Run a stretch of line, stop and peel, then move on to another section, stop and peel, etc. With two guys it was quick. This was on state and federal marshlands. Land animals/carrion eaters appreciated the meals.
These days I like the fur shed, but will at times skin out beaver in the field. If I ever run long rat lines again I would probably peel in the field again if the weather permits.
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Post by johnrockwood on Apr 19, 2012 7:04:59 GMT -5
Skinning in the field uses up precious daytime hours when you should be setting or checking more traps ! That said, I have skinned more than a few beavers in the field out of necessity when long distances from the truck and too much to carry. Five big beaver skins will about fill a large packbasket and is more than enough to carry. If it takes less time to skin them than it does to make multiple trips, skin 'em. Otherwise, carry it all to the truck and use your daylight hours to better advantage. Skinning can be done at night !
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Post by herm on Apr 19, 2012 7:53:35 GMT -5
I do a lot of skinning in the field while both hunting and trapping.I carry in my pocket a rope about as thick as what would be a pull rope for a chain saw.The ends are tied together so I can put the rope around a small tree by making a loop then I make a loop at the other end for the animals leg so the animal can be hung up to skin.
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Post by clt on Apr 19, 2012 9:17:58 GMT -5
I skin every coyote within an hour of dispatch.I like to leave the carcasses where they belong,close to another coyote set.Every other critter usually waits until I get done for the day checking... I like to do otter when they are warm also.The best way to cure someone of complaining about skinning a cold coyote is to give them a cold otter.LOL
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Post by fisherman on Apr 19, 2012 16:00:30 GMT -5
Much of my trapping experience has been trapping the Adirondack back country for beaver. Much of that would place me at locations a mile, two, or more from the road and most of that trapping was on snowshoes. Catching huges numbers of beaver has never been my goal. I much prefer to enjoy where I am, the solitude, what I am doing, and to admire what I do catch.I've never been impressed with the huge catches. Some of the best trappers I've known never owned more than a couple of dozen traps. I measure the quality of a trapper by what he does with what he has available to him and let me tell you there are some excellant trappers out there that no one ever hears about. Believe me I've carried my share of beaver out on my shoulder, skidded a number of them out on kids plastic sleds with the beaver usually being on the snow with the sled on top. Yes I have made multiple trips back in when I would catch more than one. Without question skinning on site is the only way to go under those circumstances. What I suggest doing is to build a fire , rub the beaver in the snow to remove 90% of the water, start the sterno stove and cook my trusty can of beans. For beaver I am addicted to skinning with those round ended beaver knives (forgot the brand name). I also carry a towel, sharpener, and those moistureized cloths to clean your hands. The most that I've ever carried in the basket was four pelts and believe me that is enough to carry. I also carry a small ziplock bag for the castors. When I was a kid we would skin our rats in the tidal marshes, waiting for the tide to change so that we could get at the rest of our sets. The good old days; today those marshes has been filled in with garbage and are the resting place of the debris from the twin towers.
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Post by Rick on Apr 19, 2012 17:51:39 GMT -5
That would require me to carry beer with me Scott.
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Post by oldtimer on Apr 19, 2012 18:55:04 GMT -5
scott . it can be a lot faster if you are walking a line of some distance as fur skins easy when fresh and is a lot easier to carry. ps. are you from millport ny ? oldtimer
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Trapper Jack
life member nysta,alaska trappers assn,nta, foothill trappers
Posts: 523
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Post by Trapper Jack on Apr 20, 2012 8:47:17 GMT -5
Fisherman, I couldn't of said it better.
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Zagman
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,186
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Post by Zagman on Apr 20, 2012 9:05:18 GMT -5
If I trapped all season at a normal pace for coyotes, I'd consider it.
If I had a partner, I'd consider it. One guy skins, the other remakes, etc.
As a one man show on a three week "vacation" daylight to dark, I still feel daylight is for trapping, night time is for skinning.
I will tell you that on some of the bigger days, having a load of coyotes in the back of the truck can certainly wear on your mindset......you wanna put more traps in, but you know you have a pile of work waiting for you at the "peeler joint".
This is where focus and drive and determination have to take over.....but I have to admit, sometimes the load of green bellies wins out, and I head home.
And my line suffers because of it.....
MZ
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Post by bballou on Apr 20, 2012 11:49:16 GMT -5
The only animals I skin on the line are Beaver and Coyotes --- The Beaver is skun because of the weight--- I cant get through the alder swamps like I once did with any Beaver over 30 lbs. Much less more than one. But when its cold ---its a different story---you have to do what fisherman said and keep your hands warm when skinning---if you dont there can be real big trouble----had a partner get real sick from cold hands ---about 1 1/2 miles in---It was a big job getting him out of the woods---imagine being alone---- If it isnt far or hard going and below 30 degrees I will carry Beaver out---I think a lot of it has to do with age. Coyotes --- to me they skin a lot easier when warm--- (usually skun where cought) I dont intentionaly trap Coyotes any more--so I dont have large numbers to do.---As for the rest of the animals they go back to the shed where they are cleaned and set up to be dryed --- then the previous days catch is taken care of----Only an emergency will change that---no matter the hour or how tired I might be. I COUGHT IT----Now the animal has to be taken care of.---IS MY MOTTO---I hate to see a green belly -----makes me feel as if I am not liveing up to my end of the bargen ---with Mother Nature. There have been many nights in the shed that ran to 11:00PM---- I like to use all the day light I can setting traps and taking care of them ---So I do most of my skinning and fur put up at night in the warm shed.
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oldeman
Fulton Montgomery Fur Harvesters Ass.
Posts: 581
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Post by oldeman on Apr 20, 2012 18:12:25 GMT -5
I do not trap many beaver because I love to catch those native brookies from the dams.I do agree with Bill on the coyotes you cannot skin them soon enough.when time permits in the field is great ,building a skinner for receiver hitch for next fall.You might throw otter in with the coyotes also.The rest can wait for the trip home.
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Post by fisherman on Apr 20, 2012 18:26:26 GMT -5
I really think it is what works best for you.Beaver are skinned in the woods, rats depend on the situation, and other critters Mink,fisher, otter, fox go home to the shed. I too am getting old and am slowing down. I'm at the point to really appreciate that I can still get out there and do it; lotta guys can't. What Bill said about green bellies really hits home. In particular in warmer weather I will skin muskrats even if they are not dry, just to get that pelt away from that belly. You can suck up a lot of the water with newspaper and then hang them up overnight fur side out to dry. My theory is that if I take this critter's life I owe it to the animal to handle the pelt in the best manner possible. Even the carcasses are put to use; muskrats go for fox bait, beaver go for fisher bait, and the castors and oil sacs are either sold or used to make my own lures. Very little goes to waste.
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Post by bballou on Apr 21, 2012 16:26:36 GMT -5
fisherman----I have been thinking---of carrying news paper with me and rapping the wet fur in the papers-----have you ever tryed this ?? Has anyone tryed it ? Thinking it may help with the drying.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 21, 2012 16:53:05 GMT -5
fisherman----I have been thinking---of carrying news paper with me and rapping the wet fur in the papers-----have you ever tryed this ?? Has anyone tryed it ? Thinking it may help with the drying. Charles Dobbins always recomended it in his books years ago. I have tried it and it works well to soak up a lot of water but not very practical as I carry fur in the bed of my pickup. I usually just depend on the wind from going down the road fast to "blowdry" the fur dry. The newpapers don't stay wrapped around the fur going down the road at 50 MPH. It would be more practical in a truck with a cap or the enclosed trunk of a car. walleyed
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