Post by pawaide on Nov 6, 2015 23:30:55 GMT -5
Firstly, I am new....as in VERY new.... to trapping in general, and I would like to thank the members of this board for all the information I have gleaned from reading over the past few months.
I have a rather short line, a dozen or so traps, including some weasel boxes, that I can run with the four wheeler in a half an hour or so before work in the mornings. I often need to spring my sets on the weekends, so I don't disturb the bowhunters on the property where I have them set. I have caught a couple coon, and this morning my first skunk ( in what I believed to be a very well made fox set..... )
Being a total nube, and having never had a mentor, I determined that I would keep medium or large coon, so I could learn to use my knife and beam. So begins my tale. Yesterday morning I decided to try to flesh my first coon. Mind you I have been staring longingly at my shiny new Necker 600, and the pretty beam that was on sale at FNT, for a few weeks, waiting for this day.
I steeled myself, and told myself that I was going to take it slow, and learn the feel of my knife. I have watched every youtube video I can find on fur handling, and have a decent grasp of the process.... I had just never done it.
I dutifully combed out the cape, and walked up to my beam with determination, and pride. I set a trap. I caught fur! I am a trapper!!
Things started out well enough, although the 70 degree weather had my handles slicked with coon grease in about 6 nanoseconds. I must have sopped up a quart as I tried to get the work done. Then, without any real reason, I tore a hole on the side of my hide. Frustration.... Oh well..... I am learning the craft. Mistakes are inevitable. Then.... another hole. Seriously?? What the heck??? Moving on....as the grease begins to melt down the beam.... I slow down even more, determined to not ruin this hide (more than I already had.)
By the time I was done, I had lost count of the holes in the hide, all of which were unnecessary. I sat with my greasy hands looking at the mess I had made of what would have been a decent early season hide, and wondered if I would EVER be able to do the job well enough to actually SELL a hide or two.
I put the hide on a stretcher, and hung it in the garage. It looked sad, with all the damage I had done. Then I went to clean up the grease, and realized one critical error that an experienced fur handler might have avoided. Did you know that fleshing beams have a top and a bottom?? Yep. You probably did!!! But this guy right here, not so much. It turns out that the top of the board is much more rounded, and conducive to fleshing a hide without destroying it. ROOKIE MISTAKE!!
Tomorrow morning when I get home from my little line, I have a skunk to skin and put up. I only hope I can avoid any catastrophe.. At least it's warm enough that I can sleep outside for a couple days if I screw it up. Hi Hi.
Hope I have at least entertained you folks for a couple of minutes. Allegany County fur is probably relatively safe from me..... Unless I actually catch some!
Good luck to all, and thank you again for taking a couple minutes to read my tale.
Pawaide
I have a rather short line, a dozen or so traps, including some weasel boxes, that I can run with the four wheeler in a half an hour or so before work in the mornings. I often need to spring my sets on the weekends, so I don't disturb the bowhunters on the property where I have them set. I have caught a couple coon, and this morning my first skunk ( in what I believed to be a very well made fox set..... )
Being a total nube, and having never had a mentor, I determined that I would keep medium or large coon, so I could learn to use my knife and beam. So begins my tale. Yesterday morning I decided to try to flesh my first coon. Mind you I have been staring longingly at my shiny new Necker 600, and the pretty beam that was on sale at FNT, for a few weeks, waiting for this day.
I steeled myself, and told myself that I was going to take it slow, and learn the feel of my knife. I have watched every youtube video I can find on fur handling, and have a decent grasp of the process.... I had just never done it.
I dutifully combed out the cape, and walked up to my beam with determination, and pride. I set a trap. I caught fur! I am a trapper!!
Things started out well enough, although the 70 degree weather had my handles slicked with coon grease in about 6 nanoseconds. I must have sopped up a quart as I tried to get the work done. Then, without any real reason, I tore a hole on the side of my hide. Frustration.... Oh well..... I am learning the craft. Mistakes are inevitable. Then.... another hole. Seriously?? What the heck??? Moving on....as the grease begins to melt down the beam.... I slow down even more, determined to not ruin this hide (more than I already had.)
By the time I was done, I had lost count of the holes in the hide, all of which were unnecessary. I sat with my greasy hands looking at the mess I had made of what would have been a decent early season hide, and wondered if I would EVER be able to do the job well enough to actually SELL a hide or two.
I put the hide on a stretcher, and hung it in the garage. It looked sad, with all the damage I had done. Then I went to clean up the grease, and realized one critical error that an experienced fur handler might have avoided. Did you know that fleshing beams have a top and a bottom?? Yep. You probably did!!! But this guy right here, not so much. It turns out that the top of the board is much more rounded, and conducive to fleshing a hide without destroying it. ROOKIE MISTAKE!!
Tomorrow morning when I get home from my little line, I have a skunk to skin and put up. I only hope I can avoid any catastrophe.. At least it's warm enough that I can sleep outside for a couple days if I screw it up. Hi Hi.
Hope I have at least entertained you folks for a couple of minutes. Allegany County fur is probably relatively safe from me..... Unless I actually catch some!
Good luck to all, and thank you again for taking a couple minutes to read my tale.
Pawaide