FROM ANIMAL TO MARKET.
Under this title, says an experienced Western trapper, I shall
endeavor to show my brother trappers how to handle pelts:
As soon as I get in from my traps (I use a team and wagon), I feed
team, dogs and self, then I proceed to skin the game in the usual
manner; when game is all skinned I put on my fleshing suit, made of
rubber cloth like that buggy curtains are made of, get out my
fleshing boards, of which I have three sizes--large, medium and
small--for each kind of cased skins except rat, which I flesh with
thumb and knife. The fleshing boards are like Fig. 1 on enclosed
diagram, made of 1 inch pine free from knots and dressed on both
sides, 3 feet 6 inches long, and for skunk 3/4 in. and 10 in. wide,
tapered up to a blunt point, edges rounded and sandpapered smooth.
These boards can be made of other sizes so as to fit larger or
smaller pelts of other kind.
[Illustration: FLESHING BOARD.]
For a flesher I have tried nearly everything imaginable, dull knives,
hardwood scrapers, etc., but have abandoned them all for the hatchet.
I use an old lath hatchet head and use it tolerably sharp; I proceed
as follows: Put pelt on board but do not fasten, grip lower edge with
left hand, pull down hard, place point of board against breast and
use hatchet with right, pushing down and holding hatchet nearly flat;
use plenty of elbow grease; as fast as you get a strip cleaned off
turn hide a little but do not flesh on edge of board. It may not work
good at first and you may cut one or two hides, but you will soon get
the knack.
[Illustration: STRETCHING FRAME.]
If possible take a bitch skunk for the first as they flesh easier,
and be sure there are no burrs or chunks of mud in the fur, or you
will cut a hole the size of the burr. Now for the stretchers. In Fig.
2 is what I use; it is something of my own invention, and there is no
patent on it. It is made of any wood that will split straight, and
the dimensions are as follows: Pieces are 4 ft. long by 1 3/8 in.
dressed smooth; pieces are 1 1/2 X 3/8 in.; will say for large skunks
here they would be 10 in. and 4 1/2 in. To frame you must soak or
steam the long pieces; mitre the ends and fasten with 3d finishing
nails clinched. Then place in position 1 in. from ends and fasten
with two 6d finishing nails; place in position and pull up to 8 in.
from nose and fasten: now chamfer off edges and sandpaper smooth.
I like this stretcher, as it airs both sides of pelt and will dry
them in half the time. Fig 3 shows manner of fastening pelt; on belly
side it can be drawn down and fastened to tail pieces with sack
needle and twine; it is made of two or more poles fastened in the
shape of a hoop.
In shipping furs, bale tight; do not ship loose in sack; place mink
and rat inside of skunk and other fur, and always place the toughest
pelts on outside. By bailing tight you will avoid crinkling and they
will not look mussy and will bring from 5 to 10 per cent. more. Now,
brother trappers, fleshing pelts, as I understand it, is not merely
taking the fat off, but in going deeper and taking the flesh clean
from the pelt so that if skunk, the stripe will show clear the full
length and reducing the weight by half. On February 2nd I shipped 15
skunk, all large; the lot only weighed 9 pounds including sack.
[Illustration: SKIN ON STRETCHER.]
When stretching skunk and otter skins, if the weather is warm, split
the tails, open and tack flat. Split open half way all others that
have fur tails. Open pelts can be stretched in hoops made of one or
more poles an inch or so in diameter, and sewed in with a sack needle
and heavy twine.
In stretching do not get the pelt so wide that the fur looks thin, or
so long and narrow that it looks as if a horse had been hitched to
each end. Keep the natural shape of the animal as much as possible,
dry in a cool, airy place inside, or on the north side of a building
and away from fire.
Baling--here is where the expert trapper shows his craft, and in
baling you will see him wipe off all surplus fat and dirt and place
the heavy pelts on the outside of his pack. The lighter furs, such as
mink, marten, cat, etc., will be placed inside of the skins that are
heavier. For instance: From four to eight rats or mink, inside of a
fox or skunk. He will place the head of one to the tail of another,
the tails folded in. He now ties a cord tightly around each end,
placing them on a square of burlap, and with sack needle and twine
draws up the sides as tight as he can; then he folds in the ends and
sews up snug. Furs thus packed reach the market in good shape, and
not such as they would if crammed promiscuously into a sack.
[Illustration: HOOP STRETCHER.]
In conclusion, boys, let me suggest a maxim or two for your guidance:
"Prime caught and well handled furs always bring top prices." "Take
pride in your catch, no matter how small."
While the heading of this chapter is "From Animal to Market" it is
well when shipping to request the dealer to grade and send value. If
satisfactory, write to send on check. If not satisfactory, have
dealer return furs.
When shipping furs under these conditions see that no green skins are
sent--only properly cured ones.
While some dealers offer to pay expressage both ways we hardly think
this fair and if no deal is made the dealer should pay the expressage
one way and the shipper the other.
The Hunter-Trader-Trapper, published at Columbus, Ohio, in the
interests of hunters, trappers and dealers in raw furs contains a
great deal of information that will be of value along the line of
shipping furs as well as trapping methods, etc.