Green belly. Bloated.
 

Wondering what you guys have experienced is the temperature green belly starts with coyotes? I’ve stock piled coyotes in my freezer for the last couple weeks, now I go to thaw them out and skin and one is quite bloated and green before fully thawed so I’m guessing it happened out in the field and I didn’t see it but I don’t remember a day in the past couple weeks that was above zero in Saskatchewan.

I find it has more to do with the amount of time before you freeze them. I had a dog go green within 24hrs, but it was shot in the guts.

Doesn't happen so much at the snare with it being this cold but I've had a couple bloat a bit that were thawing in the shed that I didn't get to right away. Maybe you have to do more frequent checks until it gets colder. I prefer to skin them right away and freeze the pelt as opposed to the whole coyote. I wouldn't fit too many whole yotes in my freezer.

It takes a long time for heavy fur coyote to freeze solid in freezer as temperature is only few degrees below zero. It helps to reduce green belly if you hang coyote or wolf by hind feet, stomach enzymes move lower into rib cage.

Hhmm definitely some different things to try. I check mostly every day or every second day. These coyotes were caught mostly when it’s been below -5. Not cold enough to freeze em even when hung in shed so that’s why I put in freezer then they freeze overnight. But possibly it’s when thawing in garage before I get to them but this particular one wasn’t thawed out enough to start skinning when I noticed it so I don’t know.

Even if not frozen solid but hung in shed will green belly still set in even if it’s a constant below -5. I know ideally it’s nice to skin right away but sometimes I like to stock pile em and then lot aside 3 evenings to do a bunch at once.

Very good, smart man.

If you are wanting to freeze a whole coyote in a freezer, hang it outside to cool and stiffen up... especially if you want to freeze a few. Throw a few warm coyotes in the freezer at the same time and takes long time to cool. Plus stretched out frozen coyotes are a pleasure to skin once thawed.

Coyotes with full bellies are more prone to green bellies too. Fat coyotes hitting bait sites are more susceptible to getting green. Like mentioned stretch them out and hang them so cold air surrounds them. If they are laying on one side it could affect how they freeze too.

Yup hang by a back leg in the shed to cool and stiffen, helps minimize the green belly.

LC

If a coyote or larger furbearers are bloating you can get a trocar needle from a vet supply too. Used lots for cattle to let off air from bloating. There are a few different styles and different sizes. Bloating is from fermentation of the gut contents so if you let the air out you may impede the fermentation and slow greening. Best to vent the air out of a belly outdoors and stand on the upwind side. The stomach is on the left side just under the last rib so to know where to insert the trocar.

And If I might give my opinion and how I got it...(I'm not being righteous or a know it all). I have skinned a green coyote or two before too. Then I was lectured by an older serious trapper about green bellied pelts...

If a coyote is just starting to turn green it might be saved if the hide is taken off promptly. It is no longer a garment quality fur but more for trim.
If a yapper is more "ripe" than just starting to turn green... pull on the belly hair. If it is slipping it's not worth pelting to ship to market. Trying to freeze a coyote turning green..the green belly will still be a green belly when skinned.
He then told me... Poorly handled fur is hard to be proud of and does not show respect to the animal. Trappers should not catch more animals than they can handle unless they have someone to help with skinning or the proper places to completely freeze the animals quickly. Trappers have a responsibility to produce the best quality of fur they can. Alberta trappers have always taken pride in producing high quality prime pelts and known for setting a standard in the industry.

Thanks everyone

Hydrogen peroxide takes the green belly and the smell of green belly away. An old trapper told me that trick... Just pour a little on a rag and after its been fleshed and boarded but NOT dried, wipe the green area with the peroxide and it just DISSAPEARS