Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver
It was a matter of necessity.
When I was learning to trap we simply didn't have the space to have a fleshing beam setup.
Our traplines cabins were tiny compared to today's cabins because we had no power tools to assist us. No chain saws, no Ski Doos, no hoists of such things.
When fixing fur at home we had to work in whatever space was available at that moment. With 16 people living in a two room shack there just wasn't a lot of space.
Plus we never knew where we would be spending the night during the active part of the season.
We had three line cabins. Each a day's walk apart and the homestead. Together they formed a loop that took from four or more days to cover.
We would have had to install a fleshing beam at each cabin and at home.
With the very limited space and limited equipment it was just a lot easier to flesh the smaller hides right on the stretcher and to do beaver on ones knee.
Another factor was the spring beaver hunt where we would set up a tent beside a colony and hunt the beaver within an hours walk.
Because we often had to move camp a time or two in a two week spring hunt, fleshing hides on one's knee just made life a whole lot easier.
Everything had to be back packed in and out as well. Flesh is heavier then hides so it just made sense to flesh the days hides in the evening and building a beam at each camp simply wasn't an option.
There was too much other work to do and packing one around would have meant a lot of food and other supplies would have been left at home.
All the trappers I grew up with fleshed pelts the same way for the same reasons.
|
This is very interesting Keg. I really enjoy hearing/learning about the past and the more traditional ways of living in the bush. I would eventually like to use more traditional methods in making many of my things that I use. Always wanted to build a traditional dead-fall trap. Many of the traditions used to build this country are being lost. Anyways, sorry for the derail OP.
Hybrid Mode
