Old Coyote Board

HunterDave · #1 02-07-2015, 06:04 PM

Awhile back someone gave me a coyote board with Hudson's Bay Company stamped on it. Anyone know the history of these boards or how old it might be? I'm thinking that it may be collectible due to the stamp.

Tfng · #2 02-07-2015, 06:12 PM

It's cool and I would probably give you a premium just because of the stamp. Im not saying I think its for sale. It wouldn't be worth the cost of shipping anyway.

The wood does not seem very aged. It seems relatively new.

HunterDave · #3 02-07-2015, 06:25 PM

Yeah, it's pretty much new. It was in someones loft for ages and was never used by him. I put up some coyotes using the board though.

waterninja · #4 02-07-2015, 08:51 PM

Neat board dave. It's always nice to come across a collectable. You should bring it to the ATA rendezvous if you go.

DUKE-1 · #5 02-09-2015, 08:08 AM

My uncle wally ran the Hudson Bay company in Yellowknife 1960's the the late 70's , they sold stretchers with there stamp on them . most everything they should had a stamp. it was there marketing / advertising back then.

KegRiver · #6 02-09-2015, 01:43 PM

I've seen them, but it's been over thirty years since I saw one for sale new.
I don't think it's that old but it ought to be colectable.

So far as I know the bay is out of the fur business for good, if so those boards are no longer in production. With that and the tie to the Hudsons Bay Company and it's history, I would think any collector of fur history would want one or more.

I wonder how many of the younger trappers know that the Hudsons Bay company helped open up the west with its fur buying enterprises.

As I understand it, back before 1960 there were two big players in the fur buying business out west. The Hudsons Bay Company was the largest by far and their main competition, the Revillon Freres Company a distant second, got out of the fur buying business around 1940.

There were and still are many small players in the industry. Some of you remember Sam Belcourt. He drove from town to town buying furs in each town, village, or truck stop as he went.
Local entrepreneurs like Mel Grimm and Danberger-Sons, Ted Stigson, and many others bought furs as a side to other business activities.

Mel Grimm owned and operated a truck stop north of Manning. The Danbergers owned a pawn shop in Peace River, Ted Stigson ran a general store in Carcajou and in the early days he had a barge operation on the Peace River, hauling grain to the rail head in Peace River town.

Most towns had at least one fur buyer and traveling fur buyers would come right to the trappers door in some cases.

I sold my first Fisher to Sam Belcourt, right in dad's kitchen. I sold my first beaver pelts to Ted Stigson at his general store. Years later I sold several lots of fur to ****kers in Edmonton, but most of my fur was sold through the Dominion Soudack auction house then later to the North West Fur Company, and later still, to NAFA.

Just a bit of history to remember how far we have come.

Bigmountainrider · #7 02-09-2015, 01:52 PM

Old Grimm is still around, I have stayed at his hotel for the last few years while bear hunting. He is never without an interesting story or opinion on something. Still buys furs if you have them.

northbuck · #8 02-09-2015, 03:47 PM

Hello fellow trappers,
I'm slightly surprised that these boards might be considered "collectables". Approximately 6 years ago, the "at the time" girlfriend and I were coming back from a day in town. She was a garage sale "addict" and of course, seeing one advertised on the way home, she made me stop. Like I usually did, I decided to wait in the truck while she would do her investigating and her "wheeling and dealing". Well...after 15 minutes or so, I got bored so I decided to go see what she was doing. I walk in and the first thing that catches my eye are a pile of coyote boards stacked in the corner of the garage...cordoned off from the "sale area. I assumed they were there because they weren't for sale but decided to ask about them anyhow. Much to my surprise, the owner lady had no clue what they were...they had been in her late husband's storage shed until very recently. So now, she proceeds to tell me that since she doesn't trap and will therefore never use them...she'll probably bring them to the "dump" or burn them. Well, of course, I ask her if she'd consider selling them to me instead. She seems surprised at first...then happy...and asks me "Would 5$ be too much to ask?"
I assume...and therefore ask..."5$ each??"
She tells me..."No...for all of them. I feel bad for even asking that much as you would be kinda doing me a favour by getting them out of my way!"
Well...now I'm the one feeling kinda bad and I tell her I refuse to give her any less than 20$ for the whole lot...an even dozen of them. So the deal was done. My being "bored" ended up getting me "boards"...lol.
Long story short...these boards have the exact same Hudson Bay stamp and although I thought they were neat-looking...I never really considered them as collectables as they looked almost brand-new. Right off the start, I had put one aside...intending to incorporate it with a few old pics, traps and tanned furs in a "trapping corner" for my man room.
So here's what I'd like to offer...
5 of these stretchers (excluding the one I'm keeping for myself) still are in what I consider very good condition with a very legible Hudson's Bay stamp.
If anyone is interested in acquiring one of these, I would be willing to work something out. I am not interested in making any profit...as long as you give me a good stretcher in return. And also, as long as you can convince me that it will be used for a good and interesting reason...such as a display...similar to the one I intend to make.
Anyone interested can pm me.

HunterDave · #9 02-09-2015, 04:37 PM

Thanks for giving me a background for the board and time frame from when it was sold. I'm not interested in keeping the board as a collectible but it might come in handy in the future as a trade for something that I may need.

northbuck · #10 02-09-2015, 11:24 PM

Wow Keg,
Your talk of the travelling fur buyers and the old "trading posts" sure brought back a flood of good memories. I remember how excited I was as a small kid when the fur van would pull into the yard. Dad would get his furs, spread them out over the kitchen floor, and the negotiations would begin. Once that was over and the cash had been doled out...the coffee was served and life was discussed. Or, maybe it was the other way around...coffee first and business afterwards...I can't quite recall?(that was almost 40 years ago). I believe the gentleman's name was Mr. Garth Lodge. My first snared coyote was sold to him...100$ cash...I was 7 years old or so...and man, did I ever feel special...life was good...lol. I ended up catching 5 more that winter...and he gave me that same price for each of them! Many years later, I still wonder if he purposely overpaid me...trying to encourage me! I also recall him going to his van and bringing in various furs to show me...species that at the time were "exotic" and unknown to me...wolverine, otter, and silver fox.
I also remember Danberger and Sons. For me, that was always THE highlight of our trips to Peace River....KFC was a distant second. As a child, there was so much to see in that old store. I remember the guns, the trapping supplies, the pile of furs in the "fur room" and of course...the pungent smell of the smoke-tanned moose hides that he always had in stock. It was there, at six years of age, that I made my first significant purchase in life...I sold my weasel and squirrel hides to purchase a half-dozen "0" long springs and a Czechlosvakian-made break-open pellet gun. I was so happy...it seemingly had taken forever to get enough fur to make that purchase...I was so scared as I walked into the store that someone else had purchased it since I had first spotted it a month earlier.
As I reminisce, I can't help but realize how much that impacted my life. The countless hours my dogs and I spent hunting grouse, squirrels, and rabbits with that pellet gun without a doubt was greatly responsible for the avid outdoorsman I am today.
Ahhh...the good ol' days...

Oops...I got momentarily stuck in the ruts of memory lane...I apologize for the rambling de-rail!

KegRiver · #11 02-10-2015, 11:55 PM

northbuck, sounds like you and I walked pretty much the same path back then.

It was a pleasure reading your reminiscing. It was so much like reading my own story.

northbuck · #12 02-11-2015, 10:22 AM

Good day to all,
I had previously made an offer regarding some of these HBC boards (Post #42).
I was pleased to see there is still interest in the history of our trapping heritage...the boards are now all spoken for! I will be in touch again with all those who have PM'ed me.
Cheers...NB