Holy Pelts!

[alder]

Yikes, I put so many holes in the coyotes I'm fleshing and so much time sewing them up I could apply for a job as a tailor! Those arm and belly areas sure are tricky. I'm using that fleshing knife from Halford's. Mind you I haven't done that many and still learning but....any suggestions?

[The Spruce]

Dull side, push, never a cutting motion. It takes a few to get the right pressure and technique. Watch Ryan 5911's video on u tube.

Spruce

[Tfng]

I had trouble popping holes as well. I've changed the tools I use and am having much better results.

Brush the fur before you start, I learned the hard way to not take short cuts.

I've switched to a piece of 4" pvc pipe for a beam, works very well and less repositioning of the hide. I still use my conventional beam to do the lips and muzzle. Everything else on the pipe.

My Caribou knife was far too sharp, I took a file to it and dulled it but still wasn't happy with it. I dont like the curve in it. I made a knife out of flat bar and have been very happy so far. I've done about twenty coyotes since I switched.

I think you may want to dull your knife more. Mine is quite dull.

I'm a rookie also so take everything with a grain of salt!

[shakeyleg02]

Originally Posted by TFNG

I had trouble popping holes as well. I've changed the tools I use and am having much better results.

Brush the fur before you start, I learned the hard way to not take short cuts.

I've switched to a piece of 4" pvc pipe for a beam, works very well and less repositioning of the hide. I still use my conventional beam to do the lips and muzzle. Everything else on the pipe.

My Caribou knife was far too sharp, I took a file to it and dulled it but still wasn't happy with it. I dont like the curve in it. I made a knife out of flat bar and have been very happy so far. I've done about twenty coyotes since I switched.

I think you may want to dull your knife more. Mine is quite dull.

I'm a rookie also so take everything with a grain of salt!

Is the pvc not rigid / hard enough is that why you use your regular beam for the face?
X2 if you dont get all the burrs out before you flesh. You will cut holes even with a dull knife

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by shakeyleg02

Is the pvc not rigid / hard enough is that why you use your regular beam for the face?
X2 if you dont get all the burrs out before you flesh. You will cut holes even with a dull knife

The pipe is plenty rigid for me.

I left the pipe cut square on the end. This makes it difficult to get the lips near the nose. I have more pipe left from the length I bought and will probably put a taper on the end of it.

I like it cut square because I have full use of the beam 360 degrees around right to the end. This allows me to just roll the pipe instead of repositioning the hide. It's a work in progress and I'm still experimenting to find what works best for me.

[jwilson]

Sharper knife, watch your angle OR skin them so you don't have to flesh. That's what I do.

[crazyfish]

Don't get frustrated , keep trying , and learn from you oops!

The angle is most important , and stay close to your body the farther away you get , the harder the angle is to keep . Practice makes perfect , patience and a gentle hand makes nice fur !

[gobigorgohome]

I actually trap with 5912ryan and he has showed me everything I know. A few things, go slow, only use the first 4 inches of the beam, that's it. If the hide buckles, you will put hplea in it. Go easy, the hide is thin. Another thing, look into getting a proper flat beam and flat knife. It gives you a lot more control over a curved and large beam. It's my first year really doing it all my self, slow and steady, even if it's 3 hours start to finish to do a coyote, TAKE YOUR TIME.

[Centralalbertasongdogslay]

Go big has it right only work a small area at a time 4-6 inches if you go further then that the hide isn't taught and the chance for putting a hole is greatly increased as for the under arm and the crotch area the hide is significantly thinner in those areas so take your time and work it slow it will pay off in the end a well handled pelt that takes time is a lot better then rushing through it and putting holes in it and remember the fur graders at the auction house go through so many pelts that they only have less then a minute to grade that fur and it will pay dived ends if you take your time in those areas and pracitise makes perfect you will get better every hide and learn your own little tricks to make it go faster! And you owe it to the animal and yourself to do the best job you can and get the highest dollar for that fur remember that animal paid with his life.

[bill9044]

Originally Posted by Centralalbertasongdogslay

you owe it to the animal and yourself to do the best job you can and get the highest dollar for that fur remember that animal paid with his life.

Well said sentence. I have recently thought that myself. Not on this thread in just general fur harvest its self. And the caring factor of guys dealing with the whole furbearers carcass.

[KegRiver]

Two mistakes begginers make.

#1, You don't need to take off everything, just the fat. There is a thin membrane against the hide, leave that on. Trying to remove it is the #1 cause of damage during fleshing.

#2 Always work in the direction the hair lies. The hide is thin and the hair roots will tend to pull a knife or fleshing tool into the hide. Working in the opossite dirrection, the roots tend to push the blade away from the hide.

[C Taylor]

I use a moose front leg bone cut at an angle. Works great on coyotes an beaver but not as fast