A few examples on some pelts

Here is a few randon pics I shot from the furs I took in last night.
1. Huge rat (18-1/2″) see the bite marks – $10 rat down to $5.00
2. Rat on right is over stretched. In addition, look at the hair roots at the side of the pelt. Another example of a $8.00 rat knocked down to a $6.00 rat
3. burrs and bug larve in the fur is another example of things that should be brushed out
4. Color grading. When things get tough and furs are graded hard, color can have an impact. The coon on the right is a much more desirable silver and more consistent. Very much inline the the heavy’s sought after from the upper mid-west.
5/6/7 Just an example of before after brushing a green pelt. When trying to achieve top dollar, it makes a difference in the presentation.

8 & 9 Almost completely prime skin to completely prime skin. The slight variance in skin color and the ability to see some hair roots.

Just a few things that impact the grading of fur and have a huge impact on $$$$$

Pretty cool!…When does trapping coon stop/slow down?

Nice pictures Randy. Do your fur buyers ever request that all the fat be taken off. When I was trapping they all wanted the fat left on and burrs etc. removed. Maybe too many guys were damageing hides or they wanted the fat left on to keep thier guys busy cleaning them to give them something to do.

This cold snap will really slow things up now. When we get the stretch of a few warmer nights, upper 20’s 30’s or warmer, the coon will be out. I’ve had some outstanding nights in late Dec/early Jan when the temps spike up for a couple nights.

Green coon pelts should be left with the fat on., and all the junk brushed out. A lot of times while skinning, the fat will pull loose from the hide, which is no big deal. Even the tail doesn’t matter if it rips off while de-boning

Thanks for the pics and information. I know I am not the only one who reads them and learns from them.

You have got my drive up to start trapping again after a 15 year lull. Hopefully next year I can run the line again.

I thought they porbably still wanted the fat on beings its hard to get off. The buyer I used to sell too told me the people who treated the pelts have a machine that they slide the pelt on. He said on this machine theres a knife that takes the fat off right down to the hide. He didn’t explain how it worked though.

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I thought they porbably still wanted the fat on beings its hard to get off. The buyer I used to sell too told me the people who treated the pelts have a machine that they slide the pelt on. He said on this machine theres a knife that takes the fat off right down to the hide. He didn’t explain how it worked though.

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Was it Groenwald’s?

I don’t know forsure. A local company that bought hides sold them to someone who did the hide processing. I don’t know who they sold too.