Passed my trapping exam

[Sir-diealot]

Interesting you would like to catch beaver. I trapped Rockdale County Georgia in the 1970s and caught many. They were among the more difficult animals to skin because the hide adheres tightly to the carcass along the back of the animal. There are two ways to skin one, rough skin and clean skin. Rough  is quicker and easier as it leaves a lot of flesh on the hide. That leaves a lot of work fleshing it later though, and for that bit of work you will need a dual-handle draw knife. I liked one side dull and other side sharp.
Alternatively, clean skinning a beaver with a rounded blade sharp knife (very carefully so you don't nick the hide) will ideally leave all the flesh on the carcass, but it takes a lot more time. No need for fleshing with clean skin method.
After skinning/fleshing I tacked hides out round on big sheet of plywood to dry for a week or so in the shed, but away from mice. Beaver are the round shaped brown pelts in the center of the pic.
Also, Beaver meat is delicious, but tends to be fatty. Good fried.
Watch YouTube videos that show this stuff.

Thank you very much for the information. I am trying to learn as much as I can from my friend, he is not really into beaver though. 2 of his sons trapped them with us one year (I have been driving the family in their vehicles for over 20 years, they are Mennonite and in their sect they can't drive but they can own them) They both said it was a lot of work as well.

[Sir-diealot]

Beavers are a pile of work with little to no payout. If they're somewhere that they're causing a problem, I'll go after them. If not, it's not worth the hassle. K9's are quick and generally pay better. If you can get enough castor saved up, that's a different story.


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It is not something I want to do a lot of, but I like this historical link to it and that is why I have the interest. One of the reasons I am not wanting to do a lot with them is the type of ground you have to cover is some of the hardest for me with my body problems, just stopped walking with a cane in the past 2 years and though my balance is MUCH better than it was it is not what it should be and I simply don't want to get hurt again. I also worry about dislocating my left knee walking in stream beds which is why I won't trap alone if I do start to go for them. I would like to try the meat, if I recall correctly the tail in particular is supposed to be very good. If I can trap one good one and get it tanned I will put it on my wall in a frame and then likely never do it again, the guy I drive doing it is mostly after coyote, so I think for the most part I will stay with those and fox. I do have a raccoon here that I want to trap and get rid of, I have seen it be a little odd at times and worry about the dogs getting in fights with it. I have to get some dog proof traps set up first though.

[Oconeeguy]

There is no meat in the tail - I've checked because I used to hear that too. Just gristle and a little fat. I sold them for $1. each in the1970s to Plot Hide & Fur in Griffin Ga. Plot told me someone wanted to try and make small leather objects like wallets with them. The venture apparently failed cause the following year he didn't want any.

[Sir-diealot]

Well thanks for saving me some time on that tail. Still would like to get just one good one.

[eggshell]

Sir-diealot, You'll have a blast trapping and I wish you luck. Beaver are not hard to get in a trap but require a sturdy set to hold. Whoever said to clean skin them was right, they are a pain to flesh out. Fur care is very important. Get them clean and dry ASAP. There should be some videos on you tube about it. In my younger days I ran a pretty good size line. When we were first married it was our Christmas money and we bought all our furniture with fur money. My oldest daughter would help me with the hides when she was little. I used to be a fur grader on the side and graded some big auctions until the market plummeted. I actually sold all my gear several years ago and kind of miss it now. I mostly water trapped, coon, muskrat, beaver and mink, but took a few fox. We did not have a trappable coyote population then. I wish i had some gear I would give it to you.

My best tip is work on finding locations. Trap location and placement is key. 

[Sir-diealot]

Sir-diealot, You'll have a blast trapping and I wish you luck. Beaver are not hard to get in a trap but require a sturdy set to hold. Whoever said to clean skin them was right, they are a pain to flesh out. Fur care is very important. Get them clean and dry ASAP. There should be some videos on you tube about it. In my younger days I ran a pretty good size line. When we were first married it was our Christmas money and we bought all our furniture with fur money. My oldest daughter would help me with the hides when she was little. I used to be a fur grader on the side and graded some big auctions until the market plummeted. I actually sold all my gear several years ago and kind of miss it now. I mostly water trapped, coon, muskrat, beaver and mink, but took a few fox. We did not have a trappable coyote population then. I wish i had some gear I would give it to you.

My best tip is work on finding locations. Trap location and placement is key.

That is great that you have such a family connection with it, I am pretty sure nobody in my family has trapped unless maybe it was grandparents or great grandparents. I thank you very much on the offer to give if you still had some.

The way things look because I can't get the setters to help me set the traps I am not going to do any trapping this year, it is not worth the cost for only 1 week of trapping, if even that would be left by the time I get them in. (I would be trapping with them and they will be quitting in about a week and a half because they yank everything before deer season starts and I don't have my own vehicle right now) I am enjoying driving them around as they trap and watching them do their setups and all, it is a learning experience.