Beaver

[del]

I have a beaver that was killed in a friends pond.  How do I go about skinning and using the hide and tail and not waste it?  I am wanting some silencers for my bows and some leather out of the tail.  thanks   <>< del

[Outbackbob48]

Del, cut the feet and tail off at the fur line, then a straight cut from bottom lip to center of tail, right down the center on belly side, peel off  each side, I leave plenty of meat  and fat an then put pelt on a fleshing beam an flesh out, then strech on board. I got 16 done an 2 left to flesh an strech. I pin the leg holes closed also. Hope this helps, just allow some time an go slow. Later Bob

[ErictheViking]

A lot of hat material there Bob.

[jonathan creason]

I've been working on a few tails, and let me tell you it's tough.  There's a layer of thick fat underneath the hide on the tails that's almost impossible to get off.  On the next one I get I think I'm going to try to peel the skin off with pliers like you would do a catfish.  I had a little success doing this with some frozen ones, so hopefully it'll go easier with a fresh tail.

[Justin Snyder]

Johnathan, the whole beaver has a layer of fat that makes it real difficult to get clean. One of my least favorite critters to skin and flesh. They do taste good though.

[Outbackbob48]

Yea fleshin beavers can be a ton of work especially the big ones, I don't have to much experience with the tails but the ones I did were pretty gristly . The small beavs ate pretty good later Bob

[swamp monkey]

Tails are difficult to flesh.  I have fleshed them fresh and after being frozen.  Fresh is best but it is no pick nick.  The worst cuts I ever gave myself were earned on beaver tail fleshing.  be careful and don't give up.  Beaver tail handles are nice looking.  Beaver pelts are even nicer and well earned. 

[Sparrow]

It takes five times longer,but,you can skin a beaver,very carefully with a very sharp,small curved blade and leave all that fat on the carcass.I think that it probably only takes about an hour or a little more to do than the combined time it takes to skin and flesh one the usual way.Takes a bit of patience.Definately not a production method if you have a bunch of critters to do.  '  Frank

[Outbackbob48]

Sparrow, I can rough skin one in 20 min, an probably flesh one in 20 min an probably 20 more to stretch. Got 26 so far so I got lots of practice an I'm set up pretty good now. I have boards with patterns on them which really helped on the stretching. Neckers 600 fleshing knife,beaver knife with curved blade that you mention an fleshing beam. Heated fur shed with radio, I'm good to go.  ;DBob

[Sparrow]

 Man ! That is production. We have alot of beaver around here but they have pretty effectively banned trapping in Washington state.  'Course where there is a will there is a way for a primitive minded individual. I got a couple in high school using deadfalls so .......Yeah.     Lot of otter around this country as well.   Sounds like you are having a good season Bob   '  Frank

[Outbackbob48]

Sparrow is the trapping ban because of lack of beavers state wide or bleeding hearts? We used to only aloud 3 beavers in Penna, Now if you follow all the rules an trap differnt areas of state you could legally could get 65, my wma allows 40 an the season used to be just 30 days now it is over 3 months. Used to be everybody wanted a beaver pond on property now it is like a curse ,every rural road culvert is a potenial dam site an they have flooded alot of property. Got 2 more today so I gotta go an skin .   Later Bob

[Sparrow]

Yep ! West side,liberal,commie,socialist,california transplant,tree hugging, numbskulls outnumber us two to one and banned steel traps,hunting bears and mountain lions with dogs,smoking in bars and other sensitive,politically correct issues.We need to build a great wall of Washington north to south along the pacific coast trail and take them for slaves if they cross the wall.
  '  Frank

[Outbackbob48]

Really sad situation that people have wandered so far from the land. Kind of ironic that none of these people would have been here if wasn't for trappers exploring for new grounds an advancing west. Later Bob

[Knapper]

I have a friend that traps and he bring me all the beaver tails and skulls. On a fresh tail I cut from inside out around the edges, then use a fillet knife to skin out one side, but care is needed so you dont cut through. Then with pliers i pull the center part of the tail out and continue to cut out the fat with the fillet knife in small amounts untill I'm close to the hide.
cure with salt or I use alumn potasium. You can use a belt sander when dry if its to thick. When I'm ready to use them I'll soak in water over night to get pliable then cut and sew. Hope this helps

[IsaacW]

I basically skin the tails out like if you were to filet a fish.  I then flesh them out with a nice sharp knife and tack them to a board with a staple gun.  When they are dry they look like these (these were a few that came out quick and a bit sloppy...



Smaller beavers if well fleshed get pretty thin.  This is looking at the flesh side with a light behind it...



I have a good 6 more tails to do this year that are waiting in the freezer, but I have to put up the last of my hides first.