fleshing beam/wood stretchers

[ironman]

Was wondering if a guy could just use the wood stretchers as fleshing beams. Right no I have neither, just some wire stretchers, but it makes it hard to get all the fat off. Would I be better off with a fleshing beam and then use the stretchers I have or make some wood stretchers and just use that?

[huntingmaxima]

First of all what are you going to flesh? You could do your mink and rats on a flat board,like a stretcher.

[ironman]

coons, and yotes if I get any. muskrats too.

[huntingmaxima]

coon and coyotes, i made mine out of a piece of slab wood(ash). go to a guy that saws logs and get a piece. another thing that alot of guys are using is pvc pipe. about 6 or 8 inch diameter. rip it down.

Go to trapperman.com and go to the achives and search fleshing beams. lots of stuff.

[HunterLee]

YOu can get the whole setup including a good knife from Minnesota trapline products. I got mine and an extra cheap knife for doing the pushing and the knife that comes with the set for doing the hard work. A good beam is hard go without. Coyotes are kinda a bugger to flesh, coons are nice except the tough ones neck area. I did 75 beaver on my setup last spring and it worked fine. I think its about 175 bucks, but its quality stuff and has worked good for me.

[jigginjim]

You fleshed out 75 beavers, On todays prices ($6.00 fleshed) you could make a whole $450, now depending on how long it took to trap, skin, travel to and from you trap line you maybe make 50 bucks.

Peta People have Crammed it up our. They would rather go naked than wear furs, But they eat steak. hipacrits, why are they not walking around naked?

We spend millions on helping the conservation of wildlife are called killers, yet those bumms will spend millions on adds, not a dime for animals.

The prices of trapping furs has me a little p_____d. I just end up spending money I don't have.

[HunterLee]

Well they are at the NAFA fur sale. Made over 200 just off the castor. That is a bright spot in beavers. The rest I hope sell this Dec/Jan I highly doubt they will average only $6. Plus I trapped some for the county at $40 and some for a township at $25. That right there is alot more than the 500 bucks you think I made. I made close to twice that before I even sold the beaver.

The fur prices aren't that terrible. They are not the 40 dollar coon and beaver or 150 otters. But with the lack of competition I do just fine, and besides if I did it to get rich I wouldn't bother.

Trapping to me is a hobby. I probly don't go backwards but don't make to much. But it did pay for my antelope trip to montana.

[Gordie]

My bro-inlaw traps and that is his passion he traps for the love of the sprot and the money isnt the greatest but he make s some. He says traps cause he can and loves to. besides what better way to P O the activists

[ironman]

I'm just starting to learn the ropes alittle. Money has never been my goal. I'm 36 and its something I honestly have always wanted to do. I have a buddy that feeding me negative junk like, you cant make money like that, you gotta do it this way, or that way, its not cost effective..blah, blah, blah. I am having a blast and if I get some money back...thats cool. How many of you fish and hunt? Nobody pays you for that...unless your a guide of course. I honestly dont even think of the money spent or made. Maybe in the future I'll pay closer attention to how to streamline my line and get the most for my fur..but right now, I'm making mistakes and learning from them so why beat myself up on how much money I could have made.

[Gordie]

I used to trap and am thinking of doing it again cause I would like my son to learn about it but he isnt show any intrest as of yet so I will wait until he wants to try but first he will have to take thwe trappers test. speaking of that you may also have to take that test if you have never purchased a trappers liecence in the past. Itss kinda like gun training fro trappers.

Why does always have to be about the money some people dont understand that its about enjoyment I look at this way I dont golf so I trap

I say go for it and enjoy it and Good luck

[The Grebe]

In my opinion, a wood stretcher is a bit to flat to do any serious fleshing on, should be a little more rounded on the face. You can buy a fleshing beam either wood, or synthetic, or you can make one if you have the time and inclination.

I made mine out of a piece of 2x8 lumber, cut the top in the shape of a fox stretcher, then used a plane and a draw knife to round and taper the top and edges....over the years, I fleshed more coon, skunks, fox, coyotes and beaver then I can remember. I used to like to see how good I could get em, especially coon. The beaver we started having a guy up in Little falls do em for us at so much per pelt...he would keep the castor and get rid of the carcasses also. It made the trapping that much more enjoyable....when you are looking at a pile of beaver to skin everyday, flesh and put up, kinda takes the after glow off the trapping!

When I hung up the traps due to business and time constraints, I sold most of the 500 mixed traps I had, but I kept that beam! I kept the draw knife, and some of the other fur handling equipment, a few mixed wooden stretchers for templates and about 50 traps. I also kept all my lures and baits, I got a whole box full.

That itch doesn't go away entirely and I'm contemplating next season.