Caring for your pelts

Selling Stretched and Dried

• All pelts must be scraped free of excess fat.  (Raccoon, otter & beaver must be scraped perfectly clean).
• Stretch on proper wire or wood stretchers (beaver should be stretched in an oval pattern).
• Raccoon, grey fox, otter, muskrat, mink, opossum, and squirrel are stretched fur-side IN.
• Red fox, coyote and fisher are stretched fur-side OUT.

Selling Green (skinned)

• The tail bone should always be removed from all skinned raccoon.
• Always dry animals in the carcass completely before skinning.
• When skinning, cut from back foot to back foot.  Then case out like a rabbit.  (Except beaver, which is skinned up the belly).
• Skinned fur must be sold immediately or quick-frozen.
• Always freeze the fur FLAT, fur-side OUT, with no exposed flesh.
• NEVER roll furs.  NEVER freeze or thaw furs in plastic.
• Thaw larger animals with heavy flesh (coyote, raccoon, beaver, badger) 5-6 hours in a cool room or until partially thawed before selling.
• NEVER thaw so long that grease melts or skins become slimy.  Keep them cold.  Keep them away from sunlight.
• Muskrats should be frozen FLAT and NOT thawed before seeing the buyer.
• ALWAYS err on the side of selling something too frozen rather than too thawed.

Selling in the CARCASS (Carcass fur is discounted)

• We will NOT buy opossum or skunk in the carcass.
• Coyote -- Only FULLY FURRED coyote will have value in the carcass.
• We will buy muskrat in the carcass, except in the northern 1/2 of Wisconsin, the UP of Michigan, and Nebraska.
• Clean the dirt, blood and burrs from the fur.
• Always hang carcass by rear feet in a cool, dark area, away from livestock.  Livestock generate heat and bacteria.
• If the weather is warm, freezing may be required.  If frozen, thaw ONLY the feet.  Please do NOT completely thaw the muskrat.

Deer Hide Care

• Skins may be sold fresh, frozen or salted, with NO heads or legs.  By law, we can not buy deer hides with head or legs.
• FRESH means within a day or two of skinning the deer.  Do NOT let the leather side dry out.  Keep folded with skin side in.
• Salted hides must have large chunks of fat removed and must be heavily salted with FINE salt.  Shake hides of excess salt BEFORE arriving at the truck.
• Frozen hides should be folded skin side in and rolled tightly.  Allow to thaw only slightly before coming to the truck.