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Post by ray12 on Nov 14, 2011 18:55:44 GMT -5
I was just wondering how hard do i need to flesh muskrats??
Do need to get off that thin layer of red fat or just the excess fat chunks?
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Post by sniperbbb on Nov 14, 2011 18:58:43 GMT -5
For the rats around here just get the fat and chunks of meat off.
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Post by minifoxer on Nov 14, 2011 18:59:34 GMT -5
In my lmited experience..... LEAVE the red meat on its back ON!! Thats the saddle! Clean up the chunks of fat, and meat that arn't the saddle.
Again, the saddle is the thin layer of red meat, on the rats back! If you take this off, you will risk geting docked on them!
Or, atleast, this applies to mink!
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Post by ray12 on Nov 14, 2011 19:03:19 GMT -5
ok thanks guys last year i scraped off the thin red layer and the furbuyer did not complain but this summer i read that you should leave it on and i just wanted to ask before i go and flesh all of my muskrats.. .. ..
thanks guys
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Post by sniperbbb on Nov 14, 2011 21:07:00 GMT -5
In certain sections of the country, you aren't one on of them, that saddle does have to come off.
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Post by ray12 on Nov 14, 2011 22:11:18 GMT -5
Ok Thanks sniper
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Post by lyonch on Nov 15, 2011 12:44:42 GMT -5
The MN rats usually only need to be fleshed on two spots, the armpits, and around the skirt of the pelt a little bit. Every once in a while i will get a rat that needs a thing layer of fat taken off of saddle, but make sure to leave that saddle on.
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Post by Law Dog on Nov 15, 2011 15:54:16 GMT -5
Mink and Rats here are saddle on too!
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Post by lyonch on Nov 15, 2011 16:42:11 GMT -5
sniperbbb - what parts of the country should the saddle be taken off? I am unaware that there was such a thing.
Jerry - Here is a good one for you, i had a mink last season that i was teaching a person how to put up, and he ended up fleshing the "saddle" off of a nice buck mink. I just shook my head and put it up like the others and though to myself well it will still be worth something at least. So i go to one of the furbuyers and he told me that was the best mink i had in that pile and he would pay "x" dollars for it. I got to thinking, hmmm have i been wrong all these years and should have taken that off?? So i take them to my normal fur buyer and he giggled at me when he graded that one. I asked what was so funny, and he said well you are suppose to leave the saddle on, not take it off! I said well i was teaching a young fella how to flesh and i didn't pay too much attention LOL. How one fur buyer wanted it and would pay decent money, to another that giggled at me about it just boggles me LOL. This season i will be shipping most of my fur to NAFA, so i'm putting everything up as per there manual to satisfy them.
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Post by sniperbbb on Nov 15, 2011 18:16:52 GMT -5
From NAFA's manual on mink
FHA doesnt want the saddle taken off according to their manual so caveat emptor.
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Post by newoldtrapper on Nov 19, 2011 17:53:12 GMT -5
After reading the quote from NAFA's manual it appears to me they could dock you no matter what way you did it !
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Post by ray12 on Dec 1, 2011 9:42:05 GMT -5
i sold my 1st bunch to a local fur buyer i got 7.00 apiece for the ones that i had left the saddle on and he only gave me 2.50 apiece for the ones that didnt have a saddle! (there were only 3 of those) thanks guys i would have messed them all up if i wouldnt have asked you! and he said that i do a good job! Now he wants somemore
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Post by Law Dog on Dec 1, 2011 10:06:01 GMT -5
I just srape with my cheapo fleshing knife (dull) and get the fat from under the legs, the groin area and the cheek meat! The remaining red meat with no fat under it stays!
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Post by adamh on Dec 1, 2011 10:33:30 GMT -5
Best tool for fleshing rats that I use is an old soup spoon. I file one edge flat but not sharp on one side to remove the fat around the arms and the rounded edge to "push" the fat from under the saddle. Never damaged a pelt this way but cut and tore many when using a fleshing knife.
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