Trevor Barnes buying fur

[bigjohn]

I bought my skinning machine then the coyote market went bust. All those coyotes before were done by hand and out of doors. I use it on those otter and cats but that's it.

[krank]

Years ago, I designed and built my machine. Cletus saw it and had questions and he built one to. Coyote dont pull worth a damn. I just put the tension on and cut and pull. One night I was having a bad day and I got mad at a yote that wouldnt pull so I hit the throttle on my machine and the frame started to flex and the coyote broke in two midway. My little boy asked me what I was going to do now.

Sad thing is I used to skin in the field off any limb or corner post. I had strong arms and was in a hurry.

[ozarkmountainman]

Amen to the above. I can still bench press a small truck. I think. But pulling on that fur? Hurts.

Dale

[krank]

Actually I made a second rig that uses a hand crank boat winch and fits in my receiver hitch and it gets more use than my electric one. Not bad at all to crank and works on deer and sheep too.

[ozarkmountainman]

Oh, I'm stupid. I have my Harbor Freight winch that I haven't had set up for almost ten years. Like I said, not very bright.

Dale

[bigjohn]

If a person doesn't catch much stuff it really doesn't pay to own one. If I was catching 15 to 20 coon a day I don't think I could keep up after a few days. Most all the coon I caught in coyote sets are about as easy to just do by hand but throw in a few coyotes then yes, a skinning machine saves the hands.

Before I got my skinning machine I did otter as soon as I brought them home. Coming out of that cold water would make them a bear to skin. I finally layed a couple inside to warm up and what a difference that made lol.

[krank]

Mar 9, 2023 9:01:50 GMT -6 ozarkmountainman said:

Oh, I'm stupid. I have my Harbor Freight winch that I haven't had set up for almost ten years. Like I said, not very bright.

Dale

Electric or manual? I recall years ago you wanting a real high ceiling before you set up a winch. I just do two grabs.

[ozarkmountainman]

Electric. I made a 12' pole to work it from, and that was barely enough. I only ever used it on otter and yotes. Event the worst 'coon is way faster by hand. You just gotta pop some gristle. The hide will pop some gristle, too.

Dale

[krank]

My gristle pops too. You need a two way winch.

[ozarkmountainman]

Not with the electric. I use pulleys thru eye bolts in the floor, pulling off of the gambrel.

The time in any animal, for me, is "opening" them up. Once I can get a grip on a 'coon I'll pretty much have him peeled to the shoulders or more before I could get my paddles attached. Anyway, otter and yote.

If I do this next year I'll put my skinning machine back up. We moved it four years ago to my buddies shop, figuring we would work fur there, and hardly ever did.

Dale

[trapperw3]

Back several years ago when it was fun to go to the MTA rendezvous they had fur skinning contest boy some of those guys could skin a coon before i good get it hung but that was back in the good old days.