Ive seen many vidoes and comment elsewhere about using a pressure washer to flesh hides. Anyone ever try it? Sure makes beaver look easier to put up.
To me, it’s terribly messy and noisy. I much prefer the traditional method of beaver put up. I think the guys on YouTube that show it don’t do it a lot in reality.
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I agree with Steve that it looks messy plus I don’t want to get that wet when it’s in the 20’s or lower.
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I have not tried it but I suspect,like has been said,it would be messy.everytime I drag a pressure washer out,I’m going to get a soaking
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I have used them in taxidermy and there not as bad as the look they make a mess out of the area you stay fairly clean but…they are slower then I can do it with a knife and I don’t know that introducing water into situation is a great idea.
Inwas worried bout that. Deer hides for braintanning would be fine. Taking the hair off anyways, but inwas worried bout slipping fur
I like the traditional bending over the beam and working it off. I’m not sure how the mountain men got them as clean as possible but knowing they were for hats back then too the pelt didn’t have to be perfect. Just not slip and the better they were fleshed the less weight they had to pack around. I saw an article in a magazine once of two guys that caught some beaver in the very traditional way with footholds, stakes, no hip boots and hooped them out in the mountains with real willow hooping and lacing. It was neat but boy, a lot different than even a cold fur shed.
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Ive done the old way several times. It aint easy. Usually fleshing is done over the knee with a butcher knife, or if were really lucky a peeled log and a drawknife. Wading out in them icy ponds, barefoot, wool breeches, longsprings. Its a time.
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I spent my youth with no hip boots in creeks setting traps. First pair I got was not till I was 17 they was life changing.
I did all my beaver with a butcher knife until about 5 or 6 years ago you can get fast and efficient but it’s not as fast as a 2 handed knife.
Did 60 one year,I’ve done it over my knee just to see how but my arms and legs are to short in my opinion.
Colt
I don’t know, but I bet the old timers back then in the Mountain Man days caught beaver almost year round! I’d say that anything caught in a month with an R in it was looked upon as prime plews!
And I bet the water in those mountain streams was pretty cold year round too!
So during the rmft there was what was refered to as the fall hunt, which would go from about late sept to freeze up, this would be in the lower valleys were the beaver were plentiful. They would over winter either in brigades, makeshift forts, or with a friendly tribe, then when the ice broke up they would have the spring hunt, which would typically last until anout mid may. During the summer months would be times to repair gear, search and explore new trapping grounds, and during the rendevouz system, travel to the pre appointed spot to attend rendevouz which would go on for several weeks usually around july, to sell furs resupply and what money ( or usually credit) they had left drink and gamble it away. Prices were extremely inflated, at around 2000% rates above prices in st louis. Prior to the rendevouz system the companies would return to st louis to make thier sales. William ashley devised the rendevouz in order to keep men working in the beaver country.
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