# Made some fur stretchers!



## OutdoorFreak97

I thought I would share some pictures of the stretchers I made. 
If anyone wants dimensions let me know

I'd say it takes me 30 minutes per stretcher
to be honest, the first one I made turned out a lot better than I hoped

Made put of scrap wood laying around, I hope to better my skills making them
I plan to make 2 more, then a fleshing board

Thanks for getting me addicted you guys









Let me know what you think and how I could improve them!


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## Hellbilly1373

Those look pretty good, I was thinkin on building some pretty much the same way


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## kasjb

yeah i need to make me some


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## azpredatorhunter

They look good to me! But I don't use adj. boards. Nice job...


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## OutdoorFreak97

Thanks guys!


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## prairiewolf

looks good to me, just watch it when stretching do the length first and only stretch the width enough to make the pelt smotth.


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## bones44

Nice job. Like the adjustable set-up.


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## azpredatorhunter

Here is some of my stretching boards with my fleshing board.


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## coyotejon

Looking good AZ!


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## El Gato Loco

Looking good, fellas! Good post!


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## saskredneck

What's the advantages and disadvantages of adjustable boards vs non?


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## OutdoorFreak97

saskredneck said:


> What's the advantages and disadvantages of adjustable boards vs non?


Uh oh, you just started a fight

Really though, the reason I made mine is because I didn't have any 8" board

And the way I made mine I don't have to do very much drawing as far getting the bevel the way I wanted it

And you can adjust the board, that way you don't have the find that perfect board for the raccoon your drying Just my 2cents


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## azpredatorhunter

I have only used wire for rats, I like wood boards better but they are more work, the two on the left are not done, I still need to knock the point off. Next year I think I will buy some adjustable ones they are only $55 for a 1/2 doz.


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## hassell

Only used solid boards( tried wire ), I don't see the belly wedge in anyones pictures ever? If you have one that is too tight on one board and seems a bit to loose on another board then you slide the appropriate wedge up along the belly to take up that bit of slack, less sticking of the hide to the board plus helps in drying.


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## azpredatorhunter

hassell said:


> Only used solid boards( tried wire ), I don't see the belly wedge in anyones pictures ever? If you have one that is too tight on one board and seems a bit to loose on another board then you slide the appropriate wedge up along the belly to take up that bit of slack, less sticking of the hide to the board plus helps in drying.


 third board from the left hassell, two belly wedges you have to look close...


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## hassell

azpredator said:


> third board from the left hassell, two belly wedges you have to look close...


HA HA !! Jeez, sometimes glasses or no glasses, anyways thanks- probably the other pic's that members had of there boards also had the wedges in them BUT I just never seen them. Sold all my boards a few years ago- they were like 60 years old- well seasoned. Nice looking boards.


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## azpredatorhunter

Thanx hassell. Hard wood? Or do you have basswood up there? Mine are out of pine and it was a pain... I will buy some next year...


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## hassell

azpredator said:


> Thanx hassell. Hard wood? Or do you have basswood up there? Mine are out of pine and it was a pain... I will buy some next year...


Cedar.


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## azpredatorhunter

Cedar, I couldn't find any large enough. I should of gone to a lumber yard. Not HD...


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## Beerman069

Does it matter what type of wood? I see alot of the ones they sell are bass wood but would there be any disadvantage to pine or poplar?


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## prairiewolf

I dont think so.


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## OutdoorFreak97

+1 
I'd say anything with a tight grain. 
Use whatever you have, just not plywood

If you plan to make them with new wood, get something that fur stretcher makers use. 
They probably use it for a reason

Just my 2cents.


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## Dakota Dogs

How much difference in the prices fetched by fleshed/stretched hides vs. dropping off the whole carcass? Last winter guys were getting $20-25/coyote by just dropping off kills. I hate to use to term "worth", but is it worth it for the extra time/effort involved to skin/flesh/stretch? I remember my dad and great uncle stretching and fleshing as a kid and it would be nostalgic to try it myself - however, I don't need yet another hobby I don't have time for if it is not substantially worth the time/effort.


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## OutdoorFreak97

I'd say you get at least another 15-20 for a cleaned hide
You need to check with your local fur buyer

I think its worth the extra $15


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## Dakota Dogs

Just found this on North American Fur Auctions website - Coyotes sold at decent levels (74-87%) with an average of $21 – $51. This was in June 2012


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## Ruger

I have personally seen the difference in price between whole animals and fur was put up. When it came to bobcats the price at times was hundreds of dollars. I'll continue to put up my furs, to me its part of the job and quite rewarding when I have the cash in my hand..


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## Dakota Dogs

Ruger said:


> I have personally seen the difference in price between whole animals and fur was put up. When it came to bobcats the price at times was hundreds of dollars. I'll continue to put up my furs, to me its part of the job and quite rewarding when I have the cash in my hand..


Ruger you hit the nail on the head with why I hated to use the term "worth" as the value of doing something ones self often times cannot be measured in dollars.....although dollars help, especially lots of them.


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## azpredatorhunter

Dakota Dogs said:


> How much difference in the prices fetched by fleshed/stretched hides vs. dropping off the whole carcass? Last winter guys were getting $20-25/coyote by just dropping off kills. I hate to use to term "worth", but is it worth it for the extra time/effort involved to skin/flesh/stretch? I remember my dad and great uncle stretching and fleshing as a kid and it would be nostalgic to try it myself - however, I don't need yet another hobby I don't have time for if it is not substantially worth the time/effort.


 so if you get $20 for a coyote in the round, properly handled fur would maybe get $50+. You need to do it right or you can turn a $1,000 Bobcat into a $0-$200 one...


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## DesertGhost

Dakota Dogs said:


> How much difference in the prices fetched by fleshed/stretched hides vs. dropping off the whole carcass? Last winter guys were getting $20-25/coyote by just dropping off kills. I hate to use to term "worth", but is it worth it for the extra time/effort involved to skin/flesh/stretch? I remember my dad and great uncle stretching and fleshing as a kid and it would be nostalgic to try it myself - however, I don't need yet another hobby I don't have time for if it is not substantially worth the time/effort.


you guys up north have some of the best coyotes for fur sales in the country. Id be skinning and putting them up for sure. Considering it may take 2 hours to skin, flesh, and stretch a coyote, but that coyote is worth $50 or more. As for bobcats, if you dont want to put the bobcats up yourself, send them to me, I will put them up, and split the money with you.

azpredator, as for $1000 bobcats and turning them into $200 bobcats, its possible, but not likely. even though the putup is terrible, the fur quality is pretty much the same. although, it can take a couple hundred bucks off. Im sure you are just over compensating the loss to prove a point. but its pretty easy to lose $200-300 on a bobcat pelt just because its not a proper putup for sale.

If anyone doesnt want to or doesnt know how to put up a bobcat, or doesnt feel comfortable, send it to me. I will put it up, and split the money 50/50 (if its not a torn up / blown apart bobcat). if its a really early cat and only sells for $100 - youd get $50 and not lose 2 hours working the pelt. If it sells for $500 - youd get $250 and have done almost nothing for it. . . . .


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## azpredatorhunter

DesertGhost, So one of the guys puts some salt on the Bobcat or let's say they don't get all of the flesh and meat off it, or they let it is sit in the sun untill the next day because they are tired? 1.) How much for the salted cat? 2.) How much for the one they didn't flesh right and some of the hair is slipping? 3.) How much for the one they let set out in the warm sun and it gets tainted, and all the hair is slipping? .....?...


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## azpredatorhunter

Then you have prime pelts, unprime, cuts not sewn or pined up, Holes from bullets, they set the trap next to some razor wire, XXL, SML, Heavy , Semi- Heavy, The hide stretched to thin, and my favorite Sretched to look like a pole cat lol.


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## Dakota Dogs

DesertGhost said:


> If anyone doesnt want to or doesnt know how to put up a bobcat, or doesnt feel comfortable, send it to me. I will put it up, and split the money 50/50 (if its not a torn up / blown apart bobcat). if its a really early cat and only sells for $100 - youd get $50 and not lose 2 hours working the pelt. If it sells for $500 - youd get $250 and have done almost nothing for it. . . . .


DG: I don't have one to send - yet - but if I did, how would you recommend sending? Whole? Frozen? I'm curious.


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## Dakota Dogs

Dakota Dogs said:


> DG: I don't have one to send - yet - but if I did, how would you recommend sending? Whole? Frozen? I'm curious.


DG - Nevermind, from what I find on NDG&F website I do not believe I could send it to you whole. I'd have to skin and send after tagging.

The site states: The pelt and carcass of each bobcat must be presented to Game and Fish Department personnel for inspection and tagging prior to sale or transfer of possession, but no later than 14 days after the close of the season. No bobcat pelt will be tagged until the animal is skinned and presented with the intact carcass. The carcass shall remain property of the Department. No fur dealer shall possess or purchase an untagged bobcat.


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## saskredneck

DesertGhost said:


> you guys up north have some of the best coyotes for fur sales in the country. Id be skinning and putting them up for sure. Considering it may take 2 hours to skin, flesh, and stretch a coyote, but that coyote is worth $50 or more. As for bobcats, if you dont want to put the bobcats up yourself, send them to me, I will put them up, and split the money with you. azpredator, as for $1000 bobcats and turning them into $200 bobcats, its possible, but not likely. even though the putup is terrible, the fur quality is pretty much the same. although, it can take a couple hundred bucks off. Im sure you are just over compensating the loss to prove a point. but its pretty easy to lose $200-300 on a bobcat pelt just because its not a proper putup for sale. If anyone doesnt want to or doesnt know how to put up a bobcat, or doesnt feel comfortable, send it to me. I will put it up, and split the money 50/50 (if its not a torn up / blown apart bobcat). if its a really early cat and only sells for $100 - youd get $50 and not lose 2 hours working the pelt. If it sells for $500 - youd get $250 and have done almost nothing for it. . . . .


2 hours seems like a long time to put up a coyote. 20 mins to skin 25 to flesh 10 to put on the board. not bragging i just wouldnt want to discourage someone from trying it themselves.of course the first couple will take longer but with a little practice.


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## azpredatorhunter

Saskredneck, you are right it doesn't take 2hrs., maybe your first one, if you are going to put up your own fur it takes a lot of practice, and that will make you a better fur handler, it's is fun and it will make you more money in the long run, if done right! Now days you can buy a dvd to show you every step. It's Something that you can pass down to your kids...


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## clayhen

@azpredator, what are the dimensions of your solid board stretchers? Im thinkin about makin my own. Thanks in advance.


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## Beerman069

The NAFA website has the dimensions of all the boards I printed them out and will make them as I need them seeing I have access to the wood working equipment and wood. When I get more wood I will buy at lengths I can make 2 of when cut in half.


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## DesertGhost

You can take the whole cat to G&F and still get the tag. Here is what you do, before you put the cat in the freezer you need to take a thin sharp knife and do a facelift type cut up to the eye opening. grab the lips in one hand and using a short cut stroke, you are going to skin the skull out just enough to get an opening from the mouth to eye, pulling the lip away from the face, work your way up under the skin past the cheek to the eye and make sure not to cut up through the eyelid, but instead, into the eye area under the eyelid. take a wooden popsicle stick through this opening to ensure it doesnt freeze closed. Remove the popsicle stick when you get to G&F. This is where G&F will place the CITES tag. The tag has to be placed so that it cannot be removed without damaging the pelt (this is where the tag the cats anyway). At this point it is a LEGALLY tagged cat and can be shipped LEGALLY. Make very sure it fully frozen, put in a couple garbage bags, and then in a cheap cooler like the foam disposable ones, with lots of ice, put that in a box to get ready for shipping. shipping is going need to be something like next day. so it doesnt thaw and spoil (this could be kind of expensive from ND to Az). . . .

when getting ready to freeze the whole carcass, roll the cat up into the smallest ball possible to make it smaller for shipping.

Since they want to see the carcass and the pelt anyway, It would be ideal if you could take the fresh carcass to G&F and maybe they could help walk you through the facelift technique in order to get the tag on before you even freeze the carcass . . . . keep me posted.



Dakota Dogs said:


> DG - Nevermind, from what I find on NDG&F website I do not believe I could send it to you whole. I'd have to skin and send after tagging.
> 
> The site states: The pelt and carcass of each bobcat must be presented to Game and Fish Department personnel for inspection and tagging prior to sale or transfer of possession, but no later than 14 days after the close of the season. No bobcat pelt will be tagged until the animal is skinned and presented with the intact carcass. The carcass shall remain property of the Department. No fur dealer shall possess or purchase an untagged bobcat.


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## DesertGhost

I agree that it doesnt take someone whos done several more than about an hour to do a coyote, but for most guys who only do one or maybe two a year. . . . like you said yourself, the first couple take a bit longer. . . .



saskredneck said:


> 2 hours seems like a long time to put up a coyote. 20 mins to skin 25 to flesh 10 to put on the board. not bragging i just wouldnt want to discourage someone from trying it themselves.of course the first couple will take longer but with a little practice.


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## clayhen

Does anyone use stretchers made out of plywood??


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## hassell

clayhen said:


> Does anyone use stretchers made out of plywood??


 I wouldn't think so, you have to shape the boards, kind of tough to do with plywood because of the splinters!!


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## prairiewolf

+1 on no plywood, I would suggest plain old pine either 1x6 or 1x8 for starters


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## azpredatorhunter

clayhen said:


> Does anyone use stretchers made out of plywood??


Basswood is best, but you can use pine or cedar...


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## azpredatorhunter

Basswood... is a bad word?


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## azpredatorhunter

Ba$$ Wood!


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## prairiewolf

lmao !


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## DesertGhost

B A S S W O O D is the best wood to make a stretcher.


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## catcapper

I must have too much rocky mountain ******* in me--- I've got a bunch of plywood stretchers.

I'll post some pics when I start fill'in em. Bobcat season starts here in Colorado tomorrow. :clapclap:

awprint:


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## Ruger

The best wood is free wood! Being a carpenter I have the chance at scrap lumber off of jobsites. That's what all my stretchers are made of. +1 on bobcat season tomorrow Catcapper, my brothers and I are gonna go out tomorrow and see if we csn call some in.


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## clayhen

@Catcapper, I would like to see some pics of your plywood stretchers


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## azpredatorhunter

clayhen said:


> @Catcapper, I would like to see some pics of your plywood stretchers


Me too!


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## catcapper

Here you go guys.

























Cut to NAFA measurements.

Palm sanded edges.

Candle wax the radius from tip of board to shoulders, or good luck get'in a hide off.lol.

awprint:


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## clayhen

Look good


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## Maskwa

Have to admit, like catcapper I have made a few out of plywood as well. At times it is hard to get decent pine or spruce that is wide enough where I live and cedar is out of the question, as is basswood. It's a 100 miles to a good lumber store so I don't go very often and even when I need to go I usually manage to talk myself out of it.


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