Trapping
This is a picture that was taken on a February day on a shallow creek that separates two larger bodies of water on Lake Huron.
This is the only open water in this area at that time of year.
I was checking a gang set for otter that produced otter, beaver, muskrat and a nice eight pound northern pike.
The water is extremely cold and the time spent removing animals from traps is very limited.
This is an eastern coyote taken with a 3/32" snare using a bent washer lock.
These snares are very effective for taking coyotes and the bent washer is by far the best lock for the ever changing conditions that we are faced with in a northern climate.
This illustration shows the initial cut made on all case skinned animals.
The bone is pulled from the tail and the hide is peeled down towards the head.
The front legs are cut off just above the joint.
Remove the cartilage from the ears and split the lips to ensure proper drying.
This picture illustrates the lower lip being removed from a coyote once the hide has been placed on the drying board.
The hide is placed on the board fur in and then turned within ten hours.
Usually a hide placed on the board in the evening can be turned early the next morning.
I use a solid board with the center removed which permits the air to get up and inside the board which helps to dry the hide properly.
This is a picture of the ears with the cartilage removed and they are held up with a clothes pin attached to a string.
The ears are held up off the hide for a few hours so the air has a chance to dry them before they get pinned to the board.
The ears are pinned flat to prevent damage during the drumming process.
This illustrates the cartilage being removed from the ear.
The ear is skinned out as far as possible.
A line appears where the ear meets the cartilage and this is where you will make your cut to remove the cartilage.
Just follow that line all the way around the ear until the cartilage is removed from the ear.
The red fatty looking section on the right is the cartilage and the blue section to the left is the clean skinned ear.
If the cartilage is not removed from the ear it will taint and the hair will slip from the ear.
