# Stretching



## outdoorsman03 (Jan 30, 2003)

Does anyone know any good sites with information on stretching. I'm thinking about trapping next year, but I'm haveing a lot of trouble finding information on using stretching boards. Is it possable for me to build my own stretching boards?


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## outdoorsman03 (Jan 30, 2003)

Also what brand of footholds are the best to start with. I'm mostly planning on trapping *****.


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## Snake1 (Feb 3, 2003)

If ***** are your only target and you must use a foothold, I would invest in Sleepy Creek #11 longsprings. Just about any 1 1/2 coil will work also.


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## Snake1 (Feb 3, 2003)

I neglected to answer the stretcher question. Yes you can make your own wooden stretchers. Use soft wood, the most common is basswood. 1/2 to 5/8" thick. I make mine 54" long. Make a few 5 1/4" wide 8" down from the nose and 7 1/4" wide 25" from the nose, 8" at the base. This will cover all of the small to large ****. The next boards should be 6 1/4" wide 11" from the nose, 8 1/4 wide 30" down and 9" at the base. These boards are for the XL and larger. Taper to a rounded nose on both. Now, if you are absolutely confused try to find a NAFA pelt handling manual. (North American Fur Auctions) They should be on the net. Check trapperman.com you may be able to purchase one for a template.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Outdoorsman03,

Welcome to the fraternity of trappers. Snake1 gave you excellent advice about the stretchers and traps to use for catching raccoons.

I personally prefer the # 1 1/2 coil springs because they are the best all around trap for mink and fox also. They are a heavier trap and do a good job of drowning muskrat and mink as compared to the #1 or #11 long spring traps. The #11, by all means, is an excellent raccoon trap, but dollar for dollar I believe you will get the best results from the #1 1/2 coil spring traps. Since you are just starting out you might want to keep your cost down and select the Duke trap over the Sleepy Creek traps.

Again, to keep your costs down making your own wooden stretchers is the way to go, but if you have the resources to purchase some stretchers, then I would recommend getting some # 6 wire coyote stretchers.

Preparing raccoon pelts for stretching requires the removal of all fat from the hide. This means you will need a fleshing beam and two handed fleshing knife in order to do a professional job. So you can see the trapping hobby does get fairly involved, if you want put up your furs in a professional way. This is why a lot of beginning trappers find a local fur buyer and simply sell their muskrats, mink and raccoons to him unskinned. At least, until they can acquire all the equipment and experience they need to put up their own furs.

The best advice I could give you is to find a local trapper who would be willing to take you under his wing and show you some of the things you will need to know about making sets, properly fastening traps, skinning and handling fur. You can learn a lot of this information from books, but having a mentor will definitely make the learning experience more enjoyable and faster.

Two good magazines that deal with trapping are Fur-Fish-Game and The Trapper & Predator Caller publications. Also, it would be a good idea to evidentually join a local trapping association, because for your membership dues your will automatically get a subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller publication.

Good luck on your trapping adventure.


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## bogwalker (Aug 5, 2002)

Hey...just one more suggestion on traps,I use a LOT of conibear 160 bodygrip traps and like them a lot.Use them in cubbies made from buckets or natural.That sound you hear will be possums rushing to stick their heads in!Once you clean them out you can and will collect *****.Good luck!


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Just thought that I had bring up the absolute neccesity to put a tapered wedge under the belly of any pelt put on a wooden stretcher. If there is no wedge the pelt will dry so tight that you will not get it off with out rewetting the pelt. I have used old arrows and put a small block under the end toward the tail. Pull the block and the pelt will loosten and come off.


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## outdoorsman03 (Jan 30, 2003)

Thanks for all the information. I have one more question, what does it mean to cut a window in a pelt?


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Raccoon pelts are stretched cased with the fur on the inside. This is called the Canadian style of stretching ****. Some raccoon trapped in southern USA are still stretched open but northern **** are always stretched cased.

So, in order to allow the fur buyer or fur grader to inspect the quality of the fur, a portion of the belly is removed after the pelt is on the stretcher. There is very little fur on the belly of a raccoon, so this does not lower the value of the pelt.

My practice is to start at the ***** hole on the male **** and cut a wedge shaped piece of pelt from that point down to the edge of each hind leg. On females, I just cut out a similar amount of the belly.

I was recently taught by a professional fur handler how to skin ***** to maximize the amount of fur that ends up on the back side of the stretched pelt. During skinning, instead of cutting from the inside of each leg to the base of the tail, make your cut from one leg straight across to the other leg. Then make a cut from the base of the tail straight down the centerline of the belly, intersecting the first cut. By skinning the ***** this way you will end up with a **** pelt that will grade out to a larger size, once you stretch it.

So even though I have been trapping for over 40 years I am still learning new things. Even us old trappers can learn things from new trappers like you, so keep asking questions and everyone will benefit.


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## RIP (Jun 4, 2002)

Heads up, that windows doesn't have to be nor should it be really large. You don't want to cut away all of the bad belly skin.

The window will get larger as the pelt dries. Has to be enough left to for the pelt to keep its shape while drying. You can tack it in place on a board, but not on a wire streacher.


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