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[BearTruth]

So with the debate going on about not shooting a yote with to big of a caliber to get better $$ for your pelt I need to know a couple things. 

Let's pretend that I went out and shot a yote.  I get a pretty good shot and don't wreck the hide to bad.  So what is the next thing I do?  Do I just go pick up the yote and throw it in the garage until I'm ready to turn them into a buyer?  Or do I take the time and skin the yote out?  I'm just wondering so if the time comes again I'll know if I should be doing something different, usually I get $20-$30 a yote.  If I choose to skin them I make a cut from the anus down both the legs and then begin pulling the skin back.  I have tried making a cut around the mouth and then extracting the body, but have only tried that with fox. 

Basically I'm just wondering how to get the top dollar out of my hides..   Any info would be appreciated. 

[KANSAS KRIPPLER]

 If it's anything like deer or ducks the best money is made by staying home and selling all your gear on Ebay! 

[BearTruth]

 

Man that is just to funny!!  Yes that is probably the best way to go about it. 

I do believe however that if I couldn't go outside I would be driven crazy.  The outdoors is just my way of having my time to myself.  Yote hunting just fills in for deer season being over and a way to make my reloading supplies cost effective.. he he

[wyote]

If your not going to skin it, then I would get it to a buyer within a day or two.........max.

If you skinning for the fur market, you start skinning pretty much like you said. I go right down the legs to just a bit below the hock. Dont cut to the bone at the hock with your knife cause if you cut the ham string you won't be able to hang the coyote while your skinning.

Pull the hide off the legs and down to the tail. Split the tail abit, and pull off more of the hide around the tail. Use a tail stripper, or two sticks or screw drivers to pinch the tail bone firmly and pull down towards the tip. The bone should slip right out of the tail. Finish splitting the tail to the tip.

Then pull the hide off like a sock. When yor get the the front legs I skin to a couple of inchs below the joint and cut around the leg. When you get to the head you have to find the ear butt and cut it to the skull. Skin on down to the eyes and cut to the bone so you get just the eye slits. The you proceed to the lips and nose. When you get to the nose cut through the soft cartledge at the end of the skull and leave the nose on the hide.

You probably will need to skin one or two to get the hang of it.

[bluebird]

Thanks Wyote.....those are great instructions! ! !

[BearTruth]

After a person get's done skinning the critter is there anything special they need to do, like salt them, freeze them, stretch them, or do you just hang them up until you take them to the buyer?

[wyote]

You just roll them up fur side out put in a paper bag and freeze. I have used plastic bags but a tanner once told me "NEVER" freeze or ship a hide in a black plastic bag, because a huge percentage of them will slip.

If you have a stretcher, then just cut off all the fat and small pieces of meat (fleshing) Next I usually wash mine in "cold" water, and let hang over night to dry.  If there are any holes (bullet or cuts) sew them up at this time. Next put the hide on a board or wire stretcher skin side out. Let dry till your fingers don't stick to it when touched. Here I usually dry over night (depending on humidity and temprature in your area) After this is done turn fur side out put back on stretcher and finish drying. Usually 3 to 4 day but I sometimes leave them on the stretcher till I need to dry another hide.

No salt is needed. But I have heard of some folks who salt the ear butts

[Skyline]

Wyote.......good instructions. BearTruth the method described is called 'case' skinning.

If you can get 25 or $30 for the yotes in the round you are probably ahead of the game selling them to the buyer and not having to spend the time to skin and stretch the hides. For the fur market up here we have to stretch and dry the hides in order to sell them................and with the money they are NOT worth these days it is not a very good deal. You have to look at it as something you do for recreation.

I long for the good old days when the yotes were bringing in $100 - $150. Then it was worth it and everyone was out shooting them and keeping the population down.

[TomKat]

I DO NOT long for the good old days as I like to have less people hunting "my" uneducated dogs 

[MattS]

$20-$30 for a whole yote is unheard of anymore.  Around here we are lucky to get that much out of a clean dry fur.  For that price I would just stick with dropping them off whole and be done with it.

[BearTruth]

That price was also 3-4 years ago, so I'm not sure what you would get this year.  I haven't gotten any yet.

[Skyline]

Part of this discussion should really be about hide quality. The dogs you guys are shooting in MO and area are not the same quality of fur we have on our coyotes that are out in -40. But even so it is hard to get enough out of a dog these days to pay for the investment. I realize that for you guys that are just out there hunting them for fun it is not really an issue.

TK....that is just downright mean and selfish.   You hunt coyotes for fun (I do to a degree), trappers have a lot invested in equipment and time and deserve a better rate of pay. The low fur prices are why the dogs are so darned abundant..........and that is not good for a lot of other things like upland game birds and deer. Where I live the darned coyotes  ....err DARNED coyotes (sorry BB).....get together in packs of 6 or 7 and hammer deer.........and they are VERY good at it.

BearTruth........I use a .222 Rem for most coyote hunting and switch to a .25-06 or .25-.284 when the wind is up or the shots are way out there. In the .222 I use 40 grain Wildcat bullets and push them as fast as I can. They enter and blow up and drop the coyote like a rock.....no exit holes.....just that tiny .222 entry hole......one stitch.  

[KANSAS KRIPPLER]

 We put one down today with a 3.5 Tshot goose load @ 35 to 40 yds. Is the shotgun better or worse for pelt quality?

[Skyline]

Ahmen!!!   pellets are fine.

[TomKat]

Part of this discussion should really be about hide quality. The dogs you guys are shooting in MO and area are not the same quality of fur we have on our coyotes that are out in -40. But even so it is hard to get enough out of a dog these days to pay for the investment. I realize that for you guys that are just out there hunting them for fun it is not really an issue.

TK....that is just downright mean and selfish.   You hunt coyotes for fun (I do to a degree), trappers have a lot invested in equipment and time and deserve a better rate of pay. The low fur prices are why the dogs are so darned abundant..........and that is not good for a lot of other things like upland game birds and deer. Where I live the darned coyotes....err DARNED coyotes (sorry BB).....get together in packs of 6 or 7 and hammer deer.........and they are VERY good at it.

BearTruth........I use a .222 Rem for most coyote hunting and switch to a .25-06 or .25-.284 when the wind is up or the shots are way out there. In the .222 I use 40 grain Wildcat bullets and push them as fast as I can. They enter and blow up and drop the coyote like a rock.....no exit holes.....just that tiny .222 entry hole......one stitch.  


 

Yep, it is selfish. But I LOVE to hunt coyotes! And I dont have anything against trappers or trapping. But given the chance to shoot a nice deer or pop a dog, I would take the dog.

But I am in the minority, I know