The best and easiest way to learn how to put up fur is to find someone who knows how to handle fur show you. A trapper in your area or even a local fur buyer. If no one can help consider buying one of the many books on the subject.
I'll try to teach you what I know.
You will need a few supplies in order to put up your fur correctly.
First things first you will need a skinning knife and a sharpening stone or a quick sharpener (Cam-nu etc.). I highly recommend an Improved Muskrat style Old Timer. I have had mine for 15 years now and it still takes and holds an edge. Your skinning knife needs to be kept razor sharp to avoid holes and cuts. I have done everything with mine from skinning squirrels with it to skinning, quartering, and butchering a whole deer.
You also need a tail stripper for stripping coon, fox, coyote and mink tails.
If you would like to put your fur up (fleshing, stretching and drying) you will need stretchers in the various sizes and models for whatever animal you plan to trap. You have choice of wooden stretchers and wire stretchers. Wire stretchers are cheaper and easier to use. Wooden ones give your fur a better look I think, I use wood for my best foxes and for all my mink.
If you trap beaver you will need to make some beaver boards. A pattern is obtainable for beaver boards from the Fur Harvesters Auction. I will however assume you using wire forms for all but mink and beaver.
You will need a fleshing knife to scrape of all the fat, gristle, and meat left on a hide after
Trapping Info
This page was last updated: April 5, 2009
For Education ~ Not For Profit
Fur Handling
skinning. I have used everything from a sharp knife to old fashioned draw knives. I used a draw knife for 14 years. I now use a Knecker Knife, which you can buy, from most trapping supply stores. It has a dull edge for basic scraping, and a sharp edge for scraping gristle on coon, and especially beaver. With a fleshing knife you'll need a fleshing beam. If you ambitious you can make your own out of a 2x6, or do what most people do buy one from a trapping supply store. Arrange the beam so you push down with the fleshing knife. The end of the beam where you put the pelt should be about waist level.
You should get a rubberized apron as well to keep the blood and grease off your clothes. Make life easier for your wife, girlfriend or your Mom.
You should also get a box of rubber gloves, to protect yourself from diseases. They keep your hands mostly clean of blood and grease, however sometimes they do make it hard to scrape when they get greasy.
The last things you need are some rags, old T-shirts are ok, but an old towel cut into 3 pieces is better.
I have no experience with preparing otter, nutria, bobcat, marten, fisher, badger, wolf or wolverine furs. Therefore I can't tell you how to put them up.
This is for all animals, let them dry out before skinning if you can. You can skin wet animals if need be, but when they are dry they are much easier to skin and handle. After they dry out brush out all the mud, dirt and burrs in the fur. I use a dog grooming brush. Cockleburs in any hide, but especially fox and coyote hides and tails are best removed by crushing the burr and using your fingers to remove the small pieces.
Hang the raccoon by its hind feet head down. I Use a strong cord or cable. (I use a cut down snare.) Start by making a cut about 1 1/2" onto the pad of the hind foot continuing the cut around the whole foot, repeat with other foot.
Now make a cut from one foot to the other just in front of the anus of the coon. Then make two cuts on either side of the anus, connecting the cuts in front of the tail.Now using your knife cut he hide free of the feet. Once the hide is free of the feet you should be able to pull the hide off the hind legs and the belly.
If it is a male coon you will have to cut around the testicle. You will see the penis bone, pull the hide down to the end of the bone and then cut it free.
Now continue to pull the hide around the back to the tail.
Work your fingers between the back and the hide till you break through the other side.
Now give it a good pull, and it should start the tail.
Take your knife and insert it upside down into the top of the tail, and very carefully draw the knife toward you. This should give you a 3-4" cut along the top of the tail.
Raccoons
Now pull on the hide near the tail, not the tail because on young coons it can rip off.
While pulling to get the tail free every 1/2" cut along the underside of the tail (you should see a white line). This will prevent tail hairs from being pulled out. You cancontinue to do this till the whole tail is skinned out, or after about 5-6" you can use a tail stripper.
To use the tail stripper open the tail stripper and place the tail bone into the desired size hole and close and hold tightly with one hand.
Now with your one hand holding the tail stripper closed on the tail bone, grab the tail bone itself tightly with your other hand and firmly separate the tail bone from the tail. The tail bone should pull out of the tail. If it is to hard to pull out, skin out more of the tail and try again.
If you use a tail stripper cut down the inside of the tail and open it  up,otherwise it may rot.
Once you have this done it is just a matter of brute force to get the rest of the hide off.  Using your rags will help you get a better grip on the hide.
Pull down till you reach the front legs. Work your fingers in under the shoulder between the carcass and the hide. Once you poke through to the other side pull down on the hide as far as you can.
Now pull down on the hide around the legs and cut the hide to free the hide from the feet.
Now using your knife pull and cut down toward the head, be careful not to cut the hide.
Cutting on the whitish lines closest to the animal will prevent most accidental cuts.
Once you reach the skull look for the 2 white lumps of cartilage that mark the ears. Cut them off close to the skull.
Continue to pull till you find the eyes, they'll be dark spots under a thin layer of tissue.  Use care or you'll get "starry-eyed" coons.
Pull down to the nose and cut the pelt free at the base of the nose cartilage.
SCRAPING
Scraping coons can be tough. It depends on what kind of knife you use and the size of the coons. Anything over 15 lbs. can be pretty tough and gristly.
Place the coon on fleshing beam as far as it'll go. Have it's eyes looking up at you.Now take your skinning knife and make a shallow cut just below the ears. Make sure not to cut through the hide. This cut is the starting point for you to scrape.
Scrape with a downward stroke, using a few short strokes to get the hide started, once started the fat and flesh should just come off fairly easy. Continue to scrape around the hide, pulling the hide up the beam and tucking the excess under, till hide is clean of fat.
Stretching
Now center the pelt on a wire stretcher, place the hooks into the two pieces of foot pad on the hind feet (these will hold better than the hide and not slip.)
Place the other hook in the tail. Now pull down on hooks till the coon is about 7 3/4 to 8 inches wide at the hips. (The average persons hand is between 7 1/2 to 8 inches from the tip of the index finger to the base of the palm.)
Place a clothespin on each hip to hold it in place. Now take your knife and cut "the window". Cut at the penis for male coons and the second set of teats for a female. Cut out to about 2-2 1/2" of the side of the coon.
Cut off lower lip so mouth is one big oval shape.
Raccoon Sizes:
4XL(over 35")
3XL(32-35")
2XL 29-32")
XL(27-29")
Large(24-27")
Large Medium LM (22-24")
Medium (20-22")
Small (under 20")
Foxes and Coyotes
Handling foxes and coyotes is about the same thing. So I'm just going to do one set of instructions for the both of them.
Hang from a hind foot, using a strong cord or gambrel.
Cut around each hind foot just above the pad.
Make a cut from one foot to the other just in front of the anus.
Then make two cuts on either side of the anus, connecting the cuts in front of the tail.
Now using your knife cut he hide free of the feet. Once free of the feet you should be able to pull the hide off the hind legs and the belly.
If it is a male you will have to cut around the testicle. You will see the penis, pull the hide down to the end of the penis and then cut it free.
Now continue to pull the hide around the back to the tail. Work your fingers between the back and the hide till you break through the other side. Now give it a good pull, and it should start the tail.
Take your knife and insert it upside down into the top of the tail, and very carefully draw the knife toward you. This should give you a 3-4" cut along the top of the tail. Now pull on the hide near the tail, not the tail because on young coons it can rip off. While pulling to get the tail free every 1/2" cut along the underside of the tail (you should see a white line). This will prevent tail hairs from being pulled out. You can continue to do this till the whole tail is skinned out, or after about 3-4" you can use a tail stripper. If you use a tail stripper cut down the inside of the tail and open it up all the way, otherwise it may rot.
Once you have this done it is just a matter of force to get the rest of the hide off. Use your rags to help you get a better grip on the hide.
Pull down till you reach the front legs. Work your fingers in under the shoulder between the carcass and the hide. Once you poke through to the other side pull down on the hide as far as you can. Cut around the feet with you knife.
Now using you knife pull and cut down toward the head, be careful not to cut the hide. Cutting on the whitish lines closest to the animal will prevent most accidental cuts.
Once you reach the skull look for the 2 white lumps of cartilage that mark the ears. Cut them off close to the skull.
Continue to pull till you find the eyes, they'll be dark spots under a thin layer of tissue. Use care or you'll get a "starry-eyed" pelt.
Pull down to the nose and cut off at base of cartilage.
Most foxes and coyotes don't need much scraping.
Place the pelt on the board eyes up, and scrape downward. Don't use too much force on foxes as they rip easily.
Continue to scrape till all excess fat and flesh is removed.
Place fur side in on a wire stretcher or wooden form. Make sure it is centered.
Place the stretcher hooks into both of the hind feet, and the other in the tail, pull until taunt.
If using a wooden form, place pins in hind legs on one side of board. Crossing the legs helps to get the pelt tight.
Tack the tail out all the way to the end, this will make the tail appear bushy and full.
Put a belly wedge in if using a wooden form.
Either way after 24hrs or less the hide needs to be turned fur out.
A neat trick on a wire form is to undo the hooks, and pull the pelt off the stretcher a little bit. Then take the nose of the pelt and stick it back through the stretcher. Now grab the bottom of the pelt and slowly pull toward the top. It should roll right up just like a sock.Then replace it on the stretcher.
On a wooden stretcher, take the pelt off the stretcher. Then stick your arm and hand as far up inside as you can. Grab onto the front leg holes if possible. Then roll the pelt down your arm again like a sock. Use care not to tear the pelt. Then replace it on the stretcher.
If you do tear the pelt either skinning or scraping it, don't worry. It is fairly easy to sew the holes shut using a needle and some dental floss.

EXAMPLE
I once caught two foxes. The one fox had a beautiful pelt but a nasty mangy tail. The second fox had a nice bushy tail but a nasty mangy rub from his shoulders to his rump. SO I skinned the 1st fox and cut off his tail. The second fox all I did was skin out the tail. Then I sewed the good tail onto the good pelt. Put it on a board and let it dry. After a little brushing it looked as good as the rest. I sold it right on through with my other foxes, and the buyer never even noticed.

Fox:
XL-L (over 28" in length)
M-SM (under 28")

Coyote:
XL-L (over 36")
M-SM (under 36")
Muskrats
After I have cleaned my rats, I like to hang them from the front legs, to let the water run off there backs easier, with a fan on them before skinning. I then brush them out as well.
This is wear I would make my first cut, around the base of the tail, wear the fur meets the tail. Also, the 2nd place I cut is around the front legs, removing them completely.
Next... After I have removed the front legs, I cut around the base of each hind foot, and down to the center of the tail on both sides, as shown in this picture.
Next you pull the fur down. 2 Points to watch for, 1st is starting each hind foot, the meat will want to tear, so go slow. Also, the belly will tear easily, exposing the guts and making it smell. So, My advice, take it slow around them areas. Sometimes it is easier to work your hand around from the back of the rat, to the front. NOTICE: I did not wear gloves, I generally don't on rats, BUT, wearing gloves is highly advisable, when skinning anything.
Pull untill you find the legs. Work your fingers thru the legs as on a raccon, or any animal you are skinning, and push down.
Now your to the head. TAKE IT SLOW. It doesn't take much to rip them.
Cut wear neccessary finding the ears, and eyes. IF you try to pull to hard, you will rip the fur. So, take your time.
The eyes are easier to find then the ears, with little white glands you will come accross first. Cut stright into the skull, not downward, and you should be able toget them out with no problem.
Finishing him off. Once again, take your time and cut stright into the skull, not with the fur. On the last note, SLOW IS SMOOTHE, SMOOTHE IS FAST. It will come in time to be able to skin a rat in less then a few min. I only hung these up for pics, I normally do not have them hanging when skinning. Its easier for me to do it while in my hand.
Mink
Hang the mink head down by a cord or string.
Cut around each hind foot, then cut a line connecting the feet just in front of the anus.Be careful not to puncture the mink's musk glands, which are located on either side of the anus.Now make a cut from you line on either side of the anus, and connect them in front of the tail.
You should be able to pull the hide off the legs and belly now. If it doesn't come easily use your knife to help you.
Start the tail, by holding the knife blade up and inserting it into the top of the tail where your two prior cuts meet.
Pull the blade toward you, down and out of the tail carefully. Then you should be able to just strip it off with a tail stripper. Remember to split tail completely open.
Pull the hide down to the front legs, and use your fingers to separate the hide around the shoulders.
Once you have the hide free of the body and around the leg pull down as far as you can on it, then cut free at the foot. Repeat with other foot and leg.
Pull toward head, till you see 2 small white lumps, these are the ears.
Cut them off as close to the base as possible.
Pull till you reach the eyes, dark spots under a thin membrane. Cut around the eyes carefully.
Pull down till you reach the nose cartilage, then cut it off about 3/4 of the way.
Mink usually don't need scraped at all, if the do just use your knife to cut of any fat or flesh.
MINK HAVE A SADDLE OF FLESH ACROSS THEIR BACK-----DO NOT REMOVE THIS SADDLE!!!!
When mink is ready place on wooden form, tack the hind legs to the same side as the tail .
This will make the examination window fur look denser and more full. Make sure to open and tack out the entire tail of the mink, this will prevent rot and make it look better.

Male Mink XL-L (over 21")
Male Mink L-M (18-21")
smaller size males graded with females.
Female Mink Med (17-18") SML (under 17")
Pull down and cut off the nose at the start of the cartilage.
Once skinned muskrats don't normally need to be fleshed. If they do, make sure to use a dull fleshing knife. DO NOT REMOVE THE SADDLE OF FLESH ACROSS THE BACK, this is important to leave on. Just scrape of any excess fat and flesh.
When done fleshing place your muskrat centered on wire form using the extended tail pieces, place a hook on the stretcher into each tail piece, then pull till the hide is taunt, but not overly tight.
The extra bit of tail that is leathery is tougher than the hide and won't rip as easy.
Muskrat: 2XL (over 16.5")
XL (15-16.5")
Large (13.5 - 15")
Large Medium LM(12-13.5")
Medium (10.5-12")
Small (9-10.5")
Extra Small XSM (under 9")
Beaver
OK so now you caught a beaver, guess what? Now the work begins.
Lay the beaver flat on its back, feet in the air.
Start by cutting off the front and hind feet. The front feet come of quite easily.
The back feet, grab the foot and bend it down cut right at the heel right at the fur line.
Now give it a good twist to separate it and cut it all the way off.

Cut around the tail at the fur line.
Now make a straight cut from right between the front teeth, down the belly right through the
anus, to the tail.Grab the fur and lift using your knife along the carcass to cut the hide away.
Basically you keep doing this till you reach the feet.
Using you hands get between the body and the hide work the hide up and over the feet.
Use your knife if needed. Repeat with other feet.
Cut the ears off as you come to them, they'll be whitish lumps on the side of the skull.
Cut around the eyes carefully.
Keep cutting around the body till you get the pelt free.
OK, now that you skinned you beaver the REAL work starts!
Place your beaver or the fleshing beam head toward you.
Use 2 large clamps to hold the pelt together under the board, so that it won't fall off.
Now take your knife and make a shallow cut just behind the ears, to serve as your scraping point.
Scrape with a stiff downward stroke, this should be easy once you get it started.
The fat along the belly comes off quite easily, and the back isn't to bad.
The hard part is the area of the tail, it is about 12-18 long and equally wide. It is solid gristle. Use the sharp side of your knife for this, or if you crave a workout use the dull side.
Once the beaver is cleanly scraped, place it on a beaver board.
The board will have marks for different sized beavers on it. Place the pelt so that it will fit on a slightly smaller marking so as not to thin the fur. Use regular galvanized nails to tack out the pelt.
Start by tack the beaver in 4 different directions then gradually add more nails in the other directions. Also tack out the nose and lips above the marking your tacking the beaver on.
Make sure the beaver is semi-loose as it will shrink when dry.
When your done you should have nails every inch or so.
Make sure to close the leg holes. Nail or sew the back legs closed. Use rubber bands on the front legs, wind them up tight and slide them down the leg as far as they'll go.

Beaver sizes:
2XL (over 65")
XL (60-65)
L (55-60")
LM (51-55)
Med (47-51")
Sm(42-47")
X-SM (under 42")
Opossum
Opossums are handled almost identically to muskrats.
Hang them by the tail, and then cut about 1 1/2" above the fur line into the tough scaly part of the tail.
Cut around each back foot at the fur line. From the top center of the cuts on the feet make a cut up to the cut on the tail.
Use the knife to get the tail started front and back.
Pull down on hide making sure to cut the penis free if it's a male. If it is a female extreme caution is needed to skin out the pouch without tearing it. If you do tear it don't worry just try to keep the size of the rip small. I have skinned opossums since I was 4 and still sometimes rip the pouch.
Pull down to the front legs, as before work your fingers between the hide and the body, till you get the fur just around the legs.
Pull the fur down the leg till you reach the foot, if you're strong you can just pull and the hide will come off down to the knuckle. I recommend cutting the hide free at the foot.
Pull down to the head and look for the white bumps of cartilage that mark the ears. Cut them off at the base if possible.
Pull down to the eyes, and carefully cut around them.
Pull down to the nose and cut off at the beginning of the cartilage.
Place the opossum on the fleshing beam eyes up, flesh side up.
Using a dull scraping knife start scraping downward with just enough force to get the fat coming off.Use care opossums are very easy to rip.
Once you have all the fat, flesh and gristle off, place the opossum on a wire stretcher.
Make sure it is centered, then hook the stretcher hooks through the two pieces of tail. The tough scaly part of the tail will hold better and is less likely to rip.
Some ancient bruiser opossums may need to be stretched on coon stretchers.

Opossum sizes:
3XL/2XL (over 22")
XL/LGE (18-22")
M-SM (under 18")
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