Fort Simpson (Feb 04/05) - Furs have been sold for hundreds of years in the Deh Cho, but the optimal techniques for skinning animals are constantly changing.

For that reason, the Department of Wildlife, Resources and Economic Development (RWED) offered a fur-handling workshop over a couple of evenings last week.

Renewable Resources officer Ken Davidge skins a wolf's leg at a fur-handling workshop in Fort Simpson during the evening of Jan. 26. The animal's carcass was sent in from Trout Lake. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

Ken Davidge, a renewable resources officer, explained fur auction houses seek specific qualities in fur, and those qualities can change from year to year.

Removing the animal's claws is generally a good practice within the fur industry because sharp claws can damage other pelts. Taxidermists, on the other hand, prefer to have the claws intact on a good quality predator's coat, he added.

The best practices for handling furs start right at the trapline, he said. Frozen carcasses should be transported carefully.

If thrown into a sled, they can literally crack in half, erasing any monetary value, Davidge noted. Even appendages that snap off lessen what they are worth, he added.

He also warned that storing pelts in plastic bags can result in "sweating" or rotting.

The carcasses should thaw slowly in a cool place. When skinning, precaution must be taken to avoid removing too much of the fat and interior skin, a mistake known as "over-fleshing." This results in small holes in the pelt, which decreases the value.

The department has cardboard cutouts to help trappers ensure their forming boards - or "stretchers" - are the right size for various furs. Allowing them to dry naturally overnight is best, according to Davidge. Pelts dried quickly next to a woodstove turn out bumpy or ripply, he said.

Edward "Chicky" Cholo, one of Fort Simpson's most prolific trappers, was on hand to demonstrate how he skins marten and lynx. Standing in front of a metallic counter-top in the RWED compound, Cholo deftly used his knife to separate the lynx's skin from its body starting at the hind legs.

Having been taught by his father, Cholo still maintains two traplines - one approximately 40 km long, the other about 15 km in length. He said he checks his lines a few times each week and has taken youth out with him to show them the traditional ways.

Last year, he earned more than $80 for each top quality marten pelt and $285 for his best lynx fur, he said.

Lynx are relatively easy to skin while marten are more exacting, he said, although big-boned wolverines are the most difficult to flesh.