How to Stretch Traditional Beaver Pelts

Beavers produce beautiful rounded pelts, a look acheived through stretching.

As collectors and buyers grade animals pelts on quality and appearance as well as size, receiving top dollar for your beaver pelt depends greatly on how the pelt is prepared. Correct preparation includes the stretching of the pelt as much as the skinning of the pelt, as the iconic shape and size of beaver pelts is achieved through the stretching process. While specialized tools like stretching frames may be used to stretch pelts into their proper size and shape, the pelt may also be prepared by following a few easy steps using simple household items like a hammer and nails.

Things You'll Need

• Beaver pelts, freshly skinned
• Large sheet of plywood or wall
• 14 to 20 small nails
• Hammer
• Beaver stretching frame (optional)
• Marker (optional)

Instructions

1. Draw a large circle on a sheet of plywood or an inside wall, if desired. Beaver pelts are generally round. This is done through the stretching process rather than the skinning process. Should you desire a rounded pelt, you may want to start by drawing a circle on your surface as a guide.

2. Use a stretching frame, if desired. Generally made of wood, stretching frames are readily available in most hunting supply stores and are built to accommodate different-sized animals. The pelt is simply stretched over this frame and then tacked down and allowed to dry.

3. Lay the pelt flat against a sheet of plywood or against a cool, dry wall should you choose to personally stretch your pelt. Either way, the pelt must be fresh so that the pliable skin may be stretched.

4. Drive four small nails into the pelt, just below the head. Place the nails at least 1 inch apart, depending on the size of your pelt.

5. Stretch the pelt down lengthwise as tightly as possible, placing four small nails about an inch apart into the bottom of the pelt, just above the tail.

6. Stretch the pelt horizontally as tightly as possible, placing more nails along the side to tack the pelt down. Repeat this process for the other side of the pelt.

7. Stretch the pelt all the way around, keeping the pelt as close to the shape of a circle as possible. Place nails around the pelt at 1-inch intervals, stretching the pelt as tightly as possible.

8. Allow the pelt to dry so that the skin may retain its new shape. Beaver pelts can take up to a week or more to fully dry.

References

• New Mexico State University College of Agriculture and Home Economics: How to Prepare Pelts

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish