I have been laid up for about a month. My wife got me out last friday and I shot 14 chucks. Number 599 was a 77 yard head shot. Number 600 was a 13 pound male. He was out in the tall grass when we pulled up in the truck. He was across the canal and was running for the hole. The shot was 30 yards and I shot him in the eye. The gun is my Air Arms TX200 22 cal. I shoot H&N FTT 14.66 grain pellets.

Ron, check out this site and you may want to go into the fur business if you haven't already! $125 per pelt x 600 = $75,000

https://www.chichesterinc.com/MarmotSkins.htm

What the heck. That is whacked out.

You may need to bone up on your skinning and tanning skills.

Congratulations on your record to date and getting set free.

I'm impressed, Ron. You sure know how to run that TX200.
Hope your foot/ankle mends soon.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
You may need to bone up on your skinning and tanning skills.

Prices well not hold if you flood the market.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
You may need to bone up on your skinning and tanning skills.

Prices well not hold if you flood the market.

I spit lemonaid thanks to that comment.

Well on your way there Ron.

It is a good thing.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Well on your way there Ron.

It is a good thing.

Man you cracked me up.

You are correct, but the nice thing about tanned skins is that they keep. Diamonds are the most prevalent gem stone on earth but de Beers controls the supply and thus the price. Google Marmot skins and you'll get several companies that sell them. Must be some fair demand.

Ron could find a local trapper who might pay him $50 a pelt. That's still $30,000. Even $25 is $15,000.

Here is a neat way to skin them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJO5plZtSQ

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
You may need to bone up on your skinning and tanning skills.

Prices well not hold if you flood the market.

I was not aware that there was a fur market these days what with the uneducated bleeding hearts, etc. I know that in 1970 I ran a trap line + at that time prime racoons were going for $45.00 + red fox was going for $60.00 + Silver fox (if you ever found one) was going for much more than that. That was a LOT of money in those days but it was a lot of work too. Sounds like your little pleasure shooting could be a viable source of some extra income; hell if you are out of capacity in the regular work mode due to your damaged peg, it's nice to know that you can still support your family sitting down + doing something you enjoy. Now THAT'S a job made in Heaven.

As an addendum, the only way to improve on this is teaching your kids how to do the skinning.No need to tan unless things have changed; the buyers usually want them in the green.