I’m new to trapping, new to the forum, and looking for advice. I’ll be tent camping & trapping in SE Ohio for a week in Dec. I’ll be targeting coyotes and foxes in big woods, no fields. I have the ability to keep the hides out of the rain but was wondering how the temps 20-50 could impact the hides drying. Also, any advice on trapping public land is welcome!!

Thanks and look forward to hearing back from y’alll.

I think you might have a problem with the drying part. Any chance you can just skin and keep the pelts cold until you can find a better location to dry the pelts?

If you are wall tent camping with a good stove, things might be different.

That’s what I was worried about. I can keep them in a cooler but I’m not sure how long they will last before they spoil. Is salting them a good option? I’ll be tanning whatever I catch for personal use and giving them away as gifts to family and friends so I’m not worried about selling these ones. I’ve heard you can salt if you’re tanning and not to salt if you are selling them to a fur buyer. Not even sure if that is correct. Ha ha.

Thanks!

Do not salt if selling. I know very little about tanning.

A cool hide, off the carcass, will keep several days if kept dry.

Thanks for the insight, much appreciated.

First, are you going to tan them yourself or have them sent out? Either way, figure out if you can in fact salt the green hides. Honestly, you are not going to have much luck keeping them in a cooler. At least let the hides hang fur side out overnight to take good chill before you put them in the cooler.

Here's another thing, and I hate to do this to you but... You are going to find very few furbearers in the deep woods in SE Ohio. There is just nothing for them to eat.