Thread: Possum fur handling

Hi to you experienced possum fur pluckers.

Just want to know what you guys pluck into in the field and how you store and dry it before selling.

Plucking into a clean sack is OK but Im thinking a big mesh bag with a draw string will be easier and maybe tougher.
Im also guessing it will allow it to dry out when in storage if its not packed to tight ?

I have killed plenty of possums over the years but never bothered with the fur.
But decided to give it a bit of a nudge this winter and see how much I end up with..... might just top up the " man cash stash ".
Did 8 last night to start things off.

I pluck mine straight in to big mesh bags, then just hang them up in the shed until the next night out spotlighting, when it gets half full I get a new bag and combine them when that gets half full. The problem is when plucking in to a bag you have to keep opening the bag, or the bloody wind is a nuisance, so I cut the bottom out of a big square bucket and hold the mesh bag on to the bucket with a big rubber band cut from an inner tube. It sits on the ground with out rolling away cos its square and I place it so the wind blows in to the bucket. And cos the bag is mesh, the wind blows through rather than trying to blow your fur back out like it does with a plastic bag. I think 2 of my mesh bags are old eel bags, the ones the guys used to transport their eels home after trapping them.

20kg onion bags do the trick.

I do all mine in the bush so just use plastic bags then transfer into a big onion bag to hang up till I go to town. Have transferred a 2Nd time into a yellow pack liner bag to fit more in!

But husky's idea seems to b a dam good one

Originally Posted by Husky1600

I pluck mine straight in to big mesh bags, then just hang them up in the shed until the next night out spotlighting, when it gets half full I get a new bag and combine them when that gets half full. The problem is when plucking in to a bag you have to keep opening the bag, or the bloody wind is a nuisance, so I cut the bottom out of a big square bucket and hold the mesh bag on to the bucket with a big rubber band cut from an inner tube. It sits on the ground with out rolling away cos its square and I place it so the wind blows in to the bucket. And cos the bag is mesh, the wind blows through rather than trying to blow your fur back out like it does with a plastic bag. I think 2 of my mesh bags are old eel bags, the ones the guys used to transport their eels home after trapping them.

Thats a good tip about the square bucket.
Now I just need to get my hands on some suitable mesh bags.

Of course the person to ask might be in residence on one of your upcoming trips...

What is the price of Fluff this year ??

0-10kg, $105/kg. 10-20kg, $107.50/kg. 20-30kg, $110/kg. 30kg plus, rate negotiable.

I get free mesh type bags by the dozen from work, as a lot of the products are wrapped in them, complete with drawstring.
These are a Cuban fibre type materiel and weigh next to nothing.
Flick me a pm if you want a few

Originally Posted by Husky1600

I pluck mine straight in to big mesh bags, then just hang them up in the shed until the next night out spotlighting, when it gets half full I get a new bag and combine them when that gets half full. The problem is when plucking in to a bag you have to keep opening the bag, or the bloody wind is a nuisance, so I cut the bottom out of a big square bucket and hold the mesh bag on to the bucket with a big rubber band cut from an inner tube. It sits on the ground with out rolling away cos its square and I place it so the wind blows in to the bucket. And cos the bag is mesh, the wind blows through rather than trying to blow your fur back out like it does with a plastic bag. I think 2 of my mesh bags are old eel bags, the ones the guys used to transport their eels home after trapping them.

Somebody hand that man a beer!

I'm not a professional trapper, but pluck possums as a perk when doing nightshooting work.
Pluck straight into a plastic supermarket bag, squash out most of the air when tying up the handles and stuff it in pocket or pack. If fur is wet with blood or piss, don't pluck it.
Soon after arriving home the fur is tipped into a medium size cardboard box so any moisture from rain or dew can dry off. Maybe stir or fluff it up a few days later to ensure it's dry.
After a week or 2 it goes into a big black plastic rubbish bag, air gently pushed out and tied tightly to prevent moth from getting in. (A mate gave me a kilo of fur he'd been saving but it was ruined by moths.)

Store it on a high shelf out of reach of dogs & cats!

Just a thought.
If you have access to a vacuum sealer, Possum fur packs down extremely well using this method. No bulk. No air. No moths.

Great idea there @Pengy

Originally Posted by 223nut

Of course the person to ask might be in residence on one of your upcoming trips...

Hes going to europe for a couple of months and back in there late in the winter

Originally Posted by MSL

0-10kg, $105/kg. 10-20kg, $107.50/kg. 20-30kg, $110/kg. 30kg plus, rate negotiable.

Thanks for that

Thought id revive this thread. I do a fair bit of hare and possum shooting and have been plucking over winter. I wont be selling the fur but using it as filling for a duvet. Just gotta put my sewing skills to the test again to make the inner.
Because the fur will be stuffed in without any other processing id like to give it a wash to make sure its as free of allergens/dirt/mites as possible.
Im planning on jamming it into a double layer of tightly woven bags and chucking it through a wool wash cycle. Feel free to tell me if this is a shit idea and why.

Cheers
Strider