SLAFMC to host fifth Annual Pelt Prep Workshop

Jesse Bonello - Staff Writer

The Sioux Lookout Area Fur Managers Council (SLAFMC) is hosting their 5th Annual Pelt Prep Workshop at the Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre on April 20.
The workshop, which runs from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., is free to attend and features a variety of vendors, demonstrations and learning sessions.
Attendees will be able to purchase trapping and hunting supplies, wild fur, leather, clothing, giftware, and jewellery along with being able to watch live demonstrations.
Vendors in attendance will be The Palace, Zinger Hunter’s Hideout, Silver Cedar Studio, and Jack Fehr. They’ll be joined by Darren Lentz who will be teaching snowshoe weaving, Victor Ciurko who is showing how to properly prepare traps in dye, Tony George and Bill Kendall teaching how to make snares, and local conservation officers who will be able to answer questions throughout the day.
“The learning sessions that we’re going to have are basically trappers who got their animal this year. They saved them for the pelt prep workshop, so they’re going to be skinning them. They’ll show you how to take the hide off. If they finish skinning them, they will continue to put it on to the boards to be dried afterwards,” explained Maegan Ciurko, an event organizer.
The live demonstrations are scheduled for every hour with coyote prep starting at 10 a.m., otter prep at 11 a.m., fisher prep at noon, mink prep at 1 p.m., and snare making at 2 p.m. Some all-day activities include trap dying and boiling, snowshoe weaving, games, food, and the newly-added fur grading.
“We do have a guy coming from Fur Harvesters Auction, and he is a professional fur grader. If people wanted to bring in their pelt, he could tell them how well they could do on the international market with that pelt. He can tell you things that they’re looking for and how they’re grading the fur, so when you’re preparing them then that’s the kind of stuff you can keep in mind to try and get a better dollar for your pelt,” said Ciurko.
When asked about the event’s growth over the years, Ciurko shared that the community does a great job of showing their support.
“It grew quite a bit actually. We have a few new people every year, and it’s actually quite amazing to see how much support we get from the community. They always give us some pretty great donations. It’s been awesome… We have lots of kids’ prizes and more games this year too. Lance Hildebrand’s art class is building a new game for us,”
she said.
The Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre will be providing food for purchase with the proceeds being donated to the local food bank.