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Post by trappnman on May 3, 2009 8:17:50 GMT -6
Ron, one of our newest members, has offered to be a NAFA spokeperson on CRU and answer questions to the best of his ability-
so here is your chance-
but play nice- I reserve the right to edit and/or delete all posts.
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Post by Wright Brothers on May 3, 2009 9:51:15 GMT -6
Hi Ron.
What is your opinion of how NAFA prefers the opening cut on raccoon?
And, should the P'er hole be left on male mink?
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Post by Sage Dog on May 3, 2009 13:59:42 GMT -6
Ron,
I have a hypothetical question. When a shipper gives his package of furs to a NAFA pickup agent for shipment to NAFA, what's to prevent the agent from opening the package and substituting some of his low grade pelts for the shipper's better pelts before sending/taking the package on to NAFA? Again, this is a HYPOTHETICAL question.
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Post by jim on May 3, 2009 15:54:02 GMT -6
Not trying to answer for Ron, but I thought the agent opens all the bags and marks them so they know who they belong to. Jim
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on May 3, 2009 16:05:14 GMT -6
Same thing that prevents a FHA agent from doing the same.
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Post by blackhammer on May 3, 2009 18:19:44 GMT -6
Same thing that prevents anyone from stealing,what kind of a question is that?
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Post by marbleyez2001 on May 3, 2009 18:36:26 GMT -6
Ron, I have a hypothetical question. When a shipper gives his package of furs to a NAFA pickup agent for shipment to NAFA, what's to prevent the agent from opening the package and substituting some of his low grade pelts for the shipper's better pelts before sending/taking the package on to NAFA? Again, this is a HYPOTHETICAL question. From what I understand of the process around here. Regional pick up guys bring everything back to their shops and tag each and every pelt with a bar cade, with a bar code on a small piece of paper and a staple in the lower lip. These bar codes are assigned to you the trapper. Once They are barcoded, species are seprated into sepearate bags and shipped to Stoughton. |
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Post by wheelie on May 3, 2009 19:04:53 GMT -6
Same thing that prevents a FHA agent from doing the same. I guess it would be a matter of trust (trusting your agent)......if you don't trust him or her use a different agent that you feel you can. I can only speak for Alexis (KY/IN Agent for FHA) but the bags are never opened in the states. No looksky, no bar codeing, no grading, etc.....its all done in Canada when it arives in North bay. Nafa may be different? |
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Post by robertw on May 3, 2009 19:12:12 GMT -6
My Pick up agent (Berkbuegler) for NAFA delivers to Stoughten Ws and NAFA opens the bag and does the bar coding of each pelt.
Recieving depots like Funkes in Iowa bar code the pelts as they come in and then bag the stuff for shipment.
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Post by TrapperRon on May 3, 2009 19:17:46 GMT -6
Oh sure put me to work  *On the mink question: Cut your inspection window about 1/2 inch below the penis hole leaving the penis hole visible. Wild mink are separated by male and female for selling. Some females may be as large as a small male and vise-versa. This makes for ease of sorting. *Opening cut on Coon ... I will have to check this one out. I assume it is an opening cut recommended by Greg. Have to check that out. *Switching fur ! You know all of the NAFA agents are selected for their credibility and I would be very surprised if any would resort that risking their jobs as agents. In the first place they collect thousands of furs and which would they choose. Secondly they would not have the time, pick up and collection time is very hectic with not enough hours in the day. Thirdly If one were to examine their account sales, as happens, they have just as many lower grades and damages as any other trapper. Some collectors who are also depot managers do open everything and bar code it. Then ship, packaging by species. Other collectors deliver directly to one of the major depots or grading stations where the staff there open the packages and do the bar coding. |
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Post by jim on May 3, 2009 20:02:44 GMT -6
I knew that because my agent said I did a great putup on my coyotes once, so I asked him how he knew and he told me he bar coded all the fur he picked up. Jim
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Post by TrapperRon on May 3, 2009 20:17:46 GMT -6
Looked up the NAFA recommended initial cut in the resources section of the Web site. Now to answer your question, That is the initial cut I make on all my furs, mink, otter, marten, lynx, coyotes etc. "On raccoons the initial cut is made in a straight line from one foot to the other passing under the anus about 1 1/2 " to 2" following a line separating the long guard hair from the shorter belly fur." ( of course with mink and marten it is about 1/2" ) Many times there is a visible color change from the back fur to the belly fur to follow. It may add another inch or so onto your length. There are still many trappers that cut a straight line to behind the anus, or to the anus which will loose length and leave valuable longer guard hair to the belly. I needed to read what was actually in the pelt handling manual before passing comment on it. If it would have said something else my recommendations would have been to change it. Probably Greg wrote the raccoon handling, he is after all the "coon guy".  |
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Post by Wright Brothers on May 4, 2009 11:25:08 GMT -6
Thank you. There's a Greg NAFA guy comes to our District stuff but think he's a different Greg than spoke of on here.
And yes Ron it was my computer that was goofing up the manual. An adobe update helped out a lot. Thanks again.
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Post by humptulips on May 4, 2009 14:24:35 GMT -6
What's the procedure, Who do I talk to when furs are lost? I sent some mink in a shipment with some other fur. Mink show on my receipt but never sold and not in account. Talked with the receiving agent but nothing came of it.
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Post by TrapperRon on May 4, 2009 18:50:38 GMT -6
Humptulips I should have the proper direct email address for you to send to by tomorrow night with your lost furs problem.
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Post by briankroberts on May 5, 2009 4:54:05 GMT -6
So Ron when are the lotting letters/grades gonna be available online?...B...
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Post by TrapperRon on May 5, 2009 8:59:39 GMT -6
As it gets closer to sale date and the lots get entered, catalogues completed, they should be available online. I see inspection starts on May 10th so some should show up then. Lot numbers and descriptions sometimes show up first but until all the scan tags on the furs are scanned they will not show on your lotting letter.
Now don't get excited if you check your account and everything is not there right away. Goods may show up on your lotting letter by species as they are catalog entered. Everything will be there by the time it is all entered.
This process does not magically happen overnight. It is a very long process with staff working long hours to finalize catalogs and scan all the goods in.
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Post by TrapperRon on May 5, 2009 9:07:50 GMT -6
What's the procedure, Who do I talk to when furs are lost? I sent some mink in a shipment with some other fur. Mink show on my receipt but never sold and not in account. Talked with the receiving agent but nothing came of it. Send your query to: m_schell@nafa.ca I would wait till next week to see if they show up on your lotting letter online. There is a chance they were just too late for last sale, or perhaps they were off colored "ranch type" in which case they would not show up till May. Ranch escapees typically do not make the current sale and go to the next. This happens because they are mixed in with the wild mink shipment to Winnipeg and by the time the grading is taking place it is too late to ship to Toronto for inclusion in the ranch. |
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Post by humptulips on May 5, 2009 19:00:58 GMT -6
Thanks Ron, I'll contact them. These are from last year so they're lost for sure.
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Post by robertw on May 11, 2009 20:21:34 GMT -6
Ron,
Why haven't our grades been posted on our fur yet and who do we need to be calling about this? They used to be posted ten days in advance, then they went to Five days...now it is May 11th and the Wild Fur starts selling May 14th, we are looking at two days if it gets put tomorrow (maybe)??
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