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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Apr 15, 2006 22:29:50 GMT -6
I could be wrong Bob but three seasons of these prices and the beaver will be in a hurt big time up here. Heck they generally dont reproduce until they are three years old. When the prices get high enough like they are now the winter guys will crank it up and they can really put a hurt to beaver that would never get trapped otherwise.
Will soon have to work twice as hard to catch the same amount. When that happens I think i am going someplace like texas to trap or the Northwest Angle to fish.
If I had any brains I would sell in the round. Should be able to average about 20 bucks. 150, 175 a week is easily doable right now if I am not skinning. But...I'm not smart lol. You know what they say about beaver trappers.
I'll tell you sutherners something trapping beaver in the spring is very invigorating. After you been snowed in for up to 5 months its something special.
I dont know about an old tire steph. Looks like a 50 to 60 dollar bill to me. They can have the coyotes.
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Post by coyote on Apr 16, 2006 5:20:25 GMT -6
Will soon have to work twice as hard to catch the same amount. When that happens I think i am going someplace like texas to trap or the Northwest Angle to fish. If I had any brains I would sell in the round. I guess this was mostly what I was getting at...with former trappers likely (?) to jump back into it, do you change your tactics, line management, etc... I don't like to lie, either. I usually just say there are a LOT easier ways to make money than trapping (TRUE!) selling in the round isn't a good option for me...too many miles to the nearest fur buyer. appreciate all the replies!
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Post by trappnman on Apr 16, 2006 7:13:42 GMT -6
I read over and over again how we are in a fur boom.
1080 summed it up.
My personal thoughts are we are far from a boom- look at the averages- yes they are up, but a boom? I can only attribute that to a lot of trappers that really didn't live the boom.
Prices went up a little, but lets not blow it out of proportion.
And even if prices doubles next season- so what? So you get a bunch of guys setting traps for a week or two.
Like opening day of deer season- Tues the woods are empty.
To put up big numbers, you have to have 1) the time 2) the equipment 3) the desire.
Is that base out there? That is, a base of extrappers, all waiting to hit the woods & water with higher prices?
I don't believe so.
Those trappers are already out there.
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Post by ColdSteel on Apr 16, 2006 7:16:45 GMT -6
Steven,Those prices in the round are good but I am sure you have a better beaver than I do?Where are you from?My country buyer has been paying 8 to 10 bucks but that is going to change with these rising prices.I would sell for 20 in the round right now.Even if I could average 30 at NAFA less 9% comission and skinning and fleshing and hauling away the carcass.I would let them all go for 20 without looking back it would free me up to land trap more.There are so many hours in a day and I am not getting any younger.Your comment about the yotes I agree with you.I had rather skin and flesh a beaver than a stinking coyote any day of the week.I am sure I will get a little argument over that statement ;D
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Post by ColdSteel on Apr 16, 2006 7:30:45 GMT -6
Tman ,just read your post and there is alot of truth in your statements.Big number trappers have to have the time ,equipment and desire and they are very important but that isn't worth nothing unless you have the animal population.I see where or some of you boys catch 6 to 8 hundred fox ,100 mink seasons as well as 1000rats and 6 to 800 coons those numberr are unheard of in my parts just like in my area catching 50 to 75 otter and 2 to 300 beaver in 6weeks is possible with hard work.What will hurt me the most if the fur boom does come is me losing land from the so called weekend trapper (which it has already happened to me)I trap alot of hunting club land where the members pay big bucks to shoot deer.The only thing that has to happen is one of these members decides he wants to buy a 1/2 dozen 330's and then old Tony is out on his ear
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Post by robertw on Apr 16, 2006 8:01:13 GMT -6
"I trap alot of hunting club land where the members pay big bucks to shoot deer.The only thing that has to happen is one of these members decides he wants to buy a 1/2 dozen 330's and then old Tony is out on his ear"
Yes this could happen but probably on a limited basis, if the trapper has been providing a good service previously and keeping the beaver under control I doubt they will loose much property. Will probably encounter more educated animals and have to work around novice beginners who will burn out in a short amount of time (hassle) but don't anticipate loosing much permission / access.
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Post by thebeav2 on Apr 16, 2006 8:10:31 GMT -6
I LIVED THROUGH THE FUR BOOM
$20 In the round? you must be In dream land or smoking something.LOL It just isn't going to happen. Coldsteel what kind of averages have you been getting on put up beaver? I have been hitting the beaver hard In my area of SC for 9 years. The numbers are still there. No one and I mean It no one around here traps beaver and I'm talking about 5 counties,and I even buy a NC license and run traps across the line. This country Is all huge swamp land and you can only work the perimeter, so these areas just keep pumping out beaver and otter. There Is no fur boom yet,but If rat prices continue or move up like they say they will there won't be room on the marshes next year. Competition was high during The boom but theft was out of control. I can handle competition but theft In another matter. last year I had 5 330s stolen and I will bet the farm all of them had otter In them, the word Is out on the big money otter. The G men aren't suppose to carry out any beaver or otter but we all know that's a big joke. I've seen large numbers of otter being graded at NAFA, just pick out the real dark or black leathered ones and see where they were caught. Those boys are out there year around. The only trappers down hear are the quick buck live market guys.Lie like hell saying they will trap the problem beaver just to get on the land, they don't last long. I would rather skin 10 beaver then one coyote, in fact I bet I can skin 10 beaver faster then most could skin one yote. I just love trapping beaver it must be a flaw In my character. LOL Don't tell any one your business and keep a low profile.You don't have to lie just don't give out any information.
Gary
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Post by ColdSteel on Apr 16, 2006 8:14:42 GMT -6
Robert I have been doing a real good job keeping beaver under control.Bad thing is though it comes down to the all mighty dollar.Land leases around here now run between 15 to 20 bucks a acre and all the club president has to do is lease the hunting and trapping rights.Then you have a member that pays a 1000 bucks to be in this club verses me who pays nothing.Now who is gonna win?All I hear is people talking about the 150 dollar otter I am catching as I said I have already lost some land and I will probably loose some more
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Post by trappnman on Apr 16, 2006 8:25:44 GMT -6
10 beaver to one yote? I'll take that bet- and you can use your skinning machine and I'll use me....
Coyotes aren't hard to skin- just need a system like anything else.....
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Post by robertw on Apr 16, 2006 8:30:10 GMT -6
I know & hear what you are saying.... I've spent several years getting the better paying beaver jobs that I have now...I certainly don't want to loose these jobs because a small increase in pelt prices... In my locations, I just am not running into any local trappers who have the potential to be serious competition. IF THIS IS A FUR BOOM ( ?) the potential does exist for trappers to purchase the needed equipment, educate themselves, line up the permissions / access and become serious competition over the course of the next 2-3 years. I do think that it will take $25 - $30 beaver in the round to generate this type of influx in trapping though. The BIGGEST DREAD that I have is dealing with the resulting theft that accompanies higher fur prices. A thief does not have the over-head and operating expenses that we all deal with on a daily basis. That is the "Gloom and Doom". The nice part of all of this that I know several trappers are thinking about is......Wouldn't it be nice to hit a couple of really good licks and stick a little away (savings, IRAs, ect) ?
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Post by mostinterestingmanintheworld on Apr 16, 2006 8:46:03 GMT -6
Heck I encourage guys to go trap. The guys that show interest in trapping I think are about to elevate themselves from being hunters or fishermen.
Our cats averaged around $375 and I don't see how they are worth that much.
It's kind of hard to adjust to the idea that the world is changing.
House's have doubled in value in many places in the past few years, gas prices have done what they've done, trucks have gone up, on and on and on.
It's natural that fur would go up as well. It hasn't gone up enough for the competition to stay in for long in my opinion.
The guys that know how to rack up a big catch know what the price has to be to justify their effort.
The guys that don't know how to rack up a big catch know what the price of gas is and if they don't they'll figure it out in a short period of time.
As far as the pros sitting on the sidelines? I think prices are just at the place where it's tempting to think about coming out of retirement but whether there is enough price incentive to take action remains to be seen.
I'm not to worried about being over run with new trappers and reborn trappers.
Joel
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Post by z on Apr 16, 2006 9:17:40 GMT -6
I'll take that bet also......
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Post by bobCATching on Apr 16, 2006 9:19:48 GMT -6
My strategy: just keep on doing what I love doing for as long as I can keep doing it. Even if gas DOUBLES in price.
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Post by ColdSteel on Apr 16, 2006 9:43:08 GMT -6
Beav if you have no competition then you are a luckyI have over 25 trapperswithin 30 miles of me.Four of these trappers are good hard trappers that put up very good numbers especially otter.Now you add those 4 plus myself in and have 200 plus ottertaken beween us plus the other weekend trappers and you can put a serious hurting on otter believe me I have seen it with my own eyes on my line.Beavers are in another class but the easy ones are getting harder and harder to get.All of us have different things to deal with on our line..I also had some theft last year I lost 4 330;s and a 280 out of 5 traps 3 were set on otter toilets so what does that tell youmy beaver averages have been right in line with NAFA the last 5 years I have been getting between 16 to 18 dollar average putup.So when the country buyer offered 8 for small and 10 for big I took it.I considered the 9% comission the cleaning and fleshing and hauling off it just wasen't worth the effort.I felt like I was better off in the field trapping more.The average went to right at 32 bucks I made a big mistake.I am envious of you boys that don't have any competition because I have it and it is strong and can you put a hurting on animals with 5 hard trappers and 20 weekend trappers that live within 30 miles of you damn right you can that is why I am having to travel more and more each year to put up numbers that I use to put up within 30 to 40 miles of my house
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Apr 16, 2006 12:13:01 GMT -6
$20 In the round? you must be In dream land or smoking something.LOL It just isn't going to happen.
Gary please do me a favor and dont insult my intelligence.
Had a buddy sell his spring catch the other day. 21 bucks and change he got and it wasnt hand picked lot. His whole catch and a typical spring catch. If anything the color was off a little(typical for the area he traps).
Another buddy of mine had 200 spring beaver from last year on the february sale. Averaged 33 and change before commision so looking at 30 bucks.
Buyers around here are paying 30 in the round for blankets, 25 for large and 20 for lm.
I dont know about anybody else but I generally run at least 60 percent in the top 2 sizes in the spring.
20 bucks in the round should be doable until fighting gets too bad.
Why do I put them up? Because I fully intend to get 30 plus for them put up. Add in another 3 bucks for meat and castors. I'll put up beaver all day long for 13 bucks. Plus its a pride thing. I like the looks of a pile of well finished beaver.
I have seen way more trappers this spring than I have in a long time. Also have had more 330 stolen this year than in the last 3 or 4 combined. I chalk to the cost of doing business.
Gary south carolina and northern Minnesota arent the same.
When winter comes on about the only places we cant get is the BWCA. No motorized vehicles allowed.
I can get into places with my snowmobile that would take a helicopter in the summer.
Dont think the population cant be hurt. I am not that old and I remember when we had a limit of ten.
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Post by seldom on Apr 16, 2006 13:03:13 GMT -6
Be careful not to “short-sight” yourselves with this “fur boom” talk because you could be missing a key ingredient of what it historically takes to make a “fur boom”. IMHO you need more then just a huge influx of trappers, you need county buyers to make a fur boom!
I to was trapping before and during the previous boom. Country buyers in my neck of the woods were paying $8 for finished reds in 1970 and $16 in 1971 and we all know where that went from there. I had at least three county buyers in my county and several others in neighboring counties to get quotas from and none were further then 30 miles away. I’ve used these years as an example of the number of country buyers I had BEFORE the boom! Ten years later, county buyers in my area increased by close to double and were popping up all over and disappearing just as fast. The fact still remained, you could sell almost anything anywhere at about anytime!
Today, I don’t know of a single county buyer that lives within those 30 miles! So unless folks start jumping in with some money to back themselves up as county buyers, who will the kids, housewives picking up road-kill, and every other Tom, Dick, & Harry go to sell animals in the round like they did back then? Far and away more fur came through the hands of county buyers in that era in the round from my territory at least, than finished.
IMHO, for a boom you not only need the sudden increase in trappers numbers, you need a proportionate increase in county buyers that’ll facilitate selling in the round!
As a parting word to the folks who didn't participate in the last "fur boom". It always made my day (if you catch my sarcasm) to see a father with his young son come into a county buyers shed. The son with a red fox in one hand to sell and a muddy trap to sell in the other !!
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Post by ColdSteel on Apr 16, 2006 13:37:51 GMT -6
Seldom your statement on country buyers is correct.That is the main reason I have so many trappers in my area is because of this country buyer.It is so easy for them to catch it and throw it in the floor and be done with it.But with rising auction house prices this buyer will have to adjust some which may run him out of business.He told me the other day he would not pay a 125 bucks for a otter or a 20 dollar bill for a beaver.But if prices average 150 plus on otter and 35 plus on beaver he will almost have to pay those prices.If not a man could make a good pile of money staying at home in the shed and putting up fur for trappers that usually sell in the round
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Post by NEPISIGUIT on Apr 16, 2006 13:51:21 GMT -6
No fur boom yet. just catching up a little. Finally. Still get a shock when i compare monies spent with monies made. Dont worry about areas to trap though as 99% of trappers dont move far from a main road
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Post by conibear on Apr 16, 2006 16:25:53 GMT -6
Fur Boom no way. I will still say we are finally getting paid for or furs. Look at the price of traps, price of Vehicles, Gas prices etc,etc. It's about time we get paid well. Second if there are more trappers starting know because of a slight increase in price so be it. Just scout more trap harder and smarter. PS Steven49er a friend of mine just sold 200 spring beaver from this spring to the local fur buyer and he also averaged 20 bucks from the fur buyer in Fosston.
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Post by lumberjack on Apr 16, 2006 17:15:24 GMT -6
Seldom- I cant understand your reasoning for it to be neccessary to have more trappers and more buyers for there to be a "boom". Only one buyer around here will take carcuss animals and you are lucky if the others even will look at your "done up" furs.They have a very narrow window of time that they will buy fur. There isnt a furbuyer in my county and a very, very slight boom is going on.I believe it can go on without either (more trappers and buyers) . Back in the late 70s and early 80s, like you said,houswives, state troopers, etc were picking up roadkills and dropping them off.I dont think they accounted for much in the way of volume. Young kids were taking 1-20 animals off of the back 40.Today they are of a different breed for the most part and most arent interested in the outdoors. Nowadays, 200-1000 furs from one person is a reality. I think a "boom" is a part of economical supply and demand, and more trappers and buyers would be considered detrimental to supply.
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