got some local buyer prices

[northof50]

Looks like the martin are off a third of what they are really worth and sold for last year. ouch

[Woodswalker]

I've noticed the local buyers in musher's area often pay about 10 % more than the auction averages, on beaver and fox at least.

The furriers right in Quebec use a fair amount of that fur. It is practically a niche market there. They don't have to pay auction commissions and get some of the best fur on the continent.

That tells me there's a good chance that after commissions trappers can expect $12 averages at auction for good eastern Canadian beaver.

Now with the auctions being sold out of beaver, those prices musher quoted look very bad to me.

[musher]

Oct 17, 2009 4:38:34 GMT -6 Woodswalker said:

I've noticed the local buyers in musher's area often pay about 10 % more than the auction averages, on beaver and fox at least.

The furriers right in Quebec use a fair amount of that fur. It is practically a niche market there. They don't have to pay auction commissions and get some of the best fur on the continent.

That tells me there's a good chance that after commissions trappers can expect $12 averages at auction for good eastern Canadian beaver.

Now with the auctions being sold out of beaver, those prices musher quoted look very bad to me.

You're correct. The guy does sell fur garments. And buddy pays cash. He also takes care of the royalty fee.

I know that he really likes my fox. He also likes the beaver but there are lots of beaver out there. He is not overly impressed with our marten.

[sdfoxtrapper]

aint gonna be any $10/ave carcass coons, ANYWHERE, in the entire US. True heavys (and TRUE heavys) Might do $8. So that rules out everyone south of ND/SD border.

I don't know about that. NAFA May 2009 sales reports had western northern and western north central's selling for more than the Canadians by a good margin and they are "saying" 75% to 85% clearance levels for my region. So I am not sure the market is looking for the "TRUE heavys".

Someone might find somthing like 6-7 ave, but 20-25% will chucked before you get that ave. Might be some freak deals happen if one knows a retarded furbuyer.

Agreed. If I "hit it" this year I will be ditching the dinks and mediums and just keeping the big ones. It does not take a that big of a SD coon to go xl.

Just ask yourself, when buyers all across the country, including, MN, WI and SD, are saying they want to buy carcass coon at a $4-$5 ave, why in the world would anyone stick their neck out and buy them for $5 more than the prevailing ave?

I don't know. I just restated what was posted by a buyer on another board. Obviously a buyer will want to pay as little as he can in order to make some profit.

first time i hear someone say they are getting a $10/ave on carcass coon, Ive got 2 questions for them: how many did you throw away 2. how many did he throw away? to get that ave.

But if I tossed the dinks, mediums, and early coon and could still come home with 20-25 a day I think I might be able to come close to a $10 ave carcass price. And if had them put up ( $2 to $3 each, by a colony member ) and shipped to Nafa and I averaged the May 2009 price of $12.39 I am still in there for around a $10 average carcass price.

And that makes me around $200 to $250 a day, if I hit it hard. What type of daily profit does it take to make it worthwhile to you?

ps. not trying to be argumentative, just trying to figure it out!

[Rod S]

Dont forget some buyers want the coon in the carcass because they have a market for the meat. The meat might be worth more than the fur.

[bobwendt]

how can profit be the same as gross? i.e. you walking, all traps fuel vehicles supplys free ? I just laugh when anyone tells me they sold a fur for say 10 bucks, so made 10 bucks. not to mention state and federal taxes on income. and if you say your expenses were larger than the gross, so no taxes applicaple, well then duh, you lost money! can`t be both.

[trappnman]

good post sdfoxtrapper, and I agree-

[blackhammer]

At ten dollar top in the carcass you better have all top coons then.Good luck if you can do that well.The buyers I talk are saying 4 to 5 with mediums and down out.That's not to say it couldn't get better.Heard a buyer say he can buy all the put up coon from Northern Iowa he wants later for 7 to 8 dollars.Why pay anymore than 4,5 for carcass coon?Hope we all can make a little money this year but right now it looks tough.

[trappnman]

it does look tuff-

but one can shorten the odds a little bit- since we know blues, flat and small are worthless, then get can make an effort to trap the fewest possible- one can do that by either location, or time.

for me, with my upland until thanksgivng, and then eeking it out thereon, I get so few small or blue coon, that its really not a factor-

I have no doubt that early runs, will have a high % of unsaleabe coon-

and that will bring the averages down. but they are still in line with what I heard a month ago-

don't forget, well taken care of green coon, are going to bring $2-3 more on average than carcass coon, at least here, where there is no meat market

so my average in that $8-10 range?

if your buyer is honest, then a top selection of fur will bring more than throw on the floor carcass prices.

my personal prediction- and I'm right 50% of the time.

I think after things settle in, we will get a gradual increase in local prices (again, not in all tiers, but in "good" fur areas) and that by end of dec, jan, we can add a few dollars to those averages.

I'll bring this up jan 1st- any other serious predicitions?

[blackhammer]

Coon prices usually do slowly increase though the fall.8-10 green is at realistic number here in Minn, junk out.Time will tell.

[sdfoxtrapper]

Well, a tank of gas cost's me about 25 bucks and I can drive around 300 miles on a tank. All nice gravel roads here so not much wear and tear on the tires or truck. Truck is paid for and a used 4x4 S10 (4 cylinder) is cheap. Traps are paid for, carp is free, and a quart of hardcore goes a long ways.

If I take the standard business deduction of 0.55 per mile and I put on 200 miles a day I can deduct $110 a day off my gross. Even I don't catch anything I am getting a $110 deduction for only a $25 investment (which helps reduce my tax burden on my other businesses) and I still get to play around with this trapping hobby of mine. Add to that harvesting a few pheasants, ducks, geese, and catching a few other other animals like m'rats, mink, fox along the line should cover my $25 investment.

Am I way off base in thinking like this?

[thorsmightyhammer]

I don't know about that. NAFA May 2009 sales reports had western northern and western north central's selling for more than the Canadians by a good margin and they are "saying" 75% to 85% clearance levels for my region. So I am not sure the market is looking for the "TRUE heavys".


You will find the the western norhterns sell for more than the canadian grade and generally the north centrals do to.

I wouldnt call the canadian grade a "true heavy" I think its more of a grade on colour.

It does not take a that big of a SD coon to go xl.



Do you catch many coon that are smaller than an xl on wood. For me its less than 1 percent. An xl is probably only a 6 7 pound coon. If the market holds to may prices xl's will probably only averag 3-5 dollars on the ones that sell.

If your plan is to average 200 a day on good why toss the dinks and the junk? It might lower your average per coon but it should raise the gross.

I dont ever toss anything unless its and absolute damaged beyond belief. I have sold put up coon for under a dollar.


The 12.39 average you speak of is the average fo the best coon grade nafa has and than only 85 percent sold. You ever ship to NAFA? What percentage fo coon in your area go in the western northern grade. For me its probably in the neighborhood of 690 65 percent in the western northern and the rest spread out between canadian and north central.

My best guess on put up coon at NAFA if levels hold the same from May we will be looking at about 9 or 10 dollars put up and in our pocket at NAFA. Now I am talking MN coon and if you put up everyone you catch.

[bobwendt]

sdfox, yes, I think you are way off. but you have it in your mind to trap no matter what, so make whatever excuse to justify it you want( free truck/tires, only cost is gas - that type excuse). you really don`t need to make an excuse, you can do whatever you want. just say I`m going to trap because I want to and I can.

[bobwendt]

steven, exact words out of the top nafa guys mouth just 2 days ago are ," no coon will sell till next may. prices will avg $3-4 off what they were the may before." I`m assuming he means the ones that do sell. this is not from me, but from shroeder. he also said "go after rats as there will be a good demand at $4 top, $2 averages. " I could tell he doesn`t make his living trapping rats.

[thorsmightyhammer]

If NAFA has poor clearances until May we can only hope the boys stay out of the field or there will be a glut on the coon market for a couple years to come.

If I can find some rats this winter bob I will trap them. At least they will move but I wont sell them if I think i will only average 2 bucks.

[trappnman]

and Virgil is right about 50%-

the same fellow who told me 3 weeks ago- the opposite

[bobwendt]

maybe he finally got a reality ck. I think who ever wants should knock themselves out, trap till they drop. then there really will be more left for us that are still standing . never ceases to amaze me that trappers will see who can work cheapest or at the biggest loss just to see who can take it the longest. and they crab about illegal mexicans working cheap. hey, you trapping fur should move 16 to a room, send all the money home to ma and the kids. steven, I`ll trap a few rats thru the ice ,and snare a bit. eat the rats and beaver, sell the castors and throw the hides away. andy and 1080 have it figured, they both can afford it and are having a ball. 15-20 coyotes a day and throw them all away. now that is downtown good times, two guys riding around all day having a blast. at least they admit they do it for fun and wouldn`t skin one of the stinkers for 50 bucks, let alone a buck. that`s my style, straight in your face honesty and reality. I like their attitude, they don`t come on here blowing smoke about making money trapping.

[lumberjack]

" Even I don't catch anything I am getting a $110 deduction for only a $25 investment"-
You make that sound good but in my way of thinking you are out 110.00. Thats 110.00 in the hole, you have to make 220.00 the next day just to break even. You never want to take profit out of other business incomes.

[trappnman]

or maybe he has no more clue than anyone else-

you should maybe give it a rest-

[bobwendt]