Legs

[thorsmightyhammer]

Looks like the muskrat market still has some legs left in it.

I had 67 up there. Of those 12 15 were the biggest pieces of junk you ever saw. Probably had to use 20 pins just to put them on the board. Heads ate off. Bellies ripped open.

Proably another 10 that were damaged not too bad and a couple mice to boot.

Total of 27 that I would were not that great.

If I throw a muskrat away, its because it will looked like a moth eaten postage stamp on a wood stretcher.
13.75 avg., all trapped from January on.

[blackhammer]

16.70 on the 28 I had up there Steve, I'm ready for that snowmobile training course. lol Rats just rock and rolled.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Hammer, did you have any possums up there?

[lumberjack]

Wow, next time I get a mink killed rat, Im skinning it, sure not going to try to catch the mink with it.

[blackhammer]

Jun 3, 2013 18:21:49 GMT -6 thorsmightyhammer said:

Hammer, did you have any possums up there?

Ten dollar top lot beauty.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Ten dollars for an opposum?

I know who is buying the steak.

[Gibb]

This season was the highest muskrat average for me in over 40 years of trapping.
Had a slight damage bring $16.50
I know what I will be targeting this fall.
Jim

[mightydog]

[

[thorsmightyhammer]

Jun 7, 2013 4:39:34 GMT -6 Gibb said:

I know what I will be targeting this fall.
Jim

150 dollar martin???

Seriously though, I know what I'll be targeting as well(can you guess hammer?).

[trappnman]

seriously though- is trapping only about the money?

if money was my #1 objective, I'd have a real job, but trapping, is more of a lifestyle to me- a 365 day a year lifestyle

the money, is of course one reason why I trap- but if it was only for the money, I'd trap very little, and then of course, I'd only trap what was high dollar that year.

I trap because nothing else floats my boat like trapping, and NOTHING I trap, comes close to the satisfaction of trapping coyotes- to give that up, would be impossible for me, despite the prices on rats.

thats not to say I won't take all I can get once I'm done with coyotes- but with coyotes, coon, fox, mink, rats etc- having different baskets makes it all more fun.

[thorsmightyhammer]

I just like to trap, don't care what I am catching.

The money is what drives me, that and to see what I can push myself to do. I like the feeling of a full fur shed, sore arms, baggy eyes and a stiff back. Seriously, I do. So if I am going to go through that, and I am going to, I may as well make a couple extra dollars.

If I cant make good money at it, I may as well go ice fishing, I like to fish almost as much as trap.

BTW, you still feeding kids.

[bblwi]

Yes to me there is more to trapping then revenue but when one reads most posts there is a very high correlation with either cost of trapping or price the fur will bring.
If one posts about liking the activity and would do it for minimal revenues one gets blasted for being a hobby type, not a serious trapper or quite ignorant or worse. If one reads most trapping posts they seem to center around numbers, efficiency, price and how to run lots of traps from the revenue side and gas cost, trap costs, time, and competition from the cost or limitation side. This does not even include all the posts and damnation's about selling in the round, grease or put up or where one chooses to "sell" their fur.
This will be my first season fully retired so I plan to be on the line more hours and days in spite of what the outlook may be like. Might as well find out what that is like and what the cost or rewards are and then one can plan accordingly for the future.
If prices stay high I may try to do some custom fur processing as well. That is a reasonable return with limited travel and cost.

Bryce

[blackhammer]

If I don't make money I can't trap like I want to and have all the fun trapping I want to have. It's that simple as far as the money side. And I love the challange of pushing myself to the limit and fighting the competion, weather,animals and most of all to do better than I have previously despite the fact I'm getting a little longer in the tooth. lol I'll still kick those young trappers butts anyday.

[trappnman]

I too like a full fur shed- but whether I can sell the contents for $10,000 vs $5000 doesn't distract from the satisfaction felt.

and I'm not talking about a 365 day a year trapper that needs to feed his kids-

I guess what I'm getting at Steven, is that you seem to find it incredible, that everyone isn't ignoring other species, and trapping rats exclusively.

I agree, that hour for hour muskrats, at the current prices, are the most profitible thing to trap.

But other factors also apply-

for example- rats aren't going to stay at that level forever- they have been up and down as long as we both are alive.

So what would happen if I ignored my land trap permissions for a couple of years and spent all my time on rats? In a couple of years, much of that line would vanish.

I understand perfectly where you are coming from, but you have to understand that for me, trapping is both my advocation, and vocation as well.

By trapping everything in my areas, I find that everything has a season, and I'm not putting all my eggs into one basket. In my 3 counties, I have good or decent quality and numbers in multiple species- rats, mink, coon, beaver and coyotes, plus a few fox and otter.

Why not take advantage off all?

You'd rather ice fish than trap for lesser dollars- well, I'd rather have coyotes to look at, than ice fish, or really, much of anything else.

If I could afford it, I'd trap nothing but coyotes 365- I can't do that- but I can afford to trap them for 5 weeks, and during that 5 weeks, while I certainly could make more money trapping rats, or working any decent 9-5............well, lets just say that 5 weeks is the highlight of my trapping year.

fwiw- I made more, probably 50% more, on my rats vs my coyotes......

so stupidity, or unawareness isn't my reason for not trapping rats exclusively-

[thorsmightyhammer]

Do what you want to do.

We all have our own drivers.

You didn't answer my question, you still feeding kids yet?

Your outlook would be different.

When the kids are gone(that time is near approaching for me), my outlook will still probably be the same as far as trapping to maximize my profit. The only difference is I may to get to fish more in January.

[trappnman]

no, I'm not feeding kids. Wasn't ignoring your question, just didn't see any relevance in it to the discussion

are you using your muskrat money, to feed your kids?

I'm guessing that your kids will eat the same this upcoming year whether you trap 1 rat, or 2000

When I had kids to feed, I worked a benefited job.

[blackhammer]

I know for a fact 49er feeds his kids muskrats. It's tough living up there by the artic circle.

[trappnman]

LOl- well, there ya have it

[thorsmightyhammer]

My bills are paid for long before I set a trap. But there is college, sports, cars, car insurance etc.

Yes the real job will take care of that as well but any extra income will make it easier plus it will allow me to buy a snowmobile every once in awhile or some land etc, or sock away more for retirement.



I don't see any reason to live a minimalist lifestyle. If that is what floats a person's boat have at it. Aint for me.

[trappnman]

really?

thats what you get from this?