Anyone make money on pelts

[rodeojoe]

Anyone making any money on pelts?
Which ones?
How should they be taken care of to be sold?
TV hype on some shows sounds like you can make a living doing it?

 

[fishboy1]

A few years ago pelts were bringing good money. Last 2 years it has sucked. I sent in 12 beaver hides all good quality and 2 top quality ones plus a dozen coon of mixed quality but most are good and a few are select. Beavers all sold last year and I need $1.85 more to break even on shipping. The fur market has been down so bad that the auction houses have been taking back the coon pelts so mine haven't sold.

IF you are trapping for the money, you are wasting your time. Figure I was making about - (minus) $3/hr.
I trap because it is fun, gets me out of the house after deer season and it his really helping our fawns and turkey.

 

[redblood]

i have considered skinning some of the more unique colored coyotes we call in the winter and have had some offers, but the math indicates it wouldnt be worth the effort

 

[rodeojoe]

I figured there would not be much money in furs.
Watching these TV shows spitting out these outrageous prices they are going to get is interesting, but misleading.
It is always best to ask real people who know, not TV writers.
Thanks

 

[fishboy1]

Certain furs can bring good money, Unfortunately we don't have fisher or lynx this far south. :-D

 

[Dean Parisian]

TWRA did a fisher reintroduction on the Catoosa WMA. Have seen fisher on my farm in years past. I believe the biologists in charge have discontinued monitoring the population, correct me if I am wrong on that point.

Fur prices look to be dismal this year. The implosion of the Chinese stock market is one factor among many.

Beaver and coon will be hard to even give away..........

 

[Dover_Mike]

I trap predominantly coyote and do not even try to sale the furs.

a few years ago I trapped some grey fox and a couple cats. I sold the furs to Mr. Brake in Erin, TN. Seems like he gave me around $45 for each cat and $12-15 for the fox. All I did was skin and flesh them, did not tan or anything.

 

[Natty99]

I would assume the prices on TV are exaggerated a bit or sold strictly for taxidermy. Plus if you're seeing prices for furs in Alaska or near the Canadian border, that's probably a thicker, heavier coat than anything trapped in Tennessee because of the climate. Again, that's all my uneducated assumption.

 

[fishboy1]

I would assume the prices on TV are exaggerated a bit or sold strictly for taxidermy. Plus if you're seeing prices for furs in Alaska or near the Canadian border, that's probably a thicker, heavier coat than anything trapped in Tennessee because of the climate. Again, that's all my uneducated assumption.

Yep. I wouldn't believe anything I see on "reality" TV. Even when fur prices were high, you were likely making about $3/hr when you factor in all the time you had invested. Northern furs are the most desirable. Thicker with better color. They tend to bring the highest prices.

 

[fishboy1]

I have been seeing "real fur" in some photo industry magazines again this fall. Hopefully the fashion trend will take off and prices will come out of the dumpster.

 

[ROVERBOY]

Yeah, the fur prices are in the dumpster. Its a shame too. My Grandpa trapped a lot when I was a little kid and before. He would have been surprised how the prices are now.

 

[bigdoc]

I just trap a few yotes to try and keep numbers in check.

 

[gobblinfool]

What is the best way to teach a kid? My youngest is 14 and I thought it would be good to teach him. Where is the best location to buy traps? We have lots of raccoons. If you don't sell your pelts, what do you do with them?

 

[fishboy1]

My Rec. for teaching kids.... start easy.
Get a couple Dog proof style coon traps. I have the Z traps and like them. Add a piece of chain or cable to secure to a tree. Small bag of the cheapest catfood you can find and an envelope of strawberry/cherry koolaid and you are off to the races. Trapping is 90% location and 10% hardware. Learn together where the best places are to make your sets.

If you have water on your property, then add a small foothold (1.5 coil spring) to your equipment and learn how to set/bed your trap, now make a few water sets and pocket hole sets for coons. Again, location is critical so you will be learning a lot about animals and how they move.

I have been fleshing/drying and shipping my pelts to NAFA. Last year I fleshed/dry and put in freezer. Not sure what I am going to do with them this year.
I need to investigate self tanning the hides and making some hats/gloves out of them.
The coon & beaver get made into dog food. I smoked one of the beavers I caught last year and it was tasty so Ill probably keep them for the smoker.

 

[shoningram]

Good fur article here......

http://trappingtoday.com/