A new trapping group has formed to represent trappers in the DNR-defined “Forest Zone” of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Forest Zone Trapping Association, led by Ken Wainionpaa of Gilbert, MN, was “formed by a group of trappers who decided it was time to have a ‘voice’ in the management of the sport”.

Minnesota is a diverse state, with ecotypes ranging from flat cropland to rolling hills and forests dotted with lakes.  In addition, the forest zone of the state has vast areas of public lands available for trappers, while the rest of the state is mostly privately owned. This makes it difficult for a single trappers association to represent such a wide variety of constituents in a large state.

The new group seems motivated to work hard defending their trapping rights and keeping opportunities available for resident trappers in the forest zone of Minnesota.

You can visit their website here, or by navigating to our State Trappers Associations page.

Unfortunately for trappers, however, fur buyers were not out in full force for the auction.  Only three major buyers were present, and it was obvious that they did not have many orders to fill.  Fur prices were much lower than they were at this time last year.  The summary below shows the official results of the auction.

Buyers grading fur

Despite the low prices overall, some good looking fur sold at elevated levels.  Heavy furred badgers, especially those with feet on, did really well (some over $50).  Skunks sold at decent levels, particularly those with wide stripes.  Red fox was a pleasant surprise, with many  lots hitting $20+ on average.  Muskrats also sold well, averaging $2.69.

A sampling of fur offered at the sale

Coyote and coon prices were pretty pathetic.  Perhaps the news that NAFA plans to dump coyotes and coons with no limits in the next auction hurt the market for these.

There were a large number of ‘no sales’, particularly on bobcats. The majority of the 329 lots of fur did sell, though.

Marten sold at very low levels.  Beaver also sold poorly, but not many were offered.  A large number of coyote lots averaged under $10. Very few coons hit a $10 average, and lots of bobcats sold for less than $100.

Word from other fur sales in the area confirmed the new low price levels.  Until the global economy begins to grow rapidly again, we can likely expect these low prices to continue.

Western States Fur Auction, Columbus, MT

Only 57 lots of fur were offered, and of these, only 46 lots sold.  The rest did not meet minimums placed on the fur by sellers.  Four fur buying companies were present, and three actively bid on items.

The big question at the auction was how bobcats would sell, and overall, they didn’t.  The high bobcat fetched $325, the low $100, but most cats didn’t meet the seller-imposed minimums.  While some cats sold, this was a far cry from last year’s auction in the same location, where cats topped at around $1,000.

Western States Fur Auction

One highlight of the auction was a collection of nice, well furred pale coyotes from north-central Montana, which sold at a $30 average, much higher than expected with the down coyote market.  Other coyotes hit much lower averages.

Raccoons sold at very low levels, if at all.  Most beavers sold low as well.  Overall, the rest of the fur offered sold at very low prices, with the exception of red fox, which didn’t fare too poorly at prices upwards of $24.

Western States Fur Auction

Despite the market downturn and the obvious skepticism of some buyers, fur did sell, and the MTA is looking forward to the next auction.  The auction is a good fundraiser for the association, and a great way for trappers to get together during the season and share stories, knowledge, and get to know each other better.  The auction was well attended by MTA members and volunteers looking to help in any way possible.

The next Western States Fur Auction will be held in Columbus, Montana on March 15, 2009 at 8:00 am at the Stillwater County Fairgrounds.  Receiving dates are March 13 and 14.  Trappers and MTA members are anticipating a much larger quantity of fur, as well as more trappers and fur buyers attending this time around.

And as far as bobcat fur prices are concerned, some of the major cat trappers in the West are indicating that a strong market is expected to develop later this year.  It probably won’t be near the highs seen last year, but a $500 bobcat doesn’t seem to be out of the question, especially for those big, heavy, well-spotted toms.

Roy Brown, state senator and candidate for governor, attended the dinner and gave a short speech partially explaining how, if elected, his administration would be friendly to consumptive users of wildlife.  Roy’s daughter Katie and his running mate, Steve Daines, were at the dinner as well, and you can see the entry on Katie’s blog about the visit with the trappers association here.

There was much discussion at the MTA membership meeting about retaining trapping rights amidst the changing political environment in the state.  As can be expected when dealing with tough issues, the membership was somewhat split on how to approach the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks on certain issues, and how to best ensure that traditional trapping practices remain legal.

Saturday morning started off with a packed crowd amidst the dealer booths and outside watching various trapping demonstrations.

Inside, dealers sold new and used traps, and all the various trapping-related gear and hardware a trapper could imagine!  James Halseth (Halseth Lures) and John Graham (Fur Country Lures) sold their popular lines of bobcat and coyote lures, along with various other lures and supplies.  North American Fur Auctions had an informational booth set up along with an informative fur grading contest.  Various small dealers also sold miscellaneous items.

Outside, experienced trappers gave educational demonstrations on different aspects of trapping.

John Graham gave a demo on bobcat trapping, where he focused on snaring techniques, but also explained his patented walk-through foothold set.

Chad Esche gave a demo on different trap anchoring systems he uses on his trapline.

Other demo topics included marten trapping, coyote trapping, grading fur, and snare making.

In the afternoon, the kids and adults both took part in the trap setting contest, where trappers competed to see who could set a series of traps in the shortest amount of time.  Meanwhile, the ladies competed in the popular skillet toss.

With Saturday evening came the banquet, where over 100 people gathered to eat a spectacular meal.  Then came the annual scholarship and awards presentations, and a fur fashion show put on by Paparazzi Fur of Big Sky, MT.  Miss Rodeo Montana and Miss Teen Rodeo Montana helped present the awards and model fur coats.  The evening’s events were capped off by the annual auction, where donated items were sold to help benefit the association and the various funds it supports.

All in all, the annual MTA Rendezvous was a great event, and I look forward to attending again next year.  Thanks to all of those who are active in supporting the association and its goals.  The MTA truly is ‘working today for a tomorrow in trapping’.