The low fur prices have a lot of us down, but most trappers can’t stand to sit at home when the season opens. So far I’ve stuck close to home, trapping muskrats in the swamp across the road from home. It keeps the gas bill low and I haven’t got much to lose if fur continues to be near worthless this season.
Trapping season for all furbearers opens soon here in Maine, and then I’ll have to decide how far I can afford to venture on the trapline.
What are your plans? Have the fur prices affected your trapping or are you sticking to business as usual?
Fortunately most of my trapping is for nuisance critters that are mostly coon & fox raiding chicken coops or invading high end homes. I get paid when I show them a dead catch. I did set for both coon & fox today. It would be nice to cash in also with the fur from my catch but hasn’t happened for a couple years now. Hoping to see the 2014 prices come back.
This year is muskrats and hopefully a couple of mink.
For me its not the money it the care I put in each of furs. After all last year I got 3.00 for my rats and 17 for my mink
I didn’t think that was bad.
$3 rato where?
I was wanting to trap coons and muskrats and maybe a few minks but I would like to have a ideal of the price of them
Dont trap on opening week , mark your runs get some sets ready wait till the weather gets cold stays cold prime fur is want will sell . Buyer will be extremely selective this season . Big Auction houses cleared out Raccoons
and Muskrats they are empty , I look for for increased prices on fur . If not
Test the market with a few select hide’s then freeze them if you think your getting the shaft . Prime is worth more
In Ontario, we have a mandatory set legal quota for beaver and must catch a minimum of 75% of that quota. My is 40 beaver so must catch a minimum of 30 of the rascals… Last year I had over 87% of my beaver graded as select and even managed to get a top lot $9.90?!? To get to my line it is an hours drive on a not-to-bad Anyways how I am planning on at least making costs is to trap mink, beaver, rats and otter hard for a short period of time then wait for freeze up to finish through the ice beaver and the fine furs lynx, fox, wolf, marten, weasel, lynx, fisher and reds (yup I skin them too)!!! My plan is to save gas by making less trips and have those trips be more productive…
wolves, coyotes and bobcats are what it will be this season,,,
I’m new to trapping this year so will be out regardless of prices to start the learning process. I’ll be limiting my targets to muskrat, mink, ermine, raccoon and I’ll try beaver. My season opens tomorrow.
Im going to just run a small line for fox and coon. I just love being outdoors and the challange of catching critters. I might get a few hides tanned and keep them.
coyotes /red fox after thanksgiving and muskrats after Christmas .
I Will Gun for Rats and Coon,Otter, Fox, Coyote, Beaver, Mink. I Have a Good 5 to 20 mile Radius to Travel. Areas Look Good. I,m Doin it just Cause I Love to Trap. Money Could Be Better thou. We,ll See if The Prices go Up !
I don’t know how to flesh coon so I don’t target them. Rats I trap mostly but numbers r down due to flooding. What I catch is big as far as rats go. This season seems like a prep for next year by getting on the farmers good side. I’ll try and flesh coon too. Anyone got any clues on that. I have a beam. Contemplating
a knife.