Has the fur market bottomed out? It’s tough to say, but it’s also hard to imagine prices could get any lower.
The major spring fur auctions brought very disappointing results. Here’s a recap of average fur prices from North American Fur Auctions:
Muskrat – $2.65
Otter – $21.34
Mink – $7.95
Coyote – $6 – $68 (Easterns $30, Westerns $68
Raccoon – $2 – $6 (no, that’s not a typo!)
Beaver – $8 (again, not a typo 🙁 )
Red Fox – $14
Bobcat – (Eastern $40, Western $260)
Raccoon and beaver make up a great deal of the market for utility furs, and prices as low as this are tough to swallow. Oil prices continue to be low, the Russian and Chinese economies continue to struggle, and that means we’re probably in for another season of low fur prices.
It’s obvious that the price of most furs has dipped below the cost of production, and the recreational and wildlife management elements of trapping are what’s keeping the supply level up. Demand continues to be low, but fur prices will come back. Just don’t plan on making much money trapping this fall.
Thanks for the update, as dismal as it is!
Fresh good that come in a month after season starts will be well accepted black dark skins wont have markets , Prime fur 1 and 2 are what the dealers and International buyers will be looking for . Ranch mink down , Dark wild mink increase , Big prime muskrats xxlg xxxlg up . Beaver not much interest
Otter same story Big prime silvery looking raccoons xxxlg good market ‘
Thats my story and I’ll stick to it .
Markets will turn even lower unless we create a shortage ! Freezers are made for this
Labor itself cost are much higher than these prices , The other countries Governments back their people business enterprises . USA turn’s their back on us ,
Obama/Clinton bad for Business .
If their ever has been a time to vote it will be this November people!!! For the sake of our Country the young ones we leave behind and the sport we cherish.
Thanks for the update. I will be tanning and selling skulls this year.
Where to sell skulls
Muskrats should sell near double last year prices
As a 68 year old trapper that trapped since I was 12 years old – except time in service — I never miss a year ! He’s my tips for this season : (1) Trap when PRIME! – NOVEMBER –lower 48’s (2) TRAP EVERYTHING — you never know what fur will go up! (3) Maybe this is a time to trap with a bubby! –cut cost down –help driving — help with skinning & put up fur and have some FUN out there !
There is a blessing in everything and you just pointed one out. It’s how you look at things. Either the glass is “half empty or half full”. Thanks !
Good point. Thank you
I’m a highly creative person. Design, Execute etc. Even though I’ve never created products with fur, I’m willing to think it thru and try anything that is highly salable. Any ideas anyone where I can start my research, or thoughts on products with fur in today’s market? If I can pull this off correctly I’ll need to buy furs and or bone/antler. Things that may be very high end still can be looked at so don’t worry about time/effort. I have ideas on how to create retro, reimbellished, modified items that do not violate patents. Understand that mostly trappers are a focused bunch and haven’t thought about this end much. So just think about it and let me know, any idea is worth considering.
Neck warmers for the winter.
thank you my hunting club in NC is doing some trapping along with hunting and fishing to give disabled veterans things to do out doors. What we make off furs go toured more supply’s.
Trapping with a partner is better for companionship taking and sharing the work and usually the fur harvest is larger , Plus two minds work better than one . If same objectives are in place .
Buddy trapping is fun .
Got a few dogs in the freezer from last year.
Is there anywhere to sell them right now??
I’m intrested
Time to try new sets. Get permissions.Trap with 10 year old grand daughter for the fun of it. We will have the forest to ourselves after deer season.
Why did we have such great prices 2 years ago and last year and this year are terrible? Also, what needs to happen for fur to spike again? I’m tapping mostly fox but have an abundance of coons in my area. Not worth killing them until prices jump again.
Have to keep the population in check or disease and and crop damage will be abubant we don’t just trap for the fur but to keep the population in check and the farmers in businesss
Start charging farmers for the services then.
Why should Trappers constantly pay for the equipment / expense to trap / market fur / when the cost to produce far exceeds the fiscal return ?
That is ridiculous !
There is not one business in place today that operates like this / except Trapping / Fur Hunting.
An Occupation where there is NO VIABLE MARKET ?
A Market full of Thieves ?
Liar$ ?
Cheap$kates ?
Not 4 ME
I will not set trap or snare #1 until Trappers unite & $top this IN$@NITY.
50¢ Muskrat & Mink ?
GET REAL
GET @ REAL $$$ JOB
Trapper ED / Bigfoot Traps & Snares
Start charging farmers for the services then.
Why should Trappers constantly pay for the equipment / expense to trap / market fur / when the cost to produce far exceeds the fiscal return ?
That is ridiculous !
There is not one business in place today that operates like this / except Trapping / Fur Hunting.
An Occupation where there is NO VIABLE MARKET ?
A Market full of Thieves ?
Liar$ ?
Cheap$kates ?
Not 4 ME
I will not set trap or snare #1 until Trappers unite & $top this IN$@NITY.
50¢ Muskrat & Mink ?
GET REAL
GET @ REAL $$$ JOB
Trapper ED / Bigfoot Traps & Snares
Marketers screwed you nafa auctions they did much better for fur buyers
Furs will go up when buyer need furs , Not until their demand goes higher .Weak dollar helps the fur markets , Strong dollar hinders it US has a crazy way we live everything is Politically connected Gas , everything VOTE YOUR WALLETS This year .
For all trappers in the U.S., if this is a 1-4 year slide due to demand only than only two realities exist to wade this out. One…determine if there remain furs that hold allowed sustainable top-end value and go where you can get them. Or…either move into related or unrelated work until this cycle ends. If at a reasonable time say 2014-2017 continues these depressed values, than you got to hang up the traps and move on. Try hard to be objective about it, if possible.
I have over 225 coon from last season and a couple mink. live near Adrian Michigan just injoy running dogs and trapping just hate to waste the fur does anybody no some body to buy them?
Got pic of coon-mink
R they put up or frozen?
I turn 60 this year and this marks my 50th anniversary on the trapline.
Just Like any old fart knows it’s hard to get the the younger people to listen from our mistakes. But maybe if us older men continue to harp and explain they will listen, After all you and have I have been through this market and political BS before. We know it will turn around stopping trapping in low price seasons is not the answer.
Ill emphasise what trapper Jack said…..There is “NO” need trap before the fur is heavy. Example no bobcat in the North Central States get prime before DEC 1, No need to make sets when the season opens 20 or more day before. If you do you’ll get $18 hides except a few taxidermy pieces with claws.
Now when prices are low its also a time to go soft on canines like fox. I say this as fox have a tough time as it is. Seems everything is after them especially the fleas and mange mites! So make some or get some padded traps. I am talking catch and release here. Yes it works and its allows you to select olnt nice skins and let the other go. It will however require one more thing in your pouch….a bottle of antibiotic spray. Just use the kind farmers buy at farm stores. But again if your traps are set light and jaws padded right…you may not need it. Also while you are it, might as well de flea any potential releases. Get a can of hearts flea powder and hit their ears , backs and rear legs good.
Am I crazy nope, does catch and release work? Yes. Just ask any biologist how they collect fox data…most don’t use box traps.
COONS NEED TRAPPED! we owe it to them. I recall when prices fell before and no one wanted to mess with $5 coons. That year while along creeks checking beaver sets I found 2-3 /day for a two week period. All were drunk appearing and very weak. Distemper was the culprit. Since coons often share the same barn and large den trees..the disease takes ahold like a wildfire. So for the sake of the population we all owe it to trap them and put up there hides and tan or freeze.
As for coyotes…no matter the prices they get targeted. These animals in yellowstone park may be acceptable as the clean up carion. Coyotes in farm country and ranch country need controlled no matter the price. Nothing worse then seeing a calf trying to swat flies with now tail. Or having populations enter into town and little girls/boys losing their favorite pet cat or dog.
Now if you really need a reason and what I have said hasn’t hit home maybe this will. Use the low prices to slow down and experiment. When prices are up we tend to stay the course then it hits, weeks and weeks of no furs because the only thing you had in your bag of tricks was just old reliable, and no old reliable failed. High prices times are not the time to learn new tricks and try new baits/lures. Low price times are the time to do this.
As a pro trapper Ill say this, this difference between me and most is I know more traps catch more targets, and second my diversity of sets learned over 5 decades catch just as many. When it comes to traps and I say more. I am not talking about making one set per mile and having 50 miles more of traps. I am talking about learning to add one or two more traps at each set
location. Now is the time to learn that, I guarantee if you learn it now when coons hit 15-20 again youll be in the money. AS for tricks, now is the time to slow down and learn to read the terrain for trap placement. Even after 30 years of trapping, boar coon(ridgerunners) fox and coyotes, a man can never learn enough about reading terrain or site selection. Low prices are the time to slow down and get a refresher in.
I wish you all the best,,,hope what we old guys have said sinks in to the youth! Whatever you do dont stop trapping in any season.
Agreed always trap , well handled prime fur will see a market ! There was a lot of junk old stale skins being held at NAFA dealers junk coons rats cheap fox mink , our better fur was put in with that junk to interest buyers ! They jumped on the fur
NAFA takes care of fur buyers first . Trappers are last #1 is NaFA commission
Wow, that got out of hand quick! Had to delete a few inappropriate comments. I really appreciate the comments and discussion, let’s just try to keep it civil.
Larry – I really appreciate your insight on the low fur price situation. That’s some great wisdom and advice that we can all benefit from.
Thanks guys!
I can only profit by tanning my own hides.
Some I sell through festivals as tanned furs others I make into products for reinactors. Possables pouches hats ect.
I know it’s a limited market but it adds to the bitten line.
Good luck guys!
When purchasing supplies the other night my local “country” buyer/supplier put it a way I have never been put before and it really made a lot of sense. “Many people spend a lot of money to golf because they enjoy it. You spend money to trap because you enjoy it.”
Thanks for the info, maybe ill just trap all November and pack it in after that, where I am from the furbearers are making a come back since no one traps out my way anymore. I bought traps this fall and decided to check it out, but since fur prices are low I might as well prep for next winter when hopefully the prices go up.
Wow I have not trapped since I was a kid. I want to get back in it. These prices are crazy low, so it will definitely be for the enjoyment. Does anyone have information on potential buyers in northeast Texas?
Questions from a rookie : how many traps should one have starting out?
Back in the mid 70’s till the late 80’s I made more money than my parents did during trapping season. I truly enjoyed running my lines twice a day $15 for muskrats 35-40 coons 40- 70 for mink 70 for beavers and fox coyote $50 at least
Wow, those were the days!
What will happen now when Trump fixes relations with Russia? Will the prices start to go back up?
Honestly, I don’t believe it will make a difference. Russia needs better oil prices for their economy to recover. When gas prices go back up, the market for raccoon pelts will come back.
Russian oil is double what it was last year , plus OPEC may cut. Raccoon prices will go up , or don’t trap them ! Wild Dark mink should have a god market last year brown monk sold for less than muskrats at NAFA. They cleared their stored skins dark skins and slates cleared at trappers expense avoid NAFA if possible make them come to you