Post by gailkeller on Oct 16, 2011 10:11:47 GMT -5
As the trapping season is approaching,one cannot help but to speculate on the health of the fur market this season,here is my opinion,for what it's worth.With the upturn in most prices at the end of last season,there should be optimism for continued higher prices in most goods,especially otters and bobcats here in Louisiana.Fox,both red and grey,should hold firm at last season's prices,as should mink and raccoon.Beaver and nutria are in a down cycle and should be sold green if possible,their price does not justify the labor involved to finish them,but the price of castor may be beaver's saving grace.The economy in Europe,Russia,and China will all be factors this year as the price of oil is falling and the value of the dollar is rising at this time,not good situations for our wild fur.With the large amount of supplies bought this year at conventions and from suppliers,it would indicate more trappers in the field,set on taking more numbers and an increase in the wild fur harvest,another thing that could affect the fur market.Weather can also affect the market,bad weather here in the United States can limit the take of wild fur and a cold,hard winter overseas can increase the demand for our wild furs,both a plus for the market.Every year it is pretty much the same situation,trappers preparing for a good season,but in reality they are victims to many circumstances that are beyond their control,which can go in any direction in a very short time.All a trapper can do is target the furbearers that hold the most potential and let the ones that do not look promising go to the bottom of their trapping priority list.There is always live market coyote trapping and the feral hog trapping for the meat,two ways to add to your trapping income.Trapping beaver,nutria,coyotes and hogs can get you permission to trap the other furbearers,that are bringing good prices for their pelts.In my opinion,the best thing for a trapper to do is wait until the fur is prime,take as many of the desired furbearers as possible,handle the fur to the best of your ability,whether it be selling green or stretching and drying,then try to decide what is your best option to sell at season's end,either selling to a local buyer green or shipping your finished furs to an out of state buyer or selling at a state trapping association sale or shipping to an auction in Canada.The sale of wild fur is always a gamble and speculation is the rule,you hope for the best,but some years it can go in the opposite direction,it is a fact all older trappers have come to live with.So this year trap with a purpose,even if that purpose is to just get out and enjoy and learn about the sport of trapping,it does little good to worry about the fur market,it is what it is,and it has been that way forever.Enjoy the ride,I am sixty years old and I cannot wait to set my first trap this season and I anticipate my first catch of the season as much as I did when I was a child trapping with my Grandfather.Make some memories,they will last much longer than the money you make trapping and do not waste your time worrying about things you have no control over,they will take care of themselves in good time.
