fur prices

[roninflag]

they supposed to be off 20 to 30 %?? how much for average coyote , fox , bobcat , badger, beaver ect?? thanks. ron

[bonecollector777]

Just wait for Hyper to tell you all about it. He will either tell you all about what the prices will be since he knows everything or he will rip into you saying you can't ask general questions like that.

[bonecollector777]

But yeah from what I have heard everything will be down a bit. Coyote may be alright if it's prime and good colored. Heard bobcat and fox will be down for sure. Not sure a badger has ever been worth skinning.

[Hyperwrx]

roninflag- The fur market is a commodity like many other goods and is impacted at many levels from several variables. Current indicators shows a continued decline of general fur prices, both ranch and wild fur. That being said, here in AZ we primarily focus on lynx cat and grey fox. High end bobcats (perfect coloring and heavy pelt) will still be snatched up by fur buyers for good prices $400-700, but mid-grade, poorly handled desert bobcats will see lower prices ($300-$100). Grey fox has shown less of a price fall as bobcats. Last year I believe the ATA average was $20-23 a grey pelt.

 

Contrary to what others might say AZ Coyotes will be nowhere close to the industry quality coyote. Genetically we don't have the color the garment industry wants. The heavy pale coyotes are the ones seeing the $75/pelt prices we get excited about. The typical Arizona coyote will see a $10-15 price tag. Hardly worth the effort. Last year a fella went and got his fur buyers license from AZ G&F and bought up all those cheap coyotes for $5-15 each from the ATA fur sale and sold them elsewhere for significantly more. Lots of the artsy fartsy stores in Sedona and Jerome sell a typical desert coyote tanned hide for $60. Wall hanging decor snowbirds want.

 

The variables that are impacting sales this year are the terrible economy Russia is having due in part to the economic sanctions the US put on them for their invasion into Ukraine. Our last recession will pale in comparison to what they are seeing now and will for the next few years. Also China caught and sent to prison a few more mink fur buyers who failed to pay import taxes on the millions of mink they bring into the country. Word went around quickly that China was a no show to the early fur sale. Prices on muskrat and coon are dismal.

 

The silver lining is bobcats, if handled properly, can still make you a small bit of coin in you are not investing tons of time getting them. If your fur handling skills are average, do not expect to make more than $150 a bobcat. Last year fur buyers said lots of Arizona fur was not put up well. Greasy fur, goofball stretching techniques, poorly sewn up pelts, and general mishandling resulted in dozens of trappers ticked off and 'no sale' their fur at the ATA and Kingman sale. Also we have a habit as new trappers to take small and sow bellied females because we have no self restrain when something is in our cage. You are not going to get hardly anything for a 12 pound female bobcat that stretches 30 inches so why harvest it? Late season female bobcats oftentimes have kittens. Their belly fur will develop damaged fur around the teets. Off color and missing fur is the result and buyers do not want it. 'Owl's eyes' comes from a female who has a late litter of kittens last year and her fur has not yet recuperated. The belly fur around the teets, when fluffed up and blow on, will show less growth and often be slightly off color than the surrounding snow white belly fur. Ideally, you only want to take full grown female bobcats with no fur damage in Late December to last of Feb or early March. That is when fur is prime and worth the most to the seller.

 

Badgers in this market will get you a $20 bill if you know what you're doing. Worth more as a keepsake in my opinion.

 

Fur sellers (trappers & hunters) have 3 main options to sell fur:

 

Arizona Trappers Association Fur Sale

Briarpatch Fur Sale

NAFA Fur Sale

 

All have their pros and cons.

 

My philosophy, which I have practices for many years, is sell quality fur early. Buyers have quotas on top quality bobcats (15-20% of our AZ market) they are trying to fill. They don't want mid-grade bobcats (80-85% of our AZ market).

 

I wont do your fur for you but I will help any trapper who needs help putting up fur. I will loan stretchers, stand next to and coach you as you flesh, sew, skin, and stretch bobcats and foxes. I do it each and every season and have already had several trappers show up to my home these past 2 months to stretch bobcats. There are resources out there to insure you get the most money for your fur. Use them.

[mmtx10]

You also have to look at how all if this works. It is pretty hard to estimate prices. It's my opinion that fur buyers don't really know how much they need to buy until a few months after cold weather starts. That's when fur clothing starts leaving the shelves or sitting still depending on weather and fashion trends. Retailers will then put in orders which will fall on the buyers. It's only after customers buy up previous years fur that there is a demand for this years fur. All of this starts happening when we have already started trapping so in my mind it's good practice to trap for the enjoyment and not the cash. It's just too hard to predict high prices.

[nateNAU]

There is one more main option. Ship to Nafa. My averages were $200 a cat higher at Nafa than what was offered to me at Kingman last year.

[Hyperwrx]

Nate, thanks for restating that. I included NAFA as one of my 3 options for trappers to sell their fur. NAFA, like the others has its pros and cons. I would not base my opinion of local sales on last years Kingman sale. That was a poor example of a local sale because the buyers had most the sellers cornered on price because the sale was so late int he season and many didn't know about NAFA. Buyers already had their orders filled from other state sales and in my opinion, took advantage of sellers. G.K. for sure did.

 

NAFA's cons in my opinion:

 

1. You are paying to ship your fur, which for me would cost a good chunk of cash to ship and insure my fur. You could use a middle man to pick up and handle shipping your fur, but they will take a cut. Cindy Seff and her husband are selling themselves as NAFA middlemen in that process. Make no mistake, they wouldn't do it if they weren't making money. Bob is talking about having a table set up at the Kingman Sale to help trappers fill out the NAFA paperwork and get it on its way.

 

2. Once you ship your fur to NAFA, you are at their mercy on sale prices. In the past, AZ bobcat prices have generally been good. We've had many of our bobcats in lot top lots- #1 or #2 for many years. That's the top bobcats in the entire North American Continent. That's saying something about that trapper and how he puts up fur. BUT if your bobcat isn't good quality you are taking whatever they sell it for. $50 or $1200.

 

3. NAFA commissions are based on how much fur you sell and its sale price. The more you sell the lower your commission goes. Sell just a few bobcats at $200 and I 'believe' you're paying up to 10% of your total.

 

4. At a local sale you get your check right then (Kingman) or in a week after the sale (ATA). There is something to be said for getting your money right away. NAFA you get the check in the mail MONTHS after the sale if your fur was in the first season sale.

 

That being said, $200 more per bobcat above what you were previously offered is a no brainer!

 

I sell my fur and support the local trappers association. I believe I got a fair price for my fur. I averaged higher than the ATA state average and that's good considering all my bobcats are lower desert cats.

 

When it comes to making money selling fur, money talks and BS walks. Each trapper can do what he feels is best for him.

[azcatter]

at the nafa sale my coyotes brought 20 more than globe the bobcats 250 keep in mind the was smaller coyotes and plain cats I have a bunch in the nafa jan sale and will post prices when I get them the trapping today market report last week showed coyote up cat holding everything else down I am going to put my greys in freeze and wait for better prices or tan and sell in tombstone as wall hangers

[Guest wdenike]

My opinion would be. That any trapper or hunter that has the ability to read sign made by wild animals. Will be able to easily predict, that the Briar Patch Kingman sale. Will dry up wither, and blow away like the leaves of autumn.

 

 

Take care, Willie

[Hyperwrx]

at the nafa sale my coyotes brought 20 more than globe the bobcats 250 keep in mind the was smaller coyotes and plain cats I have a bunch in the nafa jan sale and will post prices when I get them the trapping today market report last week showed coyote up cat holding everything else down I am going to put my greys in freeze and wait for better prices or tan and sell in tombstone as wall hangers

 

Over the past 2 seasons there has been less fluctuation in grey fox pelts than bobcat pelts at the ATA sale. Are you thinking grays are dropping at the NAFA sale?

 

Most of the best fur coming out of AZ goes to NAFA each year.

[azcatter]

that is what the market report shows if they don't I will put them in the last spring nafa sale but that is what groeneworld fur and wools is reporting due to economic crisis in Russia and the strong dollar look it up they give a update every week everything except coyote and bobcat has a big red arrow

[Hyperwrx]

Good to know. Too bad our state bobcat prices weren't more closely tied to NAFA prices.