The fur season is upon us and if you are like me, I can't wait to get started. There has been quite a bit of fur related news over the past few months. California banned fur in almost every way, NAFA is in trouble and it seems pressure on the hunting and trapping industry is at its highest from the anti hunting activists.
If you are a western heavy coyote trapper or hunter you could see prices the same as last year. Coyote demand is at an all-time high thanks to the high dollar trimmed parkas. Early goods will be priced accordingly but prime western heavy #1 coyotes will be worth the most.
Raccoon is starting to be used for trim. The bigger 3X and heavy skins will be the easiest to move. I really like raccoon fur, especially the ND and MT coon. The fur is really thick and long and makes a great fur hat.
Red fox, mink, badger and beaver is about as low as it can get. Ranch mink has really hurt the wild mink market. Beaver is mostly used for the hatter market in Europe and that market even fluctuates. Badger is really nice fur but doesn't fall into any fashion trends currently. Red fox is really nice fur and makes a great fur hat, but in the world of fashion it currently doesn't have a place.
Muskrat seems like there is always some demand. This season the muskrat market will stay steady with maybe a slight uptick.
With NAFA in trouble financially nobody really knows how the auction will work, will country dealers be more aggressive, will prices go up in the country?? Time will tell on most of these things.
Have a safe and fun fur season!!
Until next time...