2016 Fur Prices

Thought I would open a thread on fur prices for the year. Like most of you, I entered this year with a pretty conservative expectation of what prices would be and I set about trapping with those expectations in mind. I had a couple personal issues that also limited my trapping (my son broke his leg in November and has been in a full length cast all season and I've had to transport him everywhere he goes). Those are my woes and I'll let it go at that.

Anywho, I talked with an officer of the Colorado Trappers Association today who told me the high cat on their sale this week was $255. He said the average probably wouldn't break $100. Grays brought about $16 and coyotes were still being sold so he didn't have a number but thought it was going to be pretty soft. Buyers were holding out for the very top end of the coyotes (heavy pales) and were pretty hard on any of the lesser types.

Not trying to be the bearer of bad news or make everyone depressed, but I think the more information a trapper has when he/she goes to sell, the more realistic their expectations will be.

If you have any first hand info, please post it here so we can all have the benefit of that info.

Tracy, I'm sorry to hear about your boy. I hope he heals up and gets back to 100% quickly.

I don't really have much first hand information on fur prices, I've just seen all the doom and gloom on the lair. I'll keep my fingers crossed on coyotes, I'll have about 45 that should do well, and another 7 or so that won't! I'm a bit hesitant on cats. I've caught the best quality ever this winter with 7 toms and 3 females. Only one sowed female and all but one of the toms are over 40". My daughter wants a bobcat vest so I won't be afraid to take some home from Fallon. I can't help but think of what I saw in a reply yesterday. I trap because I love it, not to become rich. I trap for the challenge of outsmarting a coyote with a dirt hole or setting a trail set so perfect you can't help but catch the first cat that goes through it. I also trap to be humbled by an exposed, dug up trap or to find traps covered in 18 of fresh snow It is a challenge and every trip out deals out something different. I've had some of my best memories with my dad trapping when I was a teenager and I want my two kids to say the same thing while reflecting back on their life. I teach to pay the bills, thank goodness! With that said, I do hope to make enough money to pay off all the bait, supplies and traps I bought at last years Rondy . If I don't that works too!!!

I spoke to two buyers that were at Colorado today and they said it was a very poor collection of cats, nothing like we should have. It still isn't good however they said don't pay attention to that sale prices for cats. They indicated coyotes were still holding good for the heavies.

Utah should give us a good indication

Todd posted on Tman and Lynxies about Colorado averages.

Tracy, I stand corrected his greys did 14

103 was the over all sale average on cats.

Coyotes ended up off the charts, with a sale average of around 51 ish I guess. That's including MT through OK.

There is talk that cats could even go further down by next season. Hope you guys do well out there. Its not just fur everything is in the bottom,oil,fur,scrap, you name it.

Todd included a break down of state by state on coyotes. Good thing about it are cats are still worth more than possums,LOL.

Im out of the Officer bit now,thank goodness. Im just a guy now,LOL.

Some interesting statistics from the Nevada Fur Sales 1978-2015 for bobcats.

39 years of NVTA Sales CAT AVERAGES

6 years average $400 or greater
4 years between $300 and $400
10 years between $200 and $300
11 years between $100 and $200
8 years under $100

lowest average year 2000 $76
1993 to 2000 - 8 year period - 6 of those years under $100

Of the 4 years that were between $300 and $400; 1987 & 1988 were two of the four

29 years out of 39 cats averaged less than $300; most actually in low $200's

I know this doesn't make this years market sound any better!!!

Jim, what are the allocated number of lots for the Fallon sale. I can't seem to find my notes from last year and I'm trying to do a tentative lot assignment before I head to Fallon

No restrictions on total number of lots you can have. The only thing is you can only have 3 single lots of the same species for every 15 animals of that species. If you have 3 cats you can single them all out if you wish.(1-15) If you have 18 cats you can single out six (16-30) 31-45 nine singles etc.

Perfect, thanks for the information! I'll see you in a couple weeks in Fallon.

Utah sale results for your veiwing pleasure. Read em and weep --- I did.

http://utahtrappers.org/docs/2016_FurSale.pdf

http://utahtrappers.org/docs/2016_FurSale_Average.pdf

That is horrible!! Good thing I didn't trap this year.

Last year Utah Sale Cats averaged $225 - Nevada averaged $329 In 2013 we both averaged about $420.00.
Will see what happens this year

My sources tell me there were ZERO fur buyers at the Ely tagging today.

Doesn't surprise me with the sale this weekend.

That is correct, no buyers. I tagged my cats early today and had a minute to chat with Scott from NDOW. I don't recall the exact number he quoted me but it was around only 90 cats tagged up to that point this season for Nevada.