I got some skunk essence to sell, how much will anyone pay and how do you want it bottled?

There is an add for it on trap shed

Most buyers like the 4oz size glass bottles with the metal lids with paper or foil liners in the caps taped after tightening before shipping. Pure essence goes for $20 a oz if handled right mustard included and no water.

That is just a place for people to read your message but not have the respect to reply.

My apologies. I had received about 10 messages from different people. I was reading them on my way into work and have tried getting back to people one by one as I have been on my break and lunch

I've been told that buyers don't want mustard?

Some buyers don't want mustard. And some only do that so they don't get excessive amounts of mustard

Always throwing shade but then it don't weigh that much! The guy just posted it people have jobs ya know. LOL

Like said some do some don't but if you get sprayed with the golden shower it's not bad if you get hit with the mustard burn them clothes they will always stink under humid conditions. I can see if a guy was going to tincture a batch the mustard might be an issue then. I love the mustard in a lure it's like the energizer bunny it keeps on going. $20 mustard in is the going rate for most guys I deal with.

Just about every (top notch) lure maker will buy it or take it in trade for the products they sell, ie : bait /lure.
I've been getting $12 an oz, but that is for pure quill. Cash price will be from $10 to $15 an oz for pure essence depending on quality.
Trade value can be a few dollars higher.
Most will only want the clear/amber essence, however the cloudy, (often called Mustard) still has some value.
I would start with O'Gorman's in Montana and let them set the tone for cash value.
Shipping can be tricky but a sealed glass bottle inside a container of cedar shavings, is recommended.

LT, it looks like you could raise your prices. I've been buying it at $20. an ounce. I like using the essence with mustard in formulation.

There is a good market for it. Seems like when I went to all close jawed traps, my skunk successful skunk catch dropped off .

They have a up and down cycle it seems one year here they are all over then poof the next they are ghosts!

I haven't figured out if it's better to live trap them or foot hold them either. Last winter every time it warmed up there were skunks everywhere. This year hasn't produced that kind of a warm up yet all winter, although I did see a coon track yesterday .

Cages for me just easier and the pole works like a dream I can set them at a place and the people call me to come get them right away! LOL

The last 30 Oz I sold brought $18 an ounce. I was getting $20 before this last batch. My guy wants it in 4 oz bottle with a plastic lid as the quill can eat through metal.

Going to eat plastic a lot faster then a lined metal lid, the same reason glass is used and not plastic to hold it.

Honestly I don’t know which it will eat faster but my buyer prefers plastic because he claims it eats metal faster.

How many OZ do you get out of a average skunk?

You usually get 1/4 to 1 oz out of a skunk. I am still at $15 per ounce but only because I have quite a few trappers who sell it to me for that. Buying skunk essence from someone I don't routinely deal with is dicey... I've been burned a couple times by essence that is "cut".
I like mustard in the essence.

Mark

just out of curiosity (if it's not confidential information) how much essence will you use in a year?

Hey Mark do you prefer plastic lids or metal?

Thanks Mark

Have seen essence eat through a plastic bottle it looks like a hot weld hit it over time I have bottled gallons of the stuff just hate to a new guy think plastic goes together with plastic. Short term maybe but any extended time it will eat through. Just a heads up but do what your guys ask for not much you can do if that's what they want.

Yes sir,
I only have skunk essence in one lure I make, Windwalker, and I use quite a bit of essence each year since Windwalker is my #2 seller. Don't want to talk specifics from there.
I prefer glass bottles with high density plastic like poly-caps or "hard" black screw caps. Low density plastic won't do well.

Thanks for the info Mark. The reason I asked is it seems the stuff goes a long ways and in my little mind it seems like 30 or 40 ozs would infect a stock tank size batch of lure. Lol

Good to know, Paul. Thanks.

While skunk essence does go a long way in formulation Yes sir, there have been years I've gone through more than a gallon and my lure isn't near as punchy as bossman makes or Caven's Gusto for example. I suspect that Paul and Tim and probably John Chagnon who now makes Lenon's Lures, use quite a bit also.

There is a market and it's useful to have reputable trappers that I can deal with when it comes to quill and I appreciate these trappers!

I saved a couple ozs to play a round with and my shed if over loaded with the smell. I've taken my skunks to a neighbor of mine and I think some of them have made it into your lure Mark.

Where do you recommend getting glass bottles with high density plastic like poly-caps or "hard" black screw caps? All I ever find is bottles with metal lids.

We have been buying essence for 12-15 dollars an oz.. It seems like fewer trappers every year save or collect essence. This is why the demand and price is always increasing. We go through a good amount of essence each year. Adam

I find mine on Amazon. Just search Boston round with poly cap lots to choose from.

Thanks, I guess I didn’t think to look there.

Another stupid question. Does everyone use 1oz or 4oz bottles and ship those, or fill larger bottles at the end of the season and ship that way?

Or is it whatever size and method the buyer prefers?

I go with the 4oz size bottles 4oz of essence loose in a building would be bad enough but a pint would close a place down, you also need to consider that stuff may end up on a plane and stepping outside is not a option.

Pack and pad it well with absorbent materials and seal it like your life depends on it getting there without leaking. It only takes one major issue to get us all spanked.

A buyer sent me bottles and container they preferred. The bottles are 12 or 16 oz. All bottles should be the BOSTON type. The container had packing media,would have to check to see what it is. The container itself is a new never used gallon paint can. Also have the box and it's shipping media. Caps on the bottles are ones like Mark June prefers, high density poly-caps. They did not really like the 4 oz. bottles with metal lids I used earlier.

Ted

Skunk essence in metal caps in today's world is just a bad idea. In yesteryear, the postal service would deliver an elephant to your door and ring the doorbell. Now, packages are routinely screened for hazardous and illegal materials and skunk essence sets off the cannibus sensors, so that a postal inspector gives you a nice phone call. If found to be too smelly (metal caps do not keep skunk in a bottle well enough), they just pitch the package in the dumpster and write it up as "hazardous". I've had trappers send me unsolicited quill and call me to find if I got it and I have no idea what to tell them. I didn't say ship it, and when I ask, "Poly or metal caps" and they say "metal"... I say... dumpster. Trapper says they wrapped it really good and I say.... dumpster.

If you are giving a package personally to a buyer someday, uses whatever cap you want. Metal caps are pennies. Poly caps are dimes. If you plan on shipping it to someone someday, spend the dimes.

Been buying quill for 34 years so have had plenty of experience (and stories) along the way.
Hope this helps.
Mark

Any thing Law Dog suggests is what I would follow concerning handling skunk essence. I have bought from him for quite a few years and he always has a top product. I am not a commercial lure maker but do appreciate good products. I use it to make my own LDC. Good stuff and great service. It is very hard to find a LDC that truly lasts for any period of time.

Mac

Thanks Mac they will figure it out over time no biggie for me the best example I can give is hit a plastic cap and a metal cap with a hammer and see what happens!

I will take a new lined metal cap and a 4oz glass bottle any day but life is about choices, a new cap and a twist with a pliers packed well as stated above and it's good to go. Just pack/seal it well if the bottle breaks or the cap leaks be it plastic or metal a lot of bad things can happen.

Good luck it is challenging no matter how you do it, on my way to a skunk call right now.

Thanks for the valuable information Law Dog.

No problem Rob just for the little guy to find bottles and caps at a reasonable price for just a case or 2 can be tough, if you do a little research you will find the premium caps are not cheap but about the same price for the better choices plastic or metal.

SKS bottle and packing sells caps a 144 per bag closest to a case of bottles VS buying 1,000 at other places and Zoro sells a case of 4oz bottles (160) for About $130.00 shipped

I just thought I would share the new plasti dip method I tried. Really like the seal I got from this and gives a cool look. Not that looks mean much. As far as the caps go. I suppose the old adage applies, "There is more than one way to skin a cat"

I respect Mark June and Law dog and appreciate the feed back all the way around. Happy skunking.

From what I have seen nothing stops the smell of essence. You can slow the escape down, but it is coming out with time. I have always put my bottles in vermiculite. Rather than dirt or Kitty litter. It is much lighter and mad to absorb. It will absorb the smell for a while. Sealing the bottle is a good start, but it will still stink in time. I put a 4 oz jar in a quart jar in a ammo can with caulk on the seal and it still stunk in time. I have dealt with well over 1000 oz and one thing I don't like is jars with large diameter lids. It is just more seal to give out. I like wine or whiskey bottles with a metal lid with the plastic lining.

I like the dip idea it might help get it there and slow down the "genie" a but from getting out of the bottle how hard is the bottle to open with that on there or does it twist off with the cap.

So if you just take a needle and remove it from the skunk, do you know if it has mustard in it or not? Or what would you classify that as?

In Jesus,
Jonathan

I remove the pods then tap them it will get you a lot more then just tapping the sacks from the back (poke and hope) it leaves you blind that way, with the pods removed you can milk the pods a lot easier and the "bomb is defused" and you have the pods to grind or make into sweet skunk.

Mustard will be filtered out after its removed with the essence and delt with, it sucks so don't try to do a lit at once it's like working with teargas in large quantities. Your going to stink so have a plan before you start!

I like the story when a old liquor bottle was used, and shipped between two jurisidictions.......post office and Liquor boards got involved......sender and receiver were both in trouble.

The last lot I just got was shipped 4 oz bottles 3 to a quart paint can filled with dirt, was really low odor but post office still called me and said Ron can you get here quick please LOL