Perhaps The Brain Trust Of Trapperman.com Rocket Scientists, Brain Surgeons, Theoretical Physicists, And Trappers Can Answer This Question ?

Why Does The Prices For Traps, Bait, Lure, Urine, Hardware, Method Books & DVD's Continue To Rise Every Year, But The Prices Paid For Muskrat Glands Has Not Changed In Twenty Years ?

Same thing Really With Beaver Castor.

It Would Seem There Is A Very Limited Production Of Muskrat Glands Every Season, But The Short Supply Does Not Ever Translate Into Better Prices Paid For Glands.

Anybody Have An Answer As To Why That Is?

w

as an occasional rat gland buyer I am happy with this

As An Annual Seller Of Rat Glands, I Am Not.

They Cost Me More Money To Acquire Them Every Single Year, But The Price Remains Stagnant.

I Am However, Sympathetic To Your Situation !!

w

It wasn't all that many years ago I was able to buy rat glands I needed for $50 a quart. Since then it has doubled.
It wasn't long ago that I was able to get beaver castor for free from my local fur buyer. Then it went to $20. a pound, then 30, then 35, then 4o for a couple years and now I've been paying $50. per pound.
My book and video prices have been the same for 20 years. Lure prices have risen to keep up with the price of ingredients. I love making lure, but I can't afford to do it for free.

It may seem like the prices have been stagnant to you, but I haven't seen the same thing. This is why my lure prices will have to be raised this year.

Here In New York State, We Trappers Are Never payed Much More Than 50.00 A Pound for A Good Honest Run Of Dried, Well handled, Castor.

FHA & NAFA Are Paying Those Prices For Shell Castor.

Price Of Rat Glands Has Been $50.00 A Pint Or $100.00 A Quart Forever Here In New York.

Just Saying.

w

Three or four years ago I bought 11 quarts of rat glands from Ernie Mosier at the NYSTA convention for $65. a quart.

You go ahead and sent those castors to NAFA or FHA. Weigh them before you send them, then check the weight when they sell. Then figure in the commission. Then compare the price of the castor.

Your right with gland prices Paul. In addition, With the current market sometimes your lucky to even find what you need. If something does not change in 2018 I will change prices in 2019 also.

I would like to wait until next year, but if I don't raise them, I'll just break even on lure this year. Folks don't realize the cost of producing lures with quality ingredients. I could dilute the lures to make them less expensive to produce, but I will never do that. I'll discontinue making lure before I sacrifice the quality.

I Learned About The Folly Of That Years Ago. I Would Never Ship Castor To Either Outfit.

I was Simply Quoting What They Were Paying For Shellsm This Year.

w

That quote isn't worth diddly.

You can have as much as a 30 percent loss when selling castor through Auction houses. 11 per sent commission and anywhere from 15 to 20 percent or more weight loss. That will make those shells around $35.00 per pound. If you got to pay shipping, it will be another $1.50 a pound gone. if you getting $70.00 a pound at auction, it could come out to as little as $49.00 per pound you will net. Of course not everybody gets that much deduction. Some do and some don't. I have heard stories of more that the loss I am showing. I also hear of a lot less. It is a crap shoot at best.
I won't say that the castor I buy don't loose weight. My average weight loss to my customer is around 5 or 6 per cent. All castor gets damp when shipped. Castor that is handled correct won't loose as much weight as castor that has not been dried correct. Usually what happens in shipping is some of the castor is either squeezed out of the other sacks from being turned in all different directions or the castor wasn't dried enough after it came out of the freezer or it wasn't dried enough before putting it in the freezer. About a third or a bit less of the castor I get is sitting in the oil when I get the castor in. It literally has a pool of the liquid in the bottom of the zip lock bag. Not every body that ships castor has weight loss.

Not Every Buyer Of Rat Glands Is A Commercial Lure Maker.

If Rat Glands Are Scarce, And They Usually Are, Why Doesn't The Law Of Supply And Demand Work Like With Other Products.

They Certainly AREN'T A Nearly Worthless Commodity Like Wild Fur.

What Gives ?

w

Walleyed, how many rats does it take to make a quart? I need some perspective on this before I return my verdict!

Around Here, I'd Guess 90 to 100 Unless You Get Them Right At The End Of The Season When The Glands Are Fully Swollen.

w

So you're getting around a $1 per rat?

A 100 rats to make a quart of glands??

From the few we get here in MN in Feb. and the size that they are I would think it would take alot more than a 100 for a quart.

Because whoever is doing the selling is saying, "Yes, that's acceptable price for me. Give me the money and you can have the glands."

You want more for your glands, put a price on them that you need and don't sell unless their offer meets your price?

I am not a commercial lure maker, period. Your luck will vary when buying spring muskrat glands, so buyer beware. I have never tried to dicker with anyone on price as I am usually pretty darn glad to find some. I have several quarts ground and preserved now, but am always on the lookout for FRESH FROZEN muskrat glands.
If they are shipped frozen within a few states of where you are they will be great.

A few times I have been promised fresh frozen and have received glands that have started to mold a nice green gray color and taint a bit. For me, those are OK for some uses, but they darn sure are not the same product as fresh frozen and for me, they cannot be used for some purposes.

I sold some last year for $80.00 a quart. I still have about a1.2 quart left. I will be bringing It to The FTA convention.

My rat glands are now gone. LOL

I just paid 350 for a gallon

It just took me about 35 to 40 rats to make a Pint of glands over the past 20 days.

I am estimating that approximately 50% of my catch was male but that is an educated guess.

What is your Point Beav, IF You Have One. LOL

w

Did You Give Them Away Again Like Last Year, Beav ? LOL

w

DVD prices are low as possible, NAFA isn't charging anything for the DVD. . I think I have to start saving glands.

Nope, It's Well Known They Are All ****FREE**** Robert !!!

w

Walleyed, you're not confusing beaver and rats are you?

Nope a buddy wanted 1 quart of rat glands and I sold them to him for $80.00 a quart.

If your talking about castor I have NEVER sold through the auction house's. I have a private buyer that treats me very good.

And my point Is. I seriously doubt that 100 rats Is going to come any where close to 1 quart of glands.

Sorry Beav,

I Have A Pint Of Rat Glands Just Taken from A group of Around 90 Rats. I didn't count How Many Were male And how Many Were Female But I Assume 50/50 Male/Female ratio.

So If 45 Of Them Were male and Produced A Pint, 90 Male Rats Should Produce A Quart.

Must Be You Have Puny Rats, Beav. My New York State Easterns Are Flippin' Huge.

w

Must be.

Sorry Walleyed to bust your bubble.
Rat glands are a male sex gland to attract female muskrats to have sex with.
NY muskrats are so butt ugly,they need extra large sex glands to attract the opposite sex females in order to have a good time .
So therefore,that is why it only takes 45-50 muskrats to make a quart.

You da Man,Phil !!!

w

lol

Muskrat glands are worth money?

I felt the trapper deserved that beautiful aroma for her/his trouble.

Plus, those NY rats can't rap anymore anyway Walleyed! Give up on your spring damage, and learn to stake properly!

Ok, here's the verdict: 1 rat gland equals $1. The average rat sells for $3, so that means the gland brought 1/3 of the money the pelt did. It takes an average of 7.5 beaver to make a lb of castor which maybe goes for $50 this year. $50 divided by 7.5 = $6.66 which is approximately half of what beaver are currently averaging .

Therefore, Walleye your premium rat glands should sell for $1.50 per rat which would be half of the pelt value just like the beaver-castor ratio. The result is the new price threshold for rat glands should be $150/Qt.

..........I have spoken.

What Does This Mean ?

w

Takes 137 ‘rats to make a quart of glands. Thats if the ‘rats are caught between March 15 and March 31.

Generally in my experience immediately upon ice out the glands are full and the male catch is unusually high for the first 4 or 5,days. This will play into your number. Males dominate in muskrats anyway 55 to 45 percents. Mathiak discovered this and my records confirm it so far.

Thanks Beaverpeeler,

walleyed Would Be Satisfied With $150.00 A Quart As This Would Bring The Rat Gland Market More In Line With Compensating The Trapper For His Expenses In Gathering Them Up Since Rat Pelts Are Basically Without Value.

w

Side note, how are you guys who keep the glands to resell storing them? Drying them like beaver castor? Storing in some sort of liquid preservative in mason jars? I am curious. Thanks.

Fresh Frozen In Pint Jars, Right Out Of The Rat, And Into the Jar, And Into The Freezer.

That's How I Do It, Anyway.

If You Leave Them Out In a Warm Environment, They Spoil Quickly.

w