Raccoon Market
The last few years have seen the raccoon prices at historic lows. Stockpiles of raccoon have kept any hope of a price increase at bay. Recently, however, prices have begun to creep up. This is due to dwindling stocks of certain grades and the popularity of long hair coyote style trims.

There have been several years of depressed prices leading to severe cuts in production. Many sections now barely produce any raccoon. Small sizes and heavy skins have sold well, and with few coming in to replace them, we are now left open to more raccoon at increased prices. Ranch mink prices are keeping all prices in check, but we plan to be as aggressive on raccoon as possible.

The Canada Goose coyote trim fad has been so successful that it has left some coyote customers wanting more and different trims. Raccoon is the perfect substitute. Raccoon’s price, texture and workability are putting it in many new fashion lines for the fall.

Decreased production of raccoon coupled with substitution of raccoon for coyote on fur trims have positioned it to make a move this season. So, it might be the time to get out the DP’s.

I'll tell my business partner to check you guys out next year. I've sent to ya in the past and have had good results. He just said he sold one PT at NAFA for a whopping dollar. 89 cents after comm. lol

Good color one to boot, 1-2.

Future pic of LLtrapper's mojo potion bringing 'em in to the DP set.

Could get ugly. I may have to trap a few more than normal. LLL

Somewhere else I read that some makers of lower priced parkas were switching from coyote to coon trim.

Too bad Rampage Lures has been put out of business...this could be their breakout year!

Tossing out cages as I go this year the coons can pay the gas and I can make a buck on the skunks, The Naysayers will tell you your wasting your time but it's your time a $10-$12 dollar coon is still better then a $4 one in my book or even $8 they are easy to handle.

Wish we could get that for our coon right now, i'd be trapping them too.

Somebody should fotoshop that coon pic,with a guy holding an open bottle of his lure in the foreground.

Bad news for the coyote market.

I'd like to see the beaver market wreck the yote market.

There is higher numbers of coons to catch, since so many of us, myself included, did not target them recently. If the market looks like it is improving, huge numbers of coons will be easily caught, crushing the price again.

We need more finished products made with coon hides. At least there is a start.

Keith

Guessing the coons they are looking for won't just come from just anywhere they will be looking for select coon from certain areas more then nation wide. Where some of them coons come from will have high paying yotes also and some won't be passing on them then to chase coons. Just me thinking to myself. LOL

All you got to do is sell them cheap. Will that help you?

pretty easy to skin flesh and stretch a coon. goes fairly fast. trap for coyotes and cats in nice weather coons will show up. don't need to run a coon line. doesn't sound like he is talking about a substantial increase.

should a guy sell those coons early or wait till spring?

I wont be selling any cheap beaver pelts in this raw fur market,just the good ones.

It seems to me that in reality there are sometimes 2 years and maybe 3 out of every 10 year decade where coons come up in price to a decent amount paid for them.But most every year 4 or 5 months before the season even starts the magazines etc. predict better prices for coon that year.Its either "This is the year coons will really shine !" or at the very least "the old pelts are all sold out and we need a bunch of jumbo fresh coon" Am I not telling the truth guys ? Don't get me wrong I absolutely don't want to be a pessimist ! I hope and pray the price comes up into a decent range on coon ! But I cant help but notice the same pattern or things written every year at about the same time ? Russia and China are supposed to be our biggest coon buyers by far from what Ive read over the years.And right now Russia seems to be P'd off bad at us over tariffs.I don't know if those tariffs effect fur ? Same stuff with China too I think.

Now having said that about what Ive noticed over the years I will say that out of the sources that I know of that make predictions I will say that Groenwalds do seem to always be a lot more in the know on the coon market than most imo.Again,Im just going off of what I remember them predicting over the years etc.And them being pretty accurate about the coon market.Now maybe some of you have proof of something different.And in that case I'm all ears etc.becuse I'm just trying to learn without a crystal ball.

Now if the price paid for coon does go up and gets hot like it did for a season or 2 a few years back then rather than LL's description of it getting ugly I will see it as a thing of beauty.I do believe I know exactly what you mean there LL.I just prefer to call it more of a thing of beauty even though I believe you and I are describing the exact same thing.Lets just say I am so thankful that I do not live in Iowa !!! Between LL,J.A.,RO'H,KK,RH,K.O.,D.P.,B.S.B.B.and I'm sure quite a few out of staters that give it a try with the more favorable laws.It is bound to become a cluster bunch lol

'We plan to be as aggressive on coon as possible". Translation, we will buy your coon but cheap.

I know what the good ones are selling for. Cheap.

I thought aggressive meant that they are willing to offer a higher price than the competition to get the goods.

I wish we had bigger populations of raccoons like some of the midwest states have.We get such big heavy coon-just don't have the big numbers population wise like other places.I am setting may fall catch goal at 150-that would be the most I have ever caught in the fall.Again we just don't have the numbers the midwest or southern states have.Most I have ever heard anyone catching up here was 170 plus one late season/early spring season.I will have 100 DP's out on November 1st here if the weather holds out.Most times we have snow by then and we are frozen up tight for the year.

At least Groeny is telling us that they will buy coon again-hey thats good news-lets just hope that we can all benefit from it rather than just be pessimists and say what ever.Now that being said my last few coon that I sold at NAFA were big coon that averaged right on $20 so things are definitely looking better for our type of coon anyway.

Thanks for the info. Good news, or bad, it's good to have some idea of the direction of things.
Maybe the increase in employment numbers will mean fewer 'coon put into the market????

do they sell supplies too??

I didnt realize small sizes had been moving. I take it that those are probably small but heavy?

Will the tariffs have any effect in the market? Or the Chinese economy? Supposed to be a 20% tariff put on raw fur going into China.

Just kill 25% more. That is how I paid for the 30% tariff that is there now. LLL

every year around this time...

Hope springs eternal.

Probably moving because they are dang near free...

If you are going to be aggressive then let’s hear a projection prices. 30 dollar basis on golden triangle coon. 15-20 dollar averages.?Get the DPS out. Who’s going to make money on these coon,hobby trappers or are guys harvesting coon for sport and your making the money. Just like to know what aggressive means. Cheap or above trappers cost to produce??!

Ding ding ding. Winner winner chicken dinner.Translation means nothing to me,I need to know the price structure.Increase in price paid could be $6 instead of $4.Means nothing.

Finally some positive news coming from the fur market!

Ha, ha...buy fur for a couple decades and than tell me if you can give a price structure in Aug.

I was told back in March that I should easily ave $10-$12 on my type of coon this up coming season.

LL....You don't try and take as many coon as you can every season? I have been for 40 plus years.

I have to admit I do not go quite as hard as I probably could or that I used to. When they are averaging 30 bucks I tend to have to work harder simply because of the competition. It always drives me to go harder. I tend to sleep a little as I get older too. Let them get back up to a twenty dollar average and it will be on again. I have not forgot how to. lol,LLL

Nothing beats catching the most historically low priced coons to keep prices historic.

$20 in the grease for western heavies and I'm in. If not I will keep banging away on $75 Yoties and $200 Bobs.

It would be nice to see them go up a little. Wont feel as bad when I take one out of a coyote set this fall.

Dave tell me in August you can predict what will happen come November. I don't expect you to agree with me nor do I call you an enemy,I simply state how I see it,perhaps I am wrong.I admit,good news,but an increase can be anything from .10 cents to $10. Really doesn't mean much until the checks are written.

Wasn't it about this time last year when beaver were going to shine? Hmmmm

I don't know about that but if memory serves correctly it was about this time last year plus 3 weeks at the WTA rondy Guy's message was to leave 'coon alone. At least this is positive. $12 average on 'coon in the grease would be a nice baseline.

Shine.. No. But catch them yes. Haven't forgotten either lol.

The problem is only a few states have the quality they want and yet people from all over will trap coon and then wonder why their prices suck.

Exactly

I remember Groeny saying catch all the blue coon you can last year early on.

We went from heavy coyotes at ceiling,advancement expected in semi's, to tariffs and no good, to wanting coons on top of the extra 20% tariff.I don't drink kool aide.Perhaps taking the interest from semi heavy coyote.

I plan on trapping coon and mink like always to begin with. I have several guys lined up to come and take instruction here on my line but will be taking fewer this year than in the past. Coon trapping is a bread and butter product here. If you want to make money trapping you really need to trap coon even at lower prices. I have made money by sheer volume during these trying times in the fur industry. I am looking forward to a price increase and so are my students. Can't wait to see some big pictures from them this season. LLL

Boy howdy, some of you guys are hard to please.

higher prices bring everyone out of the woodwork. Though we all could use them it is nice not to have people stealing equipment and horning in on the trapline

Heck. I might even dust off a dozen traps this year.

Here I believe I can make it work with just a mild increase in prices or even at last year pricing, even if coons went up to $40 (not that they will before the negative ones say I'm predicting that) but some would complain they were not $45 then! LOL Oh the drama.

Some make it sound like adding sets to a line that your already running will bankrupt a guy somehow really how? So I get a few coon or skunks every check and my gas plus more is paid for that day along with the yotes and badgers I'm after. The ones being negative about any idea of making any money on coons must not plan on going after them then for whatever reasons they have. Why ruin it for the rest of us it's not like they care about us it's our line we will run them as we see fit never had any season full of guarantees that I can remember in past years it's all a crap shoot.

We have plentiful amounts of skunks and coons here and big ones to boot I don't see how that will hurt me in anyway but I might lose some sleep skinning some more.


Don't see how everyone will be hammering coons in areas that have poor coons as that's not what the market is looking for so why would they? If they want the many XXX plus coons I have them here and plan to go after them, the skunks I have markets for about everything skunk you can think of so why not go after them?

I ask my buyer what the market is before the season starts to get an idea of how to plan for the season I suggest others do the same to see what to target in your areas.

Lawdog you going to sell as they come off your stretchers or hang on to them and sell them all in the spring? Around here unless you wait for weather where the high temp is a single digit, coons will be in coyote and cat sets. Good thing is the open country most of my coyote sets are in the coons are big. Can be a royal pain in cat sets. Better than possums but still time consuming to rebuild a set. I cant see running a straight up coon line. Got enough houndsman around here that kill a few all year round population has been staying pretty healthy.

I will roll and freeze mine no time to put them up during the season too much going I will pull them on the machine then straight to the freezer if they are worth pulling out of the freezer then I will if not they will be OK until we se what next year brings.

I'm mostly after the skunks for essence and the spotted ones for research they could have a big old rub spot or be summer caught and the price is still top dollar for research and the essence is pricey too on the little ones.


Main goal is yotes but a lot of nice skunk/coon spots are along the way so why not help pay some expenses don't plan to get rich but then I never did in the past! LOL

When money isn't the *primary* motivation for going out season after season you're not likely to be cynical about projected price increases, even marginal ones.

Money is the key motive when it comes to trapping. Yes a few say they do it for fun but where are those guys now? A ten dollar coon in the grease and I have five times the trappers in my area as when they are 6 or 8 bucks. LLL

Sounds like a bunch of whiney old women. Geez trap them or not . All he said was that there will be interest in them based on inventory. He never said look out 30 dollar coons a coming.

If we can't talk about prices before the season, what can we talk about.

No it's not. Trapping is the key motive when it comes to trapping. If making money is what you're after, become an investment banker, a hedge fund manager, or marry into a wealthy family. Trapping is a very poor choice if your dream is to make money.

And let's not get into the usual non sequiturs about trappers not caring about prices because one's primary reason for trapping is not the money angle. I care about prices, it's a fundamental part of trapping, just as skinning and scouting and preparing traps before the season are fundamental aspects of trapping. Not placing money as your primary goal for putting traps in the ground does not diminish anyone's worth or drive as a trapper.

Don't know anyone that ever got rich on just trapping alone maybe break even, lose a little or make a little yep, flat out rich year after year heck no!

The only real justifiable reason to take the life of one of God's creatures is to increase your chances of survival.

If it weren't for the money trapping as we know it would not exist. There are plenty of people that are out there making a profit and even a living from trapping even with the market we have now.

Trapping has always been primarily about profit going all the way back to the very beginning of settlement of North America. You think those mountain men were out there trapping for kicks? I figure that the whole "hobby" aspect of trapping is a fairly new aspect.

Once again, if it were not for the money, trapping as it is now would not exist. You would have Government trappers and a few NWCO's and that would be it.

Although I enjoy trapping as much as the next guy I would never trap for the sport of it. I expect when I trap that I will make something on it. To suggest to the world you like to kill for fun is somewhat looked down on by society at large. I am a commercial trapper which suggests I do it mainly for the commerce.

I in no way am saying that if you do trap for a hobby that it is wrong. Most will agree that it is not a bad thing to make money on it though. LLL

With some people it's not the same as everyone else. Can't remember who said it but they said, "I don't trap for the money the money allows me to trap."


So some lose a bit some break even and some make a buck and all 3 can still be happy when the season is over let them enjoy what they enjoy doing.

That is right. LLL

GFW makes out either way. LLL

Coon prices are expected to increase because a bunch of smart business trappers laid off them when prices went in the toilet. If their were more smart business trappers around prices wouldn't stay in the toilet as long as they do.

When I want a fire to go out, I don't keep putting wood on the fire.

They should it's nice to have them around, why should it not be about the money for them too in the end if it's about the money for us? LOL

Let me put it another way, if I couldn't sell my furs and/or get some sort of monetary return on the animals that I caught (ADC work for example), I wouldn't trap. It would be a monumental waste of a resource and immoral to simply toss the animals to rot. BUT it doesn't follow from this that, therefore, the only or primary reason I trap is to make money at it, namely, to make a profit.

It's the big coons they want now the one's in demand they will pay more for now, a strong economy has seldom been a great friend to the fur markets overall. Recessions have always improved prices as a whole. In a strong economy you give them what they want and with the tariffs nobody really knows what will happen when the season rolls around.

If most trapper did a serious audit you will find what your really making on trapping is not a lot unless your super efficient and organized, you start to figure your investments in supplies, gas and expenses you might come out OK then figure your time into it and what amount are you working for then?


You could make more easier then trapping with a part time job really in most cases.

Bingo I have turned a profit ever yr some yrs that means a poverty wage some yrs and others a supper at a restaurant for my small family but usually I turn a profit,( I keep meticulous books) but if I payed my self by the hr!! Let's just say don't do that defiantly better going to get a part time job. Like mainer said it's a fundamental part of it. I thank a man should do what ever he wants has beholding to nobody but his self and God!
Colt

Exactly, Jerry!

Or because they keep knocking over my trash cans.

When you do it as a business you know. A serious audit is when the IRS sends you a letter in June. Then you had better know it all. LLL

Wildlife management 101 you cannot stockpile wildlife until needed later with to many factors involved like nuisance issues and road kills to keep the numbers is check somewhat, how do we know we have a lot of a species often by the amount of the ones hit on the roads.

Be honest and they will owe you! LOL

Thanks GFW for the update it is very much appreciated.

No where did I read that it is mandatory that you sale to GFW. Send them to NAFA and wait for your money, that's your right to sell to who YOU choose.

Same old argument every year, pleasure vs money.



B

More like doom and gloom if I don't do you better not either! LOL

And they smell soooo...... much better when you skin and flesh them.

I write them a check every year Jerry. LLL

Now that was well said!!

The kid trapping before and after school and catches enough to buy a new rifle is miles ahead of us all! LOL I think some folks have forgot about those days.

Nobody even said anything about wasting any animals that would be stupid just more drama! Nuisance trapping calls would increase and the taxi or craft markets would be an option also if the fur prices got that low.


All of the negative trappers you not trapping this year then?

Well I don't trap for survival. I have enough money (and food).

Many of us trap for the animals survival...it's called Wildlife Management...and it's very important to some of us.

I trap for fun. I have noticed that a 10$ coon is twice as much FUN as a 5$ coon, and 20$ coon is twice as much fun as a 10$ coon and on and on. so I'm am hoping to have more FUN this year.

I for one don't care what the market says about prices. I do it because I enjoy it.
And every year I get 1 or 2 young people into trapping. That to me is better than money. The look on the face of a young trappers first catch is worth more than all the gold i n the world.
And I can't stop because I'm addicted to fur. 1$ or 100$ fur makes no difference to me. I LOVE FUR

To me marketing fur is as much fun as trapping it.

I plan on getting as many coon as I can as I do every year.

Ha!

I trap for the money.
I want to be rich and never have to work another day in my life........ I haven't succeeded yet
In all seriousness, I trap because I love it. I'm happy if I break even and really happy if I make a profit. That's not always the case, but I'll be out there setting steel either way.

X2

You want to talk about what you’re having for dinner. This is a trapping site Easy to call someone’ a whiny old woman online ain’t it ? If you don’t like the thread don’t read it

How many kids trap to make money to buy stuff
These days? You know you have to make money for this to even be possible.

Not sure why you trap if you trap for money but then money can't be made? LOL

I want to make more. Always.

I want every trapper to make money; not just me.

Guess I missed the promoting trapping part of all of this I just don't get it how all of the negative will result in a positive?

The largest profit margins in the fur industry by far are manufacturing and retail.

Just like the farmers they pay more for the box then the product that's in it!

They care about price Dirt, or they wouldn't make every fur price thread half a dozen pages long trying to convince themselves they don't, lol.

It's not about the money.
It's about passing on tradition and the love of nature.
I don't sugar coat anything I tell the kids I help.(I don't call it teach because I'm always learning).
I tell them you will be wet cold check empty traps. And it's not a picnic or a job. You do it because it's fun.
They learn response ability, stewardship of the land and the animals. I always lose some,but the ones that stay with it are better for it.
So MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING PERIOD!!!!!

That's all fine and dandy. This thread is about the money.

Everyone cares about prices just some more then others, not a lot of folks jumping at 3-4 dollar coons but some are willing to deal with them in the $10 range if they have them that are worth that.

Some people depend on fur money for part of their income.You will see those trappers trap more fur when the price per pelt drops to maintain the necessary income to provide for their family.
In essence they are working harder for the same money.

I will contact my buyer in late Sept and see what he wants and then I will know for sure what I'm going after then, a guy just need to be prepared just incase he's the guy that writes the checks!

I think there may be a special GFW thread that gives the fun fur forecast. Coon trapping predicted to be extra double fun in 2019.

Everybody needs to be reminded that a couple of years ago nafa sold a lot of raccoon skins to speculators,AKA,"themselves", for whatever and with free storage for for awhile. Well, those skins (possibly one million) are still in storage. This whole delimna is not going to get better. Fashion, ranch mink,and lack of promation is killing the wild fur market. And the biggest problem is, nobody seems to give a sh*#.
Make that, Those that could be doing more are not.
40+ years in the business and very disappointed.

I wish you would expand on what you just said Terry. Could learn a lot from you.

The one advantage of fresh skins is they usually dress better as a whole than “stale” skins. Which is why I never understood why some buyers speculate on certain furs unless they know they can get rid of them sooner rather than later.

I promote my fur products. I guess that don't help the middlemen.

its good to hear there may or may not be a increase. But you can bet I'm still telling everyone they are worthless. Higher prices bring out the scum of the earth. Id like to know were those trillions of stored coon hides went? GRAND CANYON is the only ditch I know of that's deep enough!

The problem with the coon market is anyone with ambition can go out and catch 500 coon. Try that with cats or coyotes!

BATMAN wants ridge runnin boars and any good size incidentally caught ones.heck i'm thinkin of catching some that make the big tracks i've been walking by.between being smart and picky,i'll go with fresh goods with perfect put up and see what happens.just gonna go back to doin what i do and let the pringles fall where they may.try to get to a couple auctions known for peein contests between buyers is also on my list.

Even at bottom prices they pay better than possums and I don't complain when I get nice big boars in our sets here. I have a couple farms that want us to trap them too.

i should take my eastern butt to my sons house in Minot N.D. and catch real coon.

Thinking a $5 in the carcass nose count for 2x and up not a bad offer !!!

remember the movie caddyshack when the rich guy told the caddy the world needs ditch diggers too??i feel like "the world needs coon trappers too."

Wonder how many people toss their catch in the ditch. I mean, they don't trap for money.

HAVE NEVER participated in ANY of the dinner threads. Plus bet if we wanted to or even cared to look you have talked about a lot of things beside trapping on here. We all have .
But your comment just proved you don't fall into the whiney woman category , Your just a grouchey old Fa_t !!!!

I am guessing you really know nothing of the history that most midwestern/ northern trappers have had with GFW and their "fur outlook". Not enough information for most to be able to make a decision about what they will do when the season comes. It is not whining when you are skeptical of a fur report coming from someone who said last season that coon markets were non existant and that the beaver season would be the ticket. Have you ever caught enough coon to have a skin in this game? Paul has forgot more about coon trapping than some ever will know. Like me , he has seen a few things in his "old" age. lol, LLL

yeeeap

Have you ever sold to GFW?

can't,they won't buy PA fur unless i do the illegal thing and take it across the border into ny.buuutttt i have my ny lisc. this year for just such an emergency.that and our rat and mink close jan 6 or 7 and it kills me to have you guys trappin a mile from my house.having worked in the put up business for 30 yrs has always left me many options for my own fur.