Interesting info. Thanks for speaking up Tatiana, enjoying your insight on the sable.

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You bet this had my attention ! I am so reminded of a couple of years ago, Jack going out of his way to patiently explain the various marten species , and some of their different behaviours. I kept his info , some of his experiences in Russia and many other places. I know he will be peering at this sandbox .

Can't get over those stubby but well furred tails on Tatiana's photo. Nice colour variety too.

I appreciate reading these things and everyone's input very much .

I just did a screen shot of this recent sale.
I'm curious if the 90,000 Barguzin sable are all from the Barguzin region. I doubt it, I would guess, it is just like in North America where if the individual skin reaches the quality and type of a particular section it will be put in that section of skins regardless of where it comes from.
Additionally, I bet there is motivation to put a particular skin into the Barguzin assortment for marketing reasons.
The section "Baum Marten" are western European pine marten, they are generally not as desirable as Alaska marten. I'm fairly optimistic for halfway decent prices in upcoming sales. It seems like they had pretty good clearances on this sale too; good news.

I will bet, on the record, that next sale overall north american marten average under $45.00 USD.
I hope I'm wrong.

Thank you for the insights Tatiana.

Tatiana - Interesting info. If u don't mine me asking what are u doing over that way?

Tatiana,
Thank you so much for joining us here.
If you have any pictures of your region, trapping, outdoors stuff, please post them if you would like. I know everyone here would like to see what trappers life is like on the other side of the planet.
Спасибо
Opps, that didn't work, I thought we could enter cyrillic text here.
Spaseabo

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Great stuff Tatiana ! Is English your native language ?

Thanks for sharing your culture

So that is a Eurasian red squirrel Sciurus valgaris in winter pelage ?

Was English taught in your schools ? Seems most of the parasitologist that we deal with are verse

What a wonderful and very interesting reply Tatiana. Thank you. Impeccable English which I assume is your second language.

You mention about otters and people not knowing too much about catching them. If you go to the Canadian Trappers Talk Forum P. 92 and P. 95 you will see, respectively, the discussions on "Paul Millette* Otter Set" and "Otter Set in the Winter". Unfortunately the pictures do not do it justice. An extremely effective way to catch otter using 220 style otter traps. Essentially the set takes advantage of the usual fact that the only under water way an otter can get over a beaver dam in the winter is to pass where the dam empties. Trap is set slightly upstream of the break in the dam and just under water in the center of the main water flow. You may have to trench the mud ahead of the dam a bit so that the trap remains under water. Movement of the water keeps the trap ice free when you do it right and the otter will follow the main water movement in this very narrow place.

The set is very effective and in heavily trapped areas, if otter prices are high, can be too effective for the health of the otter population. This is where trappers with individual trapping areas, vs. open trapping areas, lets conservation prevail with limiting catches. Of course you need beavers and I am not sure what your beaver population is like.

Perhaps someone viewing has good pictures of the trap set up I am talking about.

* Paul was a trapping legend who came up with many innovative ideas to help other trappers.

Of course, otter prices have been so poor for so long that over-trapping them isn't currently a problem in the USA.

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Yes that is why I mentioned beaver as had heard your beaver population may not be high. Amazing North America is overrun with beaver after being nearly wiped out a long time ago. Suspect Russian beaver still being pursued for meat as well as fur. Here in North American people eating beaver is way down as they get more and more money to buy farm meat + get more and more away from the land. Big difference from back in the 70's and 80's with now hardly any beaver trapping because prices are down and much less demand for meat regardless. Again your written English impeccable and much better than most native speakers.

Very much appreciate your contribution here !!

Agree with Crosspatch. Your English is wonderful !

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Thank you for your responses Tatiana.
All my trapping has been directed to collecting ticks and fleas and fur mites. They are forwarded to our local University to either Entomology or Zoology Departments. Because the bulk of fur mite and louse specialist are left in the USSR samples are always sent to their collections.
Museum collecting and paper bound journals are becoming like dinosaurs ..extinct.

I have to agree with the others Tatiana, your English is amazing. Thank you for your contributions.