Late fall and early spring prime chuck hides are going for $40.00 a pelt.
They must be taxidermy skinned. And can be shipped scraped green and frozen To Moscow Hide and Fur. They told me they can't get enough of them.

What is taxidermy skinned?

Lips nose toes eye lids left Intact and tail bone removed. Case skinned.

Taxidermy skinned = fully prepped for a life size mount.

Ears turned
Lips split
Eyelashes present.
All pelt parts present, including genital area
All bones removed from feet
No damaged on the pelt.

A tedious process until you’ve had some practice.

If not properly prepped - say eye holes even slightly enlarged, the price drops significantly!!

That's Cool

Well that just about covers it.
I'm getting $300.00 to set up my wood chuck land and $10.00 each. So I can just toss them and be money ahead. I thought about skinning and selling the hides but I think way ahead of the game the way I'm doing It.

And like boco said there Is a very small window when those chucks are prime.

wissmiss and Beav, thank you. That's how I do most of my fur except raccoons and muskrats. I wouldn't say I am an expert by any stretch, but do okay. I wasn't sure if the opening cut had to be in a specific area, or different than cased.

Go get em K Snow.

When I was a kid, there were no groundhogs where I lived. Around the 80s some moved in. Now there are none again but we have a few coyotes. Do you suspect the coyotes thinned out the groundhogs?

Shot that groundhog, tanned his hide.
Made the best shoe strings I ever tied.

They sure vary in color. I have skinned and tanned a couple big fat silver backs because they were so well-furred. I could see how they work make a nice hat or trim.