Why not mirth at your own self? I find nothing laughable but the auction itself. LLL

MD slight dmg beaver at auction $2.50........Groeny paid $2

You barely made out like a bandit on those knicked up beavers...lol

Was it really profitable to skin , stretch, dry, and ship a beaver hide for $2.50? Take the castor and chuck the beaver.

You're on!

Ha Ha Ha at me!!!!

I utilize the best I can, If I was worried about profit only, I would do more carpenter work.....sometimes we catch smaller beaver, the time and gas was already spent, after that it costs nothing to take them home and finish them, it's therapy for me

trap on

Now WissMiss?

My beaver averaged $19.63, but I only sold 15 out of 30 and one went for $46.00. They were all 2x-3x of various grades including some selects. Not good, but beaver take up a lot of freezer space and the castor paid well.

Well you did real good then…pat yourself on the back!!

^^^^^
That's crazy. I remember averaging $19 about 45 years ago and I think I was paying 45 cents a gallon for gas.

Oh at least it was a Belisle and the jaws bent.

my next season is going to focus and the stuff they told us not to send to auction like Red Squirrels @ 2.50 usd. Seems their (FHA) reverse psychology has an effect on the buyers.

Laughing at each others misfortunes (as well as our own) is what many of us trappers have done since way back. Sorry not everybody enjoys that.

I'm with you on this LL. Most prices are beyond pitiful, not including the current value of a dollar. Yet FHA with thier new NAFA former employees still try to spin seriously low offerings, poor clearances and record low prices in some positive way to try to get somebody to trap and ship them fur. It is laughable.

Sure prices suck for the most part but if FHA don't stay alive thru this mess then what we do when prices come back and no auction house left and just buyers like GFW?

I believe prices will come back to a better level, to be determined, despite the antis steady enroachment on us. Ranch product backlog getting used up and difficult to see most of them rushing back with the big investments those operations need + turn around time to built up their herds again. Our product can be put back on stream a lot quicker than rancher product.

Agree with crosspatch.
Trappers with registerd lines continue to trap to protect their investment when the market slumps.The ones that quit and sell out are older guys ready to retire from the bush life and cant keep up with the work to maintain a registered line.
Some will sit out or cut back and let helpers/family members take on more of the work.They will spend more time at their cabins picking berries fishing and hunting along with some trapping because they like the freedom of the bush.

X2

X3

You are talking about that DIRT guy, aren't you BOCO !!!!

I don’t believe anyone would argue the current state of the wild fur market. The debate may be on direction of the future. It is disappointing that the wild fur market basically flopped when recent mink sales have steadily increased. Not sure we can put that on FHA. Could be timing, covid restrictions, demand....

When you say trapping to protect your investment, you mean work for next to nothing for a decade so you might make some money for a couple of years before the cycle repeats. Trapping business is not a wise investment,