Rat at cascade are 3-4 in the round are 5-6 put up,,,,, you do the math
Sure collect the glands on beaver and otter, but I would rather use my time more productive.

$3 in the round $5 put up
$100 in rats in the round. $167 put up
More than enough incentive for me to keep putting them up

When I started trapping , prices were always low at the beginning of season .
The fur dealers back then were more than happy to show you how to put up fur .
I remember early muskrat @ around $ 1.50 and late season $ 4-5 .00 .
Fox early season $ 7. 50 , end of season $ 85.00 , so it was well worth the effort .
I started selling in the round , and learned quick to put the fur up , it brought a lot more back then .
Now it's a very sad state of business .
Only ones making money off trapping are the nuisance trappers .
Farmers now use poison more than ever before because there's few trappers and hunters left because of animal rights zealots .

Millions of animals go to waste every year because they still have to be controlled .
People become more and more removed from real life and common sense everyday .
They throw their money at the scam commercials , without thinking , pure emotion .
LMAO Now they want $ 19.00 a month to save the polar bears because of Global Warming .
People are getting dumber by the minute .

Correct. As one of my sons says “ya can’t cure dumb”. Unfortunately true.

I put up fur because I choose to and I don't catch large numbers and have invested in the assets needed to put up fur. Why do we put down trappers for not putting up fur? Many drive autos and trucks thousands of miles each year and don't service their vehicles. Many raise livestock and poultry for food and have the animals commercially processed. Many deer hunters don't process their venison. The vast majority don't file their own taxes. Most don't represent themselves in court when and if needed. most farmers don't process their commodity production. The list can go on and on, but it seems that many define a "trapper" only by doing the whole nine yards and if we are going to continue this form of scorn on those that don't even fewer will set a trap and control wildlife. I bet a lot of commercial ADC trapper don't put up even a small portion of their catches.

Bryce

Not to mention it is a matter of minutes to skin and stretch a rat.

I knew a number of excellent long line mink trappers that caught a couple hundred mink a year and claimed they did better selling green than put up. They reasoned that the fur buyer was not grading the mink as hard since he could not see the imperfections, lice, blue skin, etc. Always talked about getting nose count average with no grading. Pretty sure the buyer was still grading and building in a certain percent of imperfections into that nose count average, but you couldn't tell them any different.

Bryce, I guess you just like to stir the pot, seems to me you missed the whole point of the original question !

Most ADC don't get to finish fur, here the ADC and DWR see that as a conflict of interest, meaning they may take unnecessary animals where not needed to for the money, don't know about other states to much though. All they take goes into the burners or buried. If caught finishing or giving away they can lose their jobs.

As to the rest of your examples, I don't care about all them others really, the question was about trappers, learned along time ago that there are people who will finish and then there are others who don't but always complain about the low price they receive. When trying to explain why to them they feel that they expend just as much effort and by bringing it in on carcass that shows they are much better at taking care of the pelt, regardless of the green bellies, or shot up mess they want top dollar for.

I don't think the scorn you talk about is for every one just those who think they are just as good as any other finisher, they are not, trapping has always and will continue to be about the total process in my view, you can give them a bye if you like !

As to all the other examples you give, most all of them have a service built up around their jobs or employment. Not so with Trappers, I don't hear of any Dentists saying they make their own tools, or Doctors practicing for free. Lawyers seem to be the only people who can make money either with a win or a loss !!

They are In it just for the killing. Finishing fur too much like work and no fun for them. Buyers of carcass fur make it easy for them to kill w no quilt attached because the dead animals become someone else's responsibility for proper utilization. These people will sell cheap for the most part just to continue their killing habit.

Seriously?

Yes, with few exceptions, seriously. Some hunters the same way. Kill and then wonder what to do with it all.

Exactly. I make a living killing 400 to 500 coyotes a year in Alabama and Texas. How in the world am i suppost to put up that worth less summer time fur?? Lots of people have decent fur we do not! 2 dollar coyotes? No thatnks. Some people claim = we are wasting the resource But how is it a resource if its worthless? Just because someone doesnt put up fur DOESNT automatically make them lazy or some kill for fun trapper. I have been trapping for 34 years and have never skinned and sold anything

I said with few exceptions. You steeltraps were at predator control "made a living" for animals that were worthless but needed culling.[b][/b]

Go back to the original question on Page 1 of this thread.

I was posting to this ^^^^^ remark. Im in Central ~West Texas on a 2 month coyote trapping job in sheep country. I have 1 bar service. Very slow So os my typing Crosspatch. So I was responding and had not seen the = With few Exceptions part. My bad. Carry on. LoL!!

I read all 6pages of this post. Went back and read Larrys o p. It seems to me this has been a good all around talk. Would like to put in my 2c.

First, I worked 25 years in the building trades and was laid off in winter. Trapping for me was a way to bring home a check. I remember we used to tell the boots to get good then get fast. At first I sold in the round, I learned that the buyer had a market for everything from all animals, carcass, hide, glands. It wasn't until I caught 14 coon about 4 total miles from my truck that I ever thought to skin in the field. After that it was natural progression to putting up the fur. Then came good first, fast second. I hung out and befriended my buyer and learned his ways. Now I wouldn't dream of not putting up my own fur.

Second. Fast forward 30 years I ranch. And in defense of farmers and ranchers how far do you take doing their own finishing. Plant, harvest, grind the crop, bake it into bread. Raise to fat, kill, butcher, wrap, the meats. I think we can all see this is not a reasonable expectation.

I think folks now days don't put up their own fur because it's not a necessity. Folks nowadays only know right now. Instant gratification. No hard work involved. It's not worth it to me at this very moment. I will do the fun exciting part let someone else do what I don't have to do. Just my two cents worth.

Never considered myself a “true” trapper, just something I was “voluntold” to do for someone after 35 years since I’d last set a trap and actually enjoy it. We used to skin and sell green as a kid and man we made some money. $18-25 for coons. Up to $35 for fox. And $65 for cats. And this was back in the late 70’s and real early 80’s.
After I started trapping as an adult I got with my childhood friend and we skinned everything out my first year. He was thinking about getting back into as well until he started looking for a buyer. Not sure when he found but $3 for coons and less than $15 or so for fox, cats, and coyotes, put a damper on his plans and mine for skinning anything else, lol. I told him to keep the money cause I was getting paid per critter anyways.
Basically not worth my time.

I know there are some that seem to kill for fun , but I don't know too many.
Only one time did I see someone kill just to kill .
There has always been a reason for me and most people I know of to kill anything .
Be it protecting live stock , or crops , garden or foundations of buildings .
Killed many groundhogs as a kid and most of my life because they clear cut bean fields , and cause dangerous holes in fields .
Try baling hay in a field full of groundhog holes .
10'S OF thousands of muskrats are trapped and thrown away in Europe / The Netherlands protecting the dikes .
But not one can be kept because of anti fur laws there .
With prices today a few put up their furs to tan and sell as finished furs .
I'll bet in Ohio alone 10's of thousands of coon are poisoned every year protecting corn patches , especially sweetcorn patches .
Let along cabbage family patches , bean fields and hay fields for groundhogs , and don't forget the damage deer permits where the deer for the most part are shot and dumped in a gully .
I honestly believe very few kill just for fun .

Amen. Folks often run their mouths until theyre in those shoes.
But then again, they probably reside in shacks or shanties.

Those that do put up fur can't figure out there may be a good reason beyond laziness not to put up fur. People, who put up fur for no good (what is your time worth) economic reason baffle me. We all get baffled.

I like to put up fur. But, I do what the buyers want! Right now. I am selling green. And I put the pencil to it, if they want it put up. It’s up to them!