That varies widely IMO. There’s others with far more experience than me, but it will depend on age, time of year, and nature of the waterway. Where I go in Vermont, I trap every few years so the beaver are usually fully mature. Decent pods, but some of the isolated ponds you locate beavers, pods will be small, fur usually exceptional. In Nj, Pa and now here, the same held true.

But in my opinion, river beaver have better castor, lower quality fur. It seems to me, someplace beaver are frequently scent marking, those beavs have better, more full heavy castors. Whether their glands become hyper active or what, I can’t say. My heaviest castor this year was 10 oz and I had quite a few 6-8 0z. Again mostly mature beaver from up north and here.

Like the auction or not you need them to set the price.