Just curious what the % of trappers in Minnesota put up your own beaver? Are there still a lot of carcass buyers in your state?

Just Trapper Les.

Chris

Kay Bachman used to put up everyones beaver there.

I try to put up all mine, but sometimes I sell them skin and frozen.

I sell mine green - I have back issues that cannot tolerate fleshing the darn things. There is a good buyer just down the road from me (Matt Carlson) in Jacobson who buys thousands of beaver in the round each spring.

Many buyers in the state are buying carcass beaver right now.

Typically I put up all of mine but this Spring I just sold them on the carcass. Matt it only 10 minutes away and my garage is no longer really set up for putting up fur.

I put up my fall caught beaver during the winter (to a point). Spring beaver get sold green.

The dog gets a good percentage of the meat. Cheaper and a lot better for them that dog food.

I once tried do sell the carcasses (was too much of a hassle around here). Had the warden (who is now a friend) contact me as his "superior" (She) said it was illegal and to go after me... Even though its clearly written in the regs that you can sell beaver. Figures. Welcome to the govt's way of promoting the incompetent.

So how many beaver are being caught per year in Minnesota? Oregon used to see harvests of around 10,000 but in the last couple of years it is down around 10% of that. No carcass buyers in our state that I know of. Not one.

Always have skinned and finished my beaver. Put up for others and bought carcasses for years when we ran our fox farm.

One year I did sell about 100 beaver on the carcass to Sundrud Furs when he was still buying. Ran a long line in the valley and just couldn’t keep up with the running and skinning.

So how are carcass beaver prices right now?

They must be higher than finished skins only because they are buying the skins the castors and the meat.
So a skin alone not put up worth $30 would need to add $6 or so avg for the castor and $10 for the meat.That would put a carcass beaver value avg at $45.

Heading out to the shed to skin a few beaver and rats.
Been selling tanned rats lately for $35 ea.

That's a great a great price you're getting Boco. Strike while the iron is hot

I do. I like the meat. I caught 51 in 10 days of trapping. Enough for me. I could trap more but then I would have to sell carcass. Leave plenty of seed for other trappers and next year.

That is a nice haul for 10 days. Congrats!

Not a big market by any means,but local people who are looking for tanned fur buy for making hats,or order hats.

Yes,very good.
5 a day is about perfect if you are putting up your own beaver,can run the line and have plenty of time for skinning on the line or after supper.

Minus the cost of skinning and fleshing unless you work for free.

We used to bring a beaver along to the Big Island Rondy just for Foxy Lady (Kay) to clean skin as a demo. Quite the gal. I always enjoyed listening to her stories. Pics from 2015.