Nice load BP.

Nice job mud those are some great looking otter.

Beaverpeeler nice stack! Some of those beaver look massive!

Luckily I set it up so the boat ramp was downstream or with that current would have had to make two trips.

We were up early , auction went well, average was $7 less per beaver than last spring. $6 more than last February.Only had three main buyers and only two of them bought most of the beaver. $51 was top I seen on beaver. All these prices are before commission. Pretty disappointed on $2 4x coon.

Thanks for sharing that NF. I wonder about the $6 difference in your XL’s? If it’s a felter market they should all get the same price no?

The small sizes really went well on the last FHA market. Mid to upper 20’s if I recall correctly. If it were me I’d consider shipping those smaller ones. Of course, it remains to be seen what happens come March with FHA prices.

I’m still bullish on the beaver market. Changed up lure yesterday to just the juice I milked out of 4-5 castors from yesterdays catch, with some moss to hold it.

Here is the result:



17 beaver, 1 otter, 1 coon. From 25 traps.

I like that efficiency BP! Someday I’d love to run a river line like that, but I don’t have much for rivers of significance around here. Happy trapping! ScottW

Good work there BP!

I'd like to have that kind of catch % down here. About 10% to 15% overall is about it for me...no matter how hard I try.

You guys would have a hay day over here. We have great populations wherever the cougars aren’t too thick. The river I’m trapping runs through agricultural land and has lots of cottonwood, willow and blackberries. All species that they thrive on.

Also I haven’t seen another trapper on about 45 miles of river I’ve been trapping on this season.

BP, nice catches. I don’t know why the difference in price between the two lots of 1x. I didn’t sort for color or primeness, just lotted for size.

Sounds like beaver paradise, and to have it to yourself……..that doesn’t happen here lol.
Since the beaver market took a jump, I don’t think there’s a mile of the Missouri River that hasn’t had a beaver trapper on.

Claycreek, that's pretty interesting. I used to share the river with other trappers back in the 80's but after the big bang of '87 I've mostly had it to myself. We have no buyers for green beaver out west so if you're catching beaver you gotta put 'em up out here. I think that will always be an impediment to prospective/new beaver trappers.

One other thing on my beaver trapping: I run my line doing two or three checks and then move on. This way I can trap the same stretches year after year and the population is in great shape. I learned long ago (when I first started getting good at it) that I can indeed set a population back if I over-trap an area. Did it a few times in some places and learned.

Was it the same buyer that bought each lot?

I can’t be sure, I was keeping track of final price.

That's the bidding game. All lots even though the same going for different prices. I've had inferior fur pay better sometimes with a little bidding war going on. Especially when it gets towards the end and a couple people haven't fulfilled their orders yet. That's why I like the Hinsdale auction. They do a great job at getting lots of bidders to drive up the price. Crafters can be your best friend when they see a lot they like

Good observations Turtle. I was given a little inside info. at the ITA sale after it happened and apparently there was a little bit of testosterone involved in the beaver bidding, with one buyer deciding that the Groenewold agent wasn't going to get anything. (At least I assume Groenewold, as I heard it was a back east buyer).

I believe Groenewold was buying under the Steele and Steele name the last couple years at ITA. I know it wasn't under Groenewold and if I remember correct that was the name. Most western sales are silent bid rather than live auction. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

There is a certain small craft buyer that I've always wanted to buy some of my stuff, but she never has. She just buys a few items, but whatever she wants she bids at least double what anybody else is bidding, so if she wants six fox she just bids on six fox knowing she will get them rather than bidding on a bunch hoping to get at least six at a good price.

I'm tuckered out. Put up 24 beavers today of which 80% were blankets and super blankets. Tomorrow more skinning.

Your a machine BP!!
That's a lot of fur to deal with in one day. You've got to have a grip like a gorilla on you. Lol

BP, way to go, pretty slow here, but I did receive news yesterday of stick in chest waders , maybe some fur soon. Put up one mink this week.