Shipping top quality fur to auction in strong fur markets will realize phenomenal prices.Timing is extremely important.
Like I said meet the market.

It takes time and work to develop alternative markets.Not everyone can do that for various reasons.

Hitting the timing right at auction on large volumes is like winning the lottery. Good way to lose your rear end when buying large volumes. Also, when contracted with a buyer then the fur has a home up front. No risk of market reduction when an agreement is made and funds are fronted. Markets change and generally the raw fur market is weak at this time. The auction can be a good outlet for trapper lots, and it’s good FHA is still in business.

I talked to one buyer that would prefer seeing lots of ten like beaver on the table than 50 in a pile.

You have typed pages of stuff saying southern beaver should not be mixed in with northern beaver. Now they do and it's fine? Let me guess you were joking and know they fit together. You seem to flip flop a lot on what you are saying.


He sounds like a crafter, or is buying for one. I would guess he does not have enough money to bid on a lot of 50 or no out let for a larger lot of mixed beaver. Is it worth your and everyone else time to make small lots and drag the sale on for how many extra hours? Is he going to buy five lots of ten and not buy any lots of fifty if there are no 10 beaver lots? There will be some small lots he can bid on. Not everyone there will have 50 beaver.

MJM,you are either confused or dont know the difference between section and grade.

Isn't section sometimes determined by grade? NAFA seemed to do that often with my southern pelts over the years.

And grade determined by quality of the fur?

Fur is sectioned before grading,east west north south etc by character of the pelt.
I think you are referring to the damage sections-sec 1 vs sec 3.
Often bad damaged fur are all lumped together.

If you want to know about fur grading and sectioning there is comprehensive chapter on it in your WFMC bible.
I aint going to type pages trying to explain it on here.

Where is this "bible" you speak of?

Chapter 53


I thought all professional trappers had the WFMC.
You can likely find one for sale on the internut somewhere.

Where do I get a copy of that "bible"?

Might find one on the internut for sale.

whats the acronym stand for? I can only find references to that in canadian forums but its not a good one.

This is an interesting document I found:

https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/aac-aafc/agrhist/A73-1362-1975-eng.pdf

Wild Furbearer Management and Conservation in North America.
Some of the sections on biology and marketing are being updated.

Amazon has one copy left for $280 US funds

Why not BOCO ?

You've made 44,956 posts & typed untold thousands of pages
trolling, mudraking, flaming, and turd stirring during your trapperman career.

What's a few more pages of typing to a trapper of your stature ?

w

Dont worry walleyed I will still keep contributing,a few lines at a time,heading for 50 000.Couldnt have done it writing chapters.I have a responsibility to keep all my followers on here engaged.
Hows the toe doing?

Just don't get mad and leave Tman....like some others have.

You and I are about as far apart as any Eastern trappers (miles-wise and terrain-wise.)

I enjoy the Canadian trapper's aspect and pics.

My toe is almost healed.

Might be putting it in a wader boot tomorrow !!!

Maybe try to get out to catch a beaver.

w

Your are the one that said that some of the southern beaver beaver fit in the northern section after crying that the southern guys were getting to much money for their beaver. I know the difference between sections and grade and am sure I have graded more fur then you have. You ever move fur to be graded with a fork lift? Grades and sections change all the time. Does your bible talk about that? What makes the grade or section today may not next week. When demand drops the grade tightens, trying to put some value in the lot. When it is booming they will throw anything in because it will sell. The auctions are famous for it. When the grade tightens so do the sections. There is not a set weight for a heavy beaver. What will make a heavy today will be a semi down the road.