Ok gang,,, what would be a reasonable average for finished raccoon for you guys?
This isn’t carcass coon,, i , like everyone else saw the uptick in raccoon… which is nice,, but how high is too high?
Imo, I would be happy with a 12 dollar average… I’m talking for my central Illinois semi heavy type.
I know we all really like prices as high as possible,, but the reality is that when we get those fur booms.. EVERYONE is a trapper or hunter..
we have the unfortunate side effects then… theft and unethical and illegal activities start.. which unfortunately makes its way to the media,,, and then the whole trapping community is shown in a bad light and fuels the anti trapping agenda.

12-15 dollar average you could make some money if you have the numbers

During the last mini-boomlet in 2012-2013
we had a NAFA average of $36.63 at one auction.

During the 1978-1979 season my coon averaged around
$40.00 at the Ontario Trapper's Association Auction in North Bay, Ontario.

walleyed would be satisfied with either of those averages today.

w

Early 2000 the rehabilitation center was relocating near a mountain vacation community.
Very healthy commodity

George “squeaky” Brady would pay 35 in the round

Ten bucks for me but I did it for six average this year

At $30-$40 a day for gas I would need to catch 4 coon a day @$10.00 average. Which is very doable. This year the coon population was off quite a bit. So catching 250-300 coon was not in the cards. I would feel good about a $15 average, you could show a profit with that.

If I could get $15 for carcass and $20 for finished I would hit them pretty hard. I'd still try to keep expenses low though.

50 seems like a nice round number for coon and 80 for beaver-that would be for sec 1 sundry owner pelts.

Nice term

And I bought a Ford f-100 4x4 for $4200 in 1975, and Volkswagons used to cost $1900. Those days are over. Semi heavy coons are now to cheap. XLG up clean from central Illinois $8-$10. Maybe with the demise of the fur ranches we could experience a brief wild fur boom? And that could be wishful thinking.

for 15 in carcass I would hit them hard

right now it needs to be within 100 yards of a barn

I think our sale this year, they averaged about $5-$6 put up... Im not a big fan of coon trapping honestly. Ill take them mostly at pocket sets for mink and rats but for me to target them Id have to get $15 anyway..

For $12 average I would be a coon trapper now.....jk

put up or carcass?

WI opens really early, many timjes around the middle of October. I doubt that 3rd week October coons from WI will average well for quite a while.

If the average for finished coons from my area would be $12-$14 from say early November to Christmas give or take a few weeks I would put more effort into harvesting them. There are still a lot of 2xl coons here in early November and our colors are average at best. My lots are usually 40% western and most of the rest are northcentrals so getting $12 will all those in would not be too bad. Better than $5 coyotes and $6 dollar mink but then all fur may gain some value. We have so much of our corn gone by November 1st that coon are not as concenrated as in some areas. More than half the corn around me is gone before October 1st.

Bryce

At $15 nose count XL and larger I can be in the black.

I lived through a couple of booms when there was good money to be made trapping, and my recollection is the unfortunate side effects have been greatly exagerated relative to the advantages of a decent market. Yes, there was more competition, some jealousy, and most every miss or pull out was suspected theft, but I'd do it all again, with handstands, for a $50 coon market.

Me too.

If your coon averaged $20 in 1980, you would have to get $75.32 average today to keep up with inflation. Think about that.

We were not asked if we would make money, we were asked what prices would increase our interest to harvest more. I have trapped for about 44 years and using my schedule C I don't have profits many years.

Bryce

20 coon x 10 hours Trappin +5 fur shed= 20x15. 300-50 daily exp. 250/15hrs. $16.66. If you can maintain 20/day.

there was a reason I said 15 carcass

if I don't have to spend time putting them up 12 a head might even motivate me

I would rather whack them and stack them than skin, flesh and dry

your right time is the constant commodity and I do not have enough.

Interesting question. Not sure what it would take for me to put out a coon line these days. First of all I absolutely hate coon trapping but I've done it and could maybe convince myself to do it again at the right price. I can say that in some of those better years of the recent last couple of decades I recall around $10 did it for me but I cant see that doing it for me now lol. For clarification I mean that as a true all in average on a decent number coon season . It's a low price per critter but we dont have a great grade of coon with north centrals and plenty of less than desirable colors so I never saw the bigger averages. What we do have is solid numbers overall with low population spots scattered around. But to hit numbers also requires starting at a point before they are really at best fur quality so that impacts your average. Catching more works when there is a market for those marginal skins but my gut says the market doesnt really exist in that category at the moment. We are also cursed with some of the best coon (and many other critters) fur trapping coinciding during 2 weeks of November gun deer season which basically curtails all land activity and you have to pray that the ground isnt covered in snow come December so that you can make final numbers as far as coon are concerned.

With current price of gas and general vehicle wear, I doubt that I could convince myself to put in those long hours, roll that many miles on the odometer everyday and keep at it for 20 days straight with maybe another 10-15 day run after that for anything less than $15. And I dont really see that price happening on anything other than cherry picked goods in lower quantity numbers. In the old days switching to the water was the standard practice during gun season and if rat prices were good enough even staying after them instead of going back to coon. But I didnt see anything in recent market that makes me thinking chasing rats hard would be a good financial move either. Id be more inclined to chase mink and take incidental rats and coon in an improving market given that I enjoy them even if there is way less room for making any money. During deer season could maybe pay expenses and not deal with a truckload of nasty coon everyday

Yea I try not to especially when factor in the mink and red prices of that late 70s to very early 80's era.

The fact that a fur boom beaver may have sold for 25-30 dollars then and could be worth $60-$80 due to inflation today is not slowing down trapping beaver, so to me this just seems to be a mindset issue in the minds of some.
We just give more room for the large ADC firms to move in and take over removing animals. If a customer pays $200 for the removal of a couple animals he has solved and issue. He really does not care if those animals sell for $5 or $25 and he does not think about how much money will make or lose having his issue resolved.

Bryce

I know that feeling. I had it when coyotes were good a few years ago with people excited with $100 westerns. Sounded interesting until remembered dumb, easy to catch reds with higher populations at the same price 40 years prior. Awww the good ol days are gone forever

$12 average skinned and frozen I would pound them unmercifully. Easy to pile up big numbers in short order on the river line.

From talking to some of the older guys, it's a lot easier to catch say 100 coon today that it was to catch 100 coon back during the 70s. Just a lot more of them now . Same thing for beaver.

Coonman makes more than that greeting people at walmart.

I don't think you could get an offer on a coon around here.

Absolutely agree at least from around here. 100-150 coon was a huge season back then and if my memory is correct most of those collections werent all trapped. The first guy I remember consistently trapping in the 500 range by later in the 80s was almost unbelievable to me at the time. Now thats just scratching the surface. I do think the population was small back then; not sure exactly why. Also believe we've learned much more efficient coon taking methods than anything back then or at least that I knew back at end of the fur boom. With methods I knew back then I cant picture a guy could do 100 coon day even if the numbers had existed.

For finished coon, I'd need around a $25 average to consider another run. You guys must like to spend a crap load of cash for some exercise. A gym membership would be a whole lot cheaper than than trapping coon @ a $15 avg.

that's for sure true around here.. I remember having a hard time catching coon back when I was a kid and no beaver... Now beaver are everywhere and I have a harder time NOT catching coon than catching them these days

I hate coon until they hit a 17$ nose count...

I'd be good with a $12-15 average. But it really doesn't matter much because I'm gonna do it anyway. Been a coon trapper all my life and enjoy it too much to quit. Plentiful, easy to catch and easy to put up.

If you love coon trapping it's head to beat IA.

It would take $40 average for me to really trap and put up coons, even then I wouldn't go hard for them, probably a casual weekend thing.

I get $25

Coyotes and muskrats are my two favorite critters to chase.
I catch enough coon in my sets for those.
They hit 15 dollars or more ill chase them heard for a short time and take the cream then on to Coyotes cats.
If I was in IA, I'd be a coon trapper again for sure.
Even at 12 bucks 18 -20 coon a day and throw in some rats, and mink.
You'll show a profit.

Boomlet of 2011-2013 was awesome. Our PA fox season opened October 21st and I was rolling with numerous others at the start.
I sold 205 reds at NAFA averaged 47.00 Best fox brought 122.00 exceptionally dark, no frosty rumps, like most here in SE PA.
Male mink fetched near 40.00. Sold a top lot muskrat for 17.00.

Sure there was lots of folks chasing fur but there was a fun level of excitement in the air knowing good money was to be had.

In recent years, my thought process has been " how much fun can I afford". Today, there isn't enough financial return on any of my local species (unless I'm doing paid damage work) to justify any notable effort. I started trapping during the mid 70's and haven't missed a single season since that time. With that said, the true cost of running a production line is not practical unless you're trading recreation for financial gain. I travel to trap all over the United States and just consider my trips to be the same as a hunting or fishing trip. To those that have some of the "best of the best" available to them, consider yourself lucky. Most trappers aren't that fortunate. The cost of running a trapline and marketing your catch easily surpasses the financial return received in most parts of our country. That is unless you are trying to sell yourself on social media or to move traps, lures, videos or anything else trapping related.
Damage work or predator control is the reality for those who seriously look at the dollars and cents. I think we try to justify our activities in terms of dollars and cents, but for most of us, it's something that we do because it's who we are. No more... no less.

all I have try to do the last few years is enjoy what I do, if I can break even, I'm happy, 15-18 average on coon would be nice, 4 dollars on muskrats would be good,

$10-$12 coon put up would be sweet. I love to target them and beaver. I enjoy putting up fur and realize its not going to be profitable. When I retire soon I have 1000's of acres within 4 wheeler travel
and a lot of river that I plan to hit as hard as I can. Right now deer season interferes too much to trap as much as I'd like.

I imagine its relative to what each of us have to work with and what amount of money want to pocket at the end. I look at the guys stacking up beaver right now and primarily see pain and agony. To me beaver are fun for about two minutes as you set the first trap and make the first catch of ghe season. After that everything is hard hard work and gotta respect the guys that can run hard after them. Coon on the other hand--- I find zero fun about them. But from a money stand point they could motivate me as 1) there is nearly an endless supply and theres not much involved in catching them in big numbers and 2) access is super easy. No half mile walks into the swamp carrying stuff in and out. Doubt if I ever step more than 25 yards from the tail gate of truck on coon line. The remakes take a couple minutes max as the coon is already dead and all you do it prop the trap back up. Its all about burning as many miles as you can over as many days as possible.

Relative to what I have to work with, they can be the better money makers. After expenses you are way farther ahead on a week long coon line with lower $ averages here than trying to run a month after high dollar average beaver or coyotes that are in non-existent supply. Money wise the only competitor to them around me is when rat market is hot. But since there is not really any money left on the table at the moment for any of them, its as someone else stated---how much fun can I afford to have

Trapping from a 4 wheeler is much more cost efficient than trapping out of a full sized pickup.
I can run the old trails and logging roads all day with my old 300 4 trax and only burn a cup of gas.

In the 1980's a good coon was worth 25 to 30 dollars maybe a little more And I enjoyed that kind of pay off But the theives and unethical side of it often made me wonder it was worth the problems I was most successful at running a coon line when coons when coons where selling for about $15 to $18 average and the best coons I was catching would sell for maybe $15 to $20 more for the Jumbos with a really thick fur At !5 to !8 dollar averages I could catch and put up a number of good coon and have a nice amount in my fur check Throw in some fox mink and muskrat and I had a nice mixed bag of fur It was a lot of effort to make it happen But the result as a good fur check to go along with the satisfaction of a nice pay off .In truth when the best ones I am catching ae only paying about 10 each I just can not get to motivated to deal with them I live in an area that has a lot of coon but I rarely catch more than a handful of 4x 5x or 6x /jumbo coons and when the majority of my catch is 4 or 5 dollar average I am not all that willing to walk very far to catch them.

Coon generally help offset my gas costs while pursuing more fun animals to catch. I catch a bunch of them while trying to catch coyotes or cats so might as well use them. Most of my farmers want them managed anyway. Crazy how many fill back in over the year after season so I know it’s not really managing them just always get to trap a bunch good habitat brings em in.
The $6 skinned and not finished coon I sold this may sound low, but hey it was about double what I got the last two years so sort of a turn around there in local market ha ha. If nothing else it was way more fun than not getting to sell any during that Covid crap stretch. I’ll take 6 over 0 any day.
Jim

Combined with a meat market a $10 average would be fine. Now like I do today with trapping, I wouldn't travel no further than the distance it takes to use 2 gallons of gas per day and would walk the trapline instead of using an ATV.

Unfortunately, trappers today have lowered their standards. Fortunately, they will be dead soon like me.

I can tell, you have never run a successful coon line. I've had days where the truck bed had 40-50 coon in it. Not gonna happen on any wheeler I've ever been on. Lol

one of old trappers I've known use to take the back seat out of his small car and use that space and trunk for dead critter storage when running the line vs driving the truck. it was something to see and smell lol. but i also knew him to stop at skinner/buyer half way thru the day to unload even when running the truck. i do miss the memories but still cant enjoy coon trapping!

I think he asked what a "reasonable" price would be, wouldnt making more money be a reason for increasing interest?

Yep, but pumping iron for a bunch of grey bearded guys isn't nearly as much fun as checking traps. It's still a thrill walking up to a set where you know you have a catch. I don't envision squatting with a couple hundred lbs. on a bar interests most guys here anymore.

I hear gyms are filthy places with fecies all over everything.
I'll stick to the bush.

The Golden triangle days and a 55 dollar avg , were very common

A $15 dollar coon today is not really the same a a $15 dollar coon was worth in the days of .55 cent gas And a new truck to use as your trapping machine cost less than $7000.00 I trapped for more than 50 years Fur prices where all over the place as was always the case Right after the stock market crash in 1987 deciding who to sell your fur to was easy Because the number of fur buyers at that time was a very small number From the late 1990's on I had some years where I Had a good fur check In the end though I still was enjoying running a trapline Because it provided me a way to enjoy my life in a way That nothing else could

$25 average. The way coon prices are now, you already lost money as you leave your driveway. Of course, we don't have ROW trapping here. I have to walk a lot to catch many coon. It's all work.

If they go to 15 dollars put up im buying a boat load of no bs 1.5's and hitting the river. I saw enough sign out there beaver trapping that I think 1000 would be do able. I live 2 miles from the ramp and my 16 ft john boat with 25 4 stoke can go all day on 3 gallons.

Based on what I got for four road killed raccoon in 1980 ($38 average), adjusted for inflation, that would make a reasonable, average price for raccoon today of, $143.11 This is an actual calculation, not a guess.

BTW, the 37 muskrat averaged $8.12 in 1980, today that would be, $30.58 each.

Being able to trap the ROW makes a huge difference in numbers and the time spent catching them.