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.