This auction, 2/3rd of mine were late spring after the last drop off. Avg $28usd, about 1/4 of them kits or smalls. This next one should be nice, all winter beauties! But finally got 4 young ones, at least they’re bigger now and good fur. I was starting to think they didn’t leave the lodge over winter. But they’re fighting to get out. Some action going on at an open spot near a dam were there’s 2 or 3 colonies, they’re getting ready for war…lol

Sold some spring beaver to Barnes Fur over the weekend. Price ranged from 42 dollars on 2x down to 8 dollars for smalls on finished beaver. Trevor told me a couple of the hat makers didn't renew their contracts and he was expecting a drop in beaver prices by fall. I seen on Hough Furs facebook page a couple weeks ago that they were dropping their green beaver price also

I sold 51 finished March beaver to Barnes a week ago.
$32 average.
He’s predicting a 1/4 to 1/3 drop in beaver prices before next season.

It'll be interesting...fashion driving demand...the urban hip-hop crowd is wearing beaver felted headwear and the costs for those styles is similar to cowboy hats. Urban Black males like to dress stylish and proper, harkening back to the urban men of decades past with their fedoras and the like. The question is, how many 2-5,000.00 hats does one buy? Also, rabbit has been used as a filler in the felting manufacturing, and felters had been getting product from the Ukraine as they have meat chicken farms like we have chicken farms. Now they have to use much more beaver just as demand for their product goes up, which means they have to pay more. Interesting times always.

If it drops a third, not sure how many guys will “go hard” for a 20 avg on put up beaver. I’d think production levels would fall off again. My numbers would certainly drop off.

No mud, you have to catch a third more beaver to make up for the drop!

Said the castor market is getting worse.

That should have made that Michigan turkey a little more affordable!

Nope lol. I’d catch enough to scratch the itch but re-focus my available time on the black rats for that market. There’s plenty of demand for em.

Yessir lol.
I’ve sold a lot of late season fur in conjunction with turkey hunts over the years!

I've been hearing RUMORS of 10 dollar mink and 10 dollar 'coon......

Sold 27 put up mink a month ago to Wiebke and averaged just over 10.00. Top of 15 for large males. Had app. half males, half females. Things are looking up.

I hope the mink go even higher. I shipped over 350 for the next auction.

How'd the ones out of the freezer look Tim?

A couple months ago, GFW in Ontario was advertising $50 all in, now they’re pretty tight lipped.

Interesting on how the June FHA auction will go on beaver. I would guess the June sale is for next fall orders?

Just heard that Yellowstone has a season 5 coming out...more cowboy hats...thought that we might sneak another decent beaver market season out.....

Just saw $40cad for castor in Ontario from GFW.

I was getting twice that last season Jake-its all supply etc driven-lots more beaver are being processed so the price goes down. Once this hatter market settles down in a couple of years the price will bounce back up.

approx $29/USD