.....convention ...was wondering if Gary Groenwald mentioned beaver and what they are looking for this year? Hatters? Prices?
Thanks.

I was at the WTA Friday and sat in on Barnes Hide and Fur market report. Trevor said there is a lot of uncertainty in the hatter market. The market is full and he was still trying to figure out his price structure but was looking at a 25% decrease in price from last year. He thought castor would be 25 dollars a pound when someone asked but also said he still hadn't sold his last years castor. He did say he had a market for heavy winter beaver but I didn't hear a price

Did he give pricing on any other items like coon, muskrat, mink, coyote?

Thought Groenwold was suppose to be there today as well.

Top price for a Wisconsin coyote was 10 dollars and he said the market is poor. Muskrat price if I remember was 2 dollars to 2.50 on fall rats average and maybe a dollar more on the bigger runs of rats from the better areas but he can move rats. It's just that they are cheap. Coon market is starting to look up but prices depend on color and primeness and I didn't hear an exact price. But he said he can move coon but at a price. He thought the coon inventory was starting to dry up some and mentioned a speculator put 30000 coon on the last FHA sale trying to cash in on the latest increase in coon price. Mink he was still trying to figure out. He said FHA had good clearences but he still hadnt sold his last years mink.

I sat through Barnes yesterday and Groenwold today... not a lot of optimism, Coyotes a $5-$10 top, prime coon $5-$8, beaver hatter market is decreasing., Otter and Fisher stable and saleable.

Eagleye is that for green skinned hides or finished price?

Didn't take long for the beaver boom to go bust. Sounds like buyer's have no more idea what anything is worth than the trappers.

We've all seen major market shifts during the season and between auction dates- nothing new other than leveling expectations.
Depends on buyer as far as green vs fleshed & dried, Gronewold made a comment that he could flesh every coon caught in the United States based on his automated process, he said "old" guys (present company included) take pride in fur prep but no longer needed, he'd rather see you spend the time trapping than in the fur shed. He said the NY guys, tell him over and over again, thank you, thank you, thank you for buying green beaver or I wouldn't even trap (insert eye roll here).Trevor's routes are longer and based on weather- you might receive a slight premium for put-up fur, I think he mentioned $3 bucks additional on a coon $8 average would be finished, Beaver need to be frozen solid, folded in half.

Barnes stated he felt coons would be a tad better and that put up value was somewhat determined by size and grade. The bigger and better the coon the more value in put up.. Average of 2-4 dollars as labor for him is hard to find and not cheap. He does have a few Amish that board for him. The movement of the rat finishing from China to Cambodia and Thialand is one of the main reasons rats are slow to advance. China had the process down and rats are delicate and easy to damage in processing so the newer nations are in a learning curve yet. Rats look salable but still not a strong market. Korea is the best buyer for higher grade rats and they have found a specific weasel that fits their needs and that is slowing advance in the higher grade rats. Gary said all sizes of coon were salable but they all needed to be white leathered. There is still a lot of head scratching for me to figure out the transition from slate to white and when that is.
I don't know for sure if the hatter quotes are from the already decreased prices from the late auctions or if that is another reduction from those lower prices.
Bryce

I've moved to an apartment recently so my garage is my fur shed this year. Plus I'm 80 so mobility is less but still pretty good for my age. That being said, its muskrat, Mink and ermine trapping for me. Relatively easy to put up plus there's rat sign everywhere compared to last year. When I think of the labor putting up coon for $8+ it just doesn't pay. Like many old timers I like putting up everything I catch. Good luck this year.

Thanks for the responses

I am not hearing anything postive about the beaver market and or the castor market.

On a side note. Barnes Fur did say the deer hide market had improved. $7.00 for a frozen hide or $8.00 for a salted one were the prices he quoted. He didn't say anything about trading for gloves but I don't think anyone asked either.

Did gwf do a video at this about the fur market?

No I don't believe Gary made a video of his presentation.

Bryce