I saw in the Trapper mag a chart that says raccoon are prime until late March.

I’ve never examined or skinned a raccoon in March. Is the fur quality decent in early spring?

No

in minn. youll find alot of scratch neck and denning rub damage. some of the sows are beautiful if they didnt litter the year previous. averages will be low, even with fairly decent prices, which we dont have at this time. we used to trap them til mid march.

Can’t believe everything you read or see in a magazine. Might be a few exceptions here and there (Dakotas, Montana) but overall I think coons are done well before the end of March.

1 out a 100 may be ok, even if the fur “looks” good the skin side will show dark/black patches. No good for an animal that is sent to market fur side in.

The leather is white so yes the hide may still be prime but here in WI March coon are poorer then our early opening mid October coon, just in a different way. October too, early and no under fur. March rubbed, matted, broken up and in males they stink.

Bryce

Boars get really ugly by February if it's a normal winter. Rubs are the worst, but scratch backs are bad too. Fur buyer used to say no coon after mid Jan.

Yeah they don’t make it through end of January here. Grow a nice coat about December but it gets really ratty by then. Scratch necks, rubbed, and seems like pretty yellow on necks too.
Jim

Coon Duke, Dutch always called them "springy" and were downgraded after about mid January. Are you with me?

When I trapped for Delta Waterfowl I skinned coon through into May ever year. Even one in June. Not all them. I would guess in March I was skinning 65%. I would throw all the rubbed ones in a pile and sell them on the round to a buyer in town. I would get $5-6 for them. I kept the good coon and shipped them to NAFA and got $2 less on spring and fall/winter coon. I had two accounts so I knew what was what 100% The later in the spring it got the less of them I put up. I only did that split into two accounts on coon once. I sold any fur that was worth putting up. I shipped mink that were caught up into May too and never had one grade singed/ springy. The trick was to know what they would look like once put up.

Here by mid January they are mostly damaged and in this market worthless. Young of the year and barren females the exception. Depending on the year you might get a few decent ones in February. March is just too late. You are better off with a slate early coon that will survive tanning than a springer.I think den areas and populations may make certain areas fur quality last longer.Coonduke I doubt you have more than a month in late fall before your coon go south.

Even into February they get the red belly buyers hate and downgrade them

March coons are usually worthless, but so are december coons.

If you like half bald, a beautiful urine color, then yes, you will like the march coon here in ohio.