I’m not a big numbers guy but I keep it somewhat simple and though slim margins it can still be profitable. My whole line is inside 15 miles usually and I’ll have a lot of farms lined up in that loop.
Last year I averaged $6 a piece for green skinned coon. Didn’t start until after thanksgiving and everything I caught was big and prime. No water sets. My gas costs weren’t much on a shorter line like this, so I only needed a couple coon daily to cover gas then everything caught anfter the first two was to the good.
Ran a mix of DPs, 160s and 220s, and some footholds. Around here we have a very high coon population and you don’t have to go too far between coon families/groups territories to be into the next bunch. Gang set a good location hen go gang set the next spot. Run em daily.
Even when I am more focused on coyote or cat trapping I still run a lot of coon sets along the way because even though coon are cheap now they still easy to stack up and they more than cover my gas costs and then some. I don’t scrape and dry them in last few years since they have been getting enough skinned only that it hasn’t been worth the time or my back to scrape them. In higher price years yep I’ll put them up but in low price years when the difference between skinned and scraped and dried is only a buck or two then I just skin and freeze as I go.
I don’t claim to get rich at this by any stretch but it’s fun, it’s awesome fresh air and exercise, I get encouragement from landowners to get rid of their coon, and I have fun. To date I’ve never made a dime on any fish or game bird, so trapping is a plus there.
Consider selling parts too. Skulls have value, so do baculum. Sell parts and pelts, maximize your catch.
Jim
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is all you need to read.
