What has caused the price of skunk hides to soar?? I can remember .35 when a good coon was $20..

Craft market.

Xxx3^^^^

Limited quantity of quality pelts available. Nice white long thick stripes is what the craft market wants. Short stripes, no stripes, yellow stripes - less desirable and worth less money. Properly put up tails - boned out, fleshed, tacked open - are very important.

You would think that with current pelt prices plus the value of the essence that more trappers will be putting up skunks this season.

How much are well striped skunks going for?

Keith

At the past fur auction here in Maine skunks brought more then muskrats,mink,and coons

So at least $3??!!?

$8 if I remember right here in Maine

In the 20's at our sale last year, all that I've caught have that wide white stripe Nancy refers to

You would think that with current pelt prices plus the value of the essence that more trappers will be putting up skunks this season.

They WOULD if they didn't have to live in civilization with a woman, lol.

Never been many if any where ive trapped in the state but caught the prettiest one ive ever caught last month doing some coon work, biggest as well. He was in a williams cage trap so i gently rolled it over so the door would come open and he could release his self.

Fur Market Report in FFG says:
Skunks with long white stripes will bring up to $20 and those with feet another 50%.

Moscow Hide & Fur advertised earlier this year that they were looking for spotted skunks w/ feet on and would pay $40

Last year's auction I sold at. Did a few with feet and only brought a couple more dollars per pelt. Not doing with feet this year.

Average $18.42
Low $5
High $27

Did you put them up fur side in or out

I've always advertised here in the past for nice wide striped skunks starting at $50.00, hardly any one was interested, bought only two a couple of years ago, and both were not taken care of very well and the stripes fell off during tanning !!

Yes I know the price one pays for not buying in person, however have never had that problem here with dogs, cats, fishers otters and others, and have paid less for many of them as well !!

I think that people just don't want to bother with them at all, and just walk away without even trying because of the smell and dealing with it for so long while working them over and put up.

However then wonder why and how others can get such high prices out of them, yes the craft market and taxidermy trades pay well, they don't buy a hundred at once but what they do pay for if put up well and taken care of can't usually be beat !!

Are you wanting skinned for taxidermy or no?

There are orders today, for JUMBO size, well furred skunks with wide white stripes, like North Dakota and Manitoba skunks, some of which are giants, from hat makers $50 per skunk. Early, smaller sections of skunks if winter furred with feet will find a good market, albeit lesser price.

Fur in

In my opinion, skunks should always be put up cased fur in, especially for the craft trade. It is important to see leather damage and how well fleshed the pelt is. Length of stripes and coloration of stripes can be seen on the leather side.

And my personal preference is the smallest window possible on the belly.

I bet most trappers in my area dont skin skunks,they just toss em on the baitpile.
They are not real plentiful here and they are on the small side,with narrow or partial stripes
I skin any I catch incidental in mink sets,I can easily sell tanned skunks and they are easy to put up and they tan up nicely if de greased properly.
The older trappers never skinned them here,since there were much more valuable furs available back then.
I remember when a lot of trappes never skinned a weasel either,and some here still dont.Funny thing they skin a 2 dollar muskrat and toss a 5 dollar weasel,lol