It’s your call as a trapper, make an educated guess and set your steel as you see fit. I don’t think it’ll be as long as the hatters were paying, but I’ll bet there will be one more decent auction for skunk. But ask me in 6 months, it’s only June. A lot can change before March 2026. It always pays to pay attention to the market, and helps having a friend close to the goings on.
A lot of trappers don’t follow crap about anything, the fur market or even regulation changes. Just wait until November/December when the ole “what’s a coyote pay now?” question pops up 3 times a week on FB….lol

What gets me is 100% sold we all have seen how some folks handle their furs new comers, short cut folks and so on so getting $80 average is almost unbelievable for 100% sold if you figure the odds of that is a stretch on any day. Must be more to it we are not being told.

Somebody needed skunks pretty bad. Same thing just in the rearview mirror about beaver felt.

The information I recently got was it was two buyers who don't like one another and we all know it rakes two to make an auction. My guess it was a flash in the pan and they need a few more skunks to fill the order. Hope I'm wrong but don't expect the rush to last long.

Even If they went to a $40.00 average it would be better then no value coyotes and $2.00 rats.

Every time a market heats up folks buying over pay for junk and the market adjust back to what the real demand is.

Ride the wave and see where it goes.

I've been selling skunks my whole life. They've always paid good money for easy handling in my opinion.
I never hold my fur over a year speculating and will sell all I get this year as usual. I don't have enough properties or skunks to run a hugh target line anyway. I'll enjoy higher than average prices if I get them. Or good prices all the same.
I just hope essence prices don't tank.But like castor I can see it lowering with a large harvest of Skunks. That's always been a steady by-product that pays well. I'm just not sure how many people will be extracting it.

The guys that have been working skunks over the years are prepared to deal with them so it’s no big deal for us do what we’ve been doing over the years. Markets have been developed during this time theres many options if the market goes up and down.

No doubt the guys we see getting into something then bailing the first time things get rough will do some harm but that’s just the way it is.

My guess is in one more year... trappers will say skunks stink!

Relationships will be tested that’s for sure.

The skunk and coon population in my area never recovered from the rabies outbreak. Hard pressed to get 10 skunks for the season.

Best advice I've seen in a long time.

Same here went from 100-125 a year to 25 if I’m lucky ours froze out a couple springs ago very slow coming back.

That’s what I figure, they’ve usually paid half decent $ for how easy the are. On Friday, I had local trapper tell me that at $100USD it still wasn’t worth it to start running a line. Told him that he might as well sell all his gear and shut er down……lol

Next season make sure you skin the feet.Always a demand for this type of skunk.It's possible that there is enough supply being marketed right now that there will not be as much demand.Also keep in mind a couple things.The average out the door price at FHA was higher than $80.If the market holds and you get a good offer early you probably should move them. Country buyers and Groenwold will know where the market is so pay attention to that.