need some advice. i am brand new to trapping. going to set traps next week. I have been watching you tube and all the trappers on you tube. I don't have any fur handling equipment and i don't want to catch an animal and just discard it like it was trash. What options do i have to save the fur and possibly earn a little money from the fur caught?

The next step is skinning and drying the fur. I have no doubt U-Tube has all manner of videos on those subjects. What animals are you trying to catch?

coyote, racoon, skunk, and a bobcat

You only need a spot to hang your catch and skin. After they are skinned you can roll them up fur side out and toss in a freezer until you can get next to some fur handling training, either in person with an experienced trapper or with the assistance of YouTube videos. Contact your state's trapper's association and ask if there are any trappers in your area who would be willing to help you with putting up fur. Most trappers are willing to help a new guy develop some fur handling skill. Your state association may sponsor some fur auctions where they may have fur handling demos. Your state trapper's association will be a lot of help to you as a new trapper.

Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated.

Your buyer might also by your fur just skinned and frozen (green). A sharp knife and a freezer would be all that is needed to start. My first step would be to talk to whoever I was going to sell my fur to and see what their thoughts were.

There is some great advice given. Get yourself a grambrel and start skinning! With the price of southern fur it isn't worth the time putting it up. Freeze it and sell it green. I tell my students that this is the time to get in practice, when the fur prices are down. Once you get yourself a fleshing beam and all the other goodies, practice, practice, practice. Coons are worth nothing down here so I tell students to practice putting them up. Learn everything you can now so when prices do go up in the future you will be ready. Make the mistakes now.

If you want to make a "little" money look into the meat market. If legal in your state I would really consider it. I make more off of selling meat than I do fur right now. Build a reputation of selling good clean carcasses and you will have more business than critters you can skin.

Thanks all for the advice/help. will do my best to follow through

NTA Trapping Handbook

I found this very helpful

Check out Coon Creek Outfitters on YouTube. His videos were the most helpful for me.

I am skinning and freezing the pelts flat in hopes to sell to a buyer coming through in May.

X2 on Coon Creek Outdoors

Welcome to the club!
If you start selling green, you’ll probably never learn to put up your fur to see a better profit. It’ll be too easy to just dump the fur off with someone else. When you start fleshing, don’t get discouraged. You will nick fur, no big deal just keep at it. Don’t be afraid to try different methods and knives, it won’t take long and you’ll own a bunch of em….lol. At first, I tried fleshing beaver over a beam with a good fleshing knife and tossed it to the side for 3 years. I had much easier and cleaner job when fleshing over my leg. A lot of YouTubers only upload “perfect” videos. The best fur trappers in the world still make little mistakes here and there.
Here’s a bunch of info on the FHA auction and how to handle fur after the catch.
https://www.furharvesters.com/pelthandling.html
This is how the international auction wants their fur, the smaller buyers might want them put up differently.
Good luck bud!

Don't get in a hurry, with practice comes speed. Commit the time and energy to learn, always brush out your fur before skinning, after too. I enjoy putting up fur as much as trapping, Coon Creek does a nice job with his videos for sure.

Some coyote and racoon have no value. Need to talk to someone with experience so you know what to process and what not.

If you’re new to trapping, find your state’s trapping association, contact them, and post your questions to them. They may have training/meetings in your area where you can connect with a mentor.

Kiddo, you need the kind of help going one-on-one with an experienced person can provide. They can show you sets, how to skin and flesh, how to stretch and market. Nothing beats seeing and feeling the fur. Nothing is a stronger incentive either. Coon Creek Outdoors does an excellent job ‘in the furshed’ but being present when it’s actually done, well, there’s nothing better.

GFW runs routes in Missouri they will be coming toward the end of March again. We are in the learning phase of putting up fur. my son did his first fox this week. He has muskrats down pretty godd. We have only done one raccoon so far and lets just say we need more practice. But his last raccoons he sold 16-$6, 53-$3, 11-$1 so he is wanting to try and out them up because if he messes a few up he isnt out much and hopefully he will have it down so when the market rebounds he will be good to go. He has a pretty good list of supplies for the FTA convention. It is in Macon this year and is well worth attending just for the demos

My suggestion also is to join your states trapper Association and then find out if there is a member in your area that is willing to give you a hand , then you will get a better idea of what works and what doesn't .

A local fur buyer is helpful if you can catch up to one this is still a busy time of year for them .
I'd figure out some help for the skinning , fleshing and put up before you get to many traps set out just in case .

I wish you well trapping can be very addictive and you may even make a few dollars doing it and it's a great way to get out of the house and get some exercise .