Green or put up?....if you put up, why? Do you just enjoy the process? Saving your time and going for numbers and selling green would be more efficient? Your thoughts.....why do you or do you not put up your fur?

Enjoy it
More options when selling

Volume only matters when the value is there if I have the time I will put it up like said I enjoy putting up fur it’s getting to be a lost art. The 4H kids I taught were only interested in catching no interest to the art part of it sadly.

I’ll sell the odd wolf or beaver to taxidermists frozen whole, but other than that, all put up. I like to see my finished product. I want to be known for good put up, and to get good you gotta do it all. It’s a bit of work, but looking at a fox that used to be matted and full of huge burrs down to the skin and turning it into something I’ll bring to our AGM fur competition is rewarding. It’s like trying to sell a used car too. Clean it up a bit.
For the frozen whole animals, I don’t give any deals. I’ll sell them for what I think I’d get for it at auction, the skulls worth, castor, value of the carcass itself plus a bit more for the work & fuel involved. If they get upset at my price, they can go get one themselves, I don’t mind the work and it’s no skin off my back. There’s one local taxi that I’ll give some free bees, but she’ll also work with me and helps me out. I can’t wait until she’s done my first foothold wolf I got that she’s soft mounting, might even buy it back…..lol

Put up all my fur. Always have. I enjoy putting up fur as much as catching it.
Never new anyone to sell green frozen fur until groeny started making it more mainstream when buying.

I've done both, for coon... Buyer near me really only wanted green, the put up ones he thought I was trying to hide something...?

most of the put ups had to be shipped, which was both good and bad...the good? higher price on better fur, the bad?, big deductions on poorer goods...The greens were the same price nose count, depending on size...

The funny thing was at the end of the day, over several years, my average was about the same both ways....
On our crummy coons.

I'd say if you have good quality large goods, put them up, average crap...do green. YMMV...lol

I go for the numbers when the conditions are good, skin, freeze and put up later. It doesn't take long to put up coon, I enjoy the work and take pride in the finished product.

I put up all my fur. I enjoy the process, and if it's put up, I can store it in the garage until it's time to sell, instead of taking up space in a freezer.

Put up and handling of the pelt are just as much a part of trapping than catching the animal. It's the whole process, catching anyone can do, a real trapper takes pride in the put up.

I always liked to sell my coons skinned but not stretched so the buyer sees what he’s getting and pays me accordingly this also gives him the opportunity to put my coons up exactly like the ones he puts up of his own.

My thinking is if a buyer needs to guess the quality of color on a put up coon he’s not leaning in my favor most likely is my view. I hear a lot of “I know the color of a put up coon” often but I myself need to look them over so I think the buyer should have the same opportunity to do so too.

I've pretty much always been paid better for finished coon than green, especially on good quality coon. Color and quality of the leather gets more attention than the color of the fur.

Being a fur buyer by mail, I always ask to have the order shipped fleshed and dry, two reasons, first it lasts longer while the seller is going after more fur, I pay more for put up fur than taking a chance the pelt is just in cold storage where it might not be cold enough to prevent spoilage. Well third the post office doesn't have to worry about any storage either !

I also won't buy from some one again if they have said they know how to prep fur and then I receive it, only frozen and not fleshed or the fur has not been done correctly !

So far most who have sold to me thru the forum here have been very accommodating and their work is exceptional and I always appreciate that, not being a large buyer, but a consistent one I cannot afford to just throw money away with large lots of fur bought and find it only half done or a quarter of it wasted !

Back in the 70’s and 80’s - there were fur buyers everywhere. Most didnt want put up. Every kid had his only trapline, coon dogs running in every direction, Every trail had a trap in it. Buyers told me the prices made everyone a trapper but not a fur finisher. Buyers would rather put up the fur right, themselves - than all the folks who became mountain men over night.

Careful. I tols em the same thing once and they had a cow on me..lol

I enjoy the put up process. I feel like selling green is being a halfway trapper. Granted I realize some have limited time.

You are never going to get as much money on the grease as you will put up. I can assure you the trapper looses a lot of sizes on beaver, coon and rats when sold on the grease. A fur buyer can see more and know more about any animal put up then they can on the grease. The fur buyer doesn't mind fur on the grease, it is more money in his pocket. When they buy your 3-4X coon as xl or 2xl who is making out? Then he tells you he is only docking .50 per head to flesh and stretch.

100%

If someone doesn't have the time or desire to put up fur I wouldn't consider them any less of a trapper. Each to his own.

I put-up everything I catch

I enjoy it as much as the trapping

I enjoy putting up fur. I even did it as a side job some years. I take great pride in it and I like knowing that I took an item as far along the process as I am able.