It was pretty neat to see the prices of mink in yesterday’s auction. I’m in my 30’s, I don’t think I’ve seen mink prices even close to $50. I was happy as can be when I got $20 for my males this season.
What’s everyone’s thoughts on what these prices will do for a few things…
- next years season? Will the prices stay stable and will everyone be a mink trapper next year?
- what will these prices do for muskrat prices?
- are we at the end of the ranch mink era and will mink stay pretty profitable to the near future?

One thing that I firmly know about the wild fur trade over my 54 years as a trapper...you can count on nothing. Just like trapping, when it comes to the market you have to look for sign and try to interpret what it means. And then you metaphorically set your traps and then the river rises and you're put out of business.

Or war breaks out, the stock market crashes, fashion changes, or the Dalai llama tap dances all over your otter fantasies.




...that said, I'll be setting for mink next year!

I don’t think you’ll see it that high again next season, but I think prices will still be a fair bit higher than they have been the past few years

It seems like we see this with a new species every other year.

Last year it was skunks. They went from 80 something dollars last year to 30 something dollars this year.

A couple seasons ago it was hatter beaver. That fizzed out quick but has had a little resurgence.

You’ve got to keep your head down and trap what you’ve got and catch the boom when it comes. Hard to plan for it on these species specific mini-booms

The last time I saw a big jump in mink prices, (was 2003, maybe, or 2013?), I only had incidentals from my marten and otter lines. I think I had a top of $58.00, so next season got after them. Took 3 auctions to get rid of them all, with an average of less than $8.00. The ranch mink landscape was a lot different, then.

I had one in the same auction and what happened is a buyer was short a grade of domestic mink and it was close to the same colour of red, a usual grade of one that usually only went 50% of mink prices.
See what happens when they get buyers for marten and cats to a auction ......play money gets spent.

yup everyone will be hammering mink come next season and the demand will go down similar to when canada goose was paying 180 for eastern coyotes and everyone hammered coyotes and than they annouced that they where no longer buying fur and the skunks did similar last year but i think after covid and the flood of ranch mink that followed is where this demand came from as buyers than used up their supply of mink and most ranchers had gotten out at this point

When it gets down to it optimists are the only trappers left. Hardened optimists. Pessimists got winnowed out long ago.

Everyone? How many good mink trappers are left. How much of the country has good mink population? You are also seeing drought him a lot of the Midwest. The numbers of mink produced right now are so small dealers need to ban together to even have a decent order filled.Only trappers can find something bad about a good market while complaining about a bad market. LOL

2012 and 2013 were good mink prices. February 2013 wild mink hit $184 tops at NAFA, overall average was $30.57. I think I averaged around $45 that season. This FHA Auction beat that NAFA average. Back in the early 1980s, mink were worth about double this sale...... adjusted for inflation, they still have to move up a bit to create a new "good old days".....
Overall though, this FHA sale was a BIG move in the right direction on a lot of species!!! Record setting in some cases!!
Nice to see another good season for the loyal FHA shippers, and betting a few more trappers will try shipping after this auction!!

Otter will increase more.....it's coming as mink are a limited species...not every region in North America has any numbers. The inland deep South has none....but we have the otter.

Must be a sudden demand for that short dark brown fur.

High fur prices are good and bad. In my area if the prices get to high then we get a sudden rush of people that want to trap every where. Most of them are road trappers. Every water way that has a culvert under the road will be set by someone or even more than one person. A lot of competition and trap plus catch theft goes on the rise. Lately its been nice and quiet.

Yes - we used to have a lot of mink in the south. They are gone now. Lots of otters - they can usually escape the alligators

Lots of mink all over western Oregon but have not had any reason to target them...until now.

An overlooked key is supply and demand. Low supply of mink at this auction. We triple the supply and the selling price remains the same? Yeah right! Increase demand!

What killed mink trapping in WI was outlawing ROW trapping.

Tons of very high-quality, well-fed mink in Southeast Alaska. The coastlines and salmon streams are full of great dark mink. At today's prices, I could make bank trapping mink, not to mention marten.

You considering moving back now!!
Maybe just a trapping vacation???
It would pay for itself and still turn a good profit!

What? You can’t trap ROWs in WI?

Only reason I moved was a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Sold the skiff, airboat, all my Alaska trapping gear, house. Very sad, for me. Only consolation is the brand-new cabin Mike and I built is in good hands. He is enjoying it now, and hopefully for years to come. I do miss my line in The Bay terribly, though.
Stay safe, my friend, and may you have a great king season after this bumper trapping season!

What's ROW trapping??

Oh no ! Hate hearing that. Had no idea, bud. Quite the struggle.

Right-Of-Way, as in trapping road right of ways. Many States required a trapper to obtain permission from the property owner who owns the ground of the right of way. State uses the property to build a road on it but normally a private individual owns the ground under the road. Even the culvert or bridge within the ROW can be a bone of contention because the County most often owns it. So in Michigan the State uses the ground for a road but the ground is/can be owned by a private citizen and then the culvert/bridge that is on the private property and under the road is owned by the County!! LOL!

Mink prices this year will cause a lot more trappers tying up a lot of water. Trappers will need to start earlier next year securing permission from Farmers and Ranchers. Prices will Bring some guys out to trap that have not trapped in 12 years. A guy can carry and run a lot 1 1/2 Long springs 110’s and 120’s if they can keep the coons out of them.

Wasn’t it years ago that NickC was going into mink big time. Seems like he posted a photo of himself with the back of his pickup stacked with cases of Duke 1.5” but I don’t remember how he did with the mink?

One ol' timer who trapped a lot of mink back in the day says we don't have the mink due to no one trapping them. Seems backwards but he claims mink population does better under pressure. Since no one has been trapping them the numbers have dropped. Judging buy some of his old photos I would think he knows what he's talking about.

Truth

I'll be hampering like do good luck keeping raccoons out

Wonder what Gerald Schmitt's plans are . . ..

I hope so I have 8-10 doz 1 1/2coils i;d sell

ROW stands for “Right of Way” ditches are part of Road ROW , also powerline and pipeline ROW.. not private land

ROW is "right of way". basically road bridges

Decent male mink at the NJTA sale going on right now are $40.00 and up.