What states out here have the best populations of the animals that we all trap?
Muskrat
Raccoon
Coyote
Fox
Mink
Marten
Beaver
Otter

Assume by "BEST" you mean "MOST"............Keep in Mind that populations/densities DO NOT always coincide with harvest data supplied by state wildlife agencies. Harvest data depends heavily on access to the quarry, legal methods of harvest (trap), dates and the adaptability of the animal (not to mention its positive or negative value to the state's perceived VALUE). I believe the southern states will come up on top of lot of those animals you listed simply because their K (Carrying Capacity) is so much higher than the northern ones. California might lead in one animal species and Texas in another but Iowa and Wisconsin may harvest more. Louisiana may have more mink for an example but more #'s are caught in Minnesota due to the animal's positive value. So its a pretty broad question to answer without a few guidelines and parameters to consider. ...............my experience. .............................the mike

Just to play along...

Muskrat - SD
Raccoon - IA
Coyote - KS
Fox - PA
Mink - MN
Marten - AK
Beaver - ? SE US
Otter - ? SE US

If you mean Quality.

Beaver- northeast USA

Otter- northeast USA

Yep. I'd agree with that. I was thinking in terms of quantity with a little bit of quality, and availability thrown in, at least on the first 4.

I think it was Gerald Schmitt who caught over a thousand mink in a season in MN.

I used to catch a few mink in my area of Mn. But I feel we don't have mink like we used to. We do have many more otter and have been told they are hard on mink. I don't know if that is true or not.?.?

I highly suggest to those who are interested in trapping mink or want to understand WHY you have a mink population and others don’t or vs why they have mink and you don’t, read this! During my 3 years trapping mink for Michigan State University on the Dioxin Project, I participated in using this scientific study in order to establish the mink population within the Saginaw Valley watershed. It was an eye-opening experience for me!
https://lutreola.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/habitat-suitability.pdf

Thanks Seldom! That’s awesome info right there.

What Marshcat said! A very interesting read.

Pretty much what Minkers knew. 2 years after a high water event (creating streambank brush piles) your mink catch goes up. Un-Scientific catch records, experience and trading ideas with trappers who harvest along the same areas mirrors the mink usage info in this study. In this case Mother nature improves the Cover item of Habitat. Extra litters are the result and increases in harvest #'s result. Mink get picked off by a lot of predators here in ag country. Put a black/dark shadow out in the surrounding corn/soybean field, in the winter, looking for a mouse, and they don't last long. Provide more cover along the stream and more survive. You might think abandoned beaver dens would help with natal dens/litter survival but doesn't seem to be as big a factor at the brush piles created in that flood. My experience. .................the mike.

Eastern PA/Southern NY/NJ/Maryland have very high fox populations but not the best quality.