https://share.google/E7N5sCscEZnwWoA7v

Interesting article I saw today in an ag publication.

Interesting read. Thanks for sharing that.

Serious question here. They vacinated 90 percent of the ranch mink for covid because they could catch it and die, did covid have a role in the declining wild mink population?

Ask Eric Space that question. He is the Mink Man here.....jk

Interesting.Thanks for sharing

I find it interesting that Las Vegas is where the pelt sale is held. I'll bet that helps get the Chinese buyers there.

Covid was found in ranch mink in Denmark which was the leading country for ranch mink in the world and they pelted them all out or are in the process of doing so. So yes covid was a major factor in reducing the ranch mink numbers in Europe and the world.
WI has been the leading ranch mink state in the USA for a century or more. Lots of small farms with lots of cows and horses which provided for a lot of fur farm food. Also a lot of slaughtering and food processing waste.
Bryce

I think the question was/is if covid has had a role in the decline of wild mink numbers.

That’s been a theory of mine. Poor populations seem to follow the timeline of covid. I’ve certainly noticed less mink and with higher prices guys who haven’t trapped them for awhile I’m guessing will wonder where the mink are.Of course it could be cyclical and they will bounce back hopefully this coming season. Ranch mink are very prone to disease. Wild one simply because they basically are never crowded or densely populated not so much.

I would lean toward the drought cycle putting stress on wild water critters. Although anything can happen in the wild. Covid seems a stretch.

Recent collapse of the ranch mink sector is responsible for the biggest demand wild fur has seen in ages.

Wonder how long it takes for them to vamp back up and shove us once again towards oblivion.

Ages? Four dollars rats and ten dollars coon. 2012 muskrats were in the twelve dollar range and twelve dollars were worth a lot more than today. Sable prices maybe, I had heard that wild mink were being bought by people who thought they could be used as a replacement for higher price marten. I doubt we see a ramp up in ranch mink production in North America and with the governments in Europe not likely there. China I suppose could ramp up but have heard they have issues finding cheap enough feed sources in their ranches.

No,400 dollar marten and sables and 75 dollar mink (CAD of course) The increase was lockstep with the decline)
Commercial fur like coon and rats wont replace high fashon fur.

Not all coon or rats are commercial. High fashion would probably be limited to sable, some cats and heavy shearable beaver.

Been doing this for awhile and we had a major drought here in the late 80s and mink numbers didn’t not drop off like I’ve seen here the last six years or so. Think it’s definitely disease of some kind.

That could be but what triggers disease? The drought of the late 80s was a turning point for our local swamp (Horicon). The change was significant

The Dakotas may be a better scale example. Where huge declines followed drought. And a more classic example of natural cycles.

Then consider the correlation between predator and prey species.

Sometimes I feel it’s divine intervention as we trappers often luck out on high prices and populations. This round may be different which could help balance the situation.

My old trapping theme song going back to teenage years was from Hee Haw. " If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all" Both $200 marten years the marten population was in the toilet.

Poor management.