Averages vs. Top price

We all trap for our own reasons. Some for fun, some for profit, some for a little of both. We're all trappers, in my opinion. Some better at it than others. Some have better fur in their region, or the opportunity to trap it when it's prime. LOTS of variables. Still, doesn't change a thing, in my opinion, we're all trappers. I'm interested in what numbers are important to you concerning your season. Is it your average, the top price paid for your fur, the number of critters you caught, some combination of all the above, or something else. Interested in hearing the experiences and outlooks of others. If we could keep any "criticism" directed into helpful advise, so that it's constructive, that'd be nice too.

For me, I'm interested in all of them. How many I'm catching, what the average is, and what did my best of a species bring. Then this season happened. I was ready. I mean like, really ready. Then the weather happened, and I couldn't do what I planned to do. I wasn't ready for that. And, I couldn't find them, they weren't there, their numbers dropped, and so did mine. Wasn't ready for that one either. I came home, about 3 weeks into the season, and told my wife, "I'm not gonna worry about it. I can't catch what I can't find, and I can't even get onto most properties to look. Situation outta my hands." I didn't like it though, just so ya know. I said that, but I wasn't exactly feeling it 24/7. I spent most of my season comparing myself, to myself. Looking at where I was 7 seasons ago. Big change. I catch stuff now, on purpose. I can follow a trapping conversation, and occasionally, I can add something to it. I didn't trap as many days this season, I didn't set as many traps, or trap on as many properties, didn't buy as much gas, lot of numbers come to play for me. Bills still come during trapping season, even though I'm not working much. I start forking out money chasing fur, I need to be able to sell that fur for a little bit. I can only afford so much "fun". This season, for me, I was just more effective than I've ever been. Not on just one thing, but a combination of things. A combination of things learned and experienced on the trap line. I know there's so much more to learn. Always, a way to improve myself, my average, my top price earned, and how many I caught! That trapping bug bit me bone deep, and there ain't no turning back!

this wasn't my best cfowler if that helps you any. not the first one I ever had where weather made things tough either

Over the years I’ve trapped for numbers and money. The older I get the more I slow down and think. I also want to learn more now compared to back when I knew it all:) I think I still spend to much time figuring on money spent (gas,supplies,etc). This was my toughest season since 1993. Probably caught 40% of what I normally do, but I cannot put into words what it means to me.

Top and average have little actual value except as for bragging rights. Average comes closer to being useful but it can be manipulated easier than top prices. I'm a median and mode kinda guy myself.

I look at percent clearance at spring auctions. I look at the amount of rain in May and June. Those are good indicators.

Actually one price I got for a marten stands out. A damage III marten that sold for $90. It almost ended up in the trash. It should have.I feel for the guy that ended up with that piece of crap.

Because of bad surgeries I hadn't set a trap for a couple years. This year I managed to catch several rats and three mink, what used to be a bad days catch was my season and I am thrilled. Some days every step hurts but at least I am still trying. I will do more next year, experience gives you perspective.

I like to try and set a goal number wise but it’s not the end of the world if it isn’t met. I just enjoy spending more time in the outdoors. I enjoy spending time with my trapping partner(my dad) whom I got into trapping for the first time in his life after joining me on the line a few years ago. Money is great but I would trap regardless of wether there was a pay day at the end. Also it feels good knowing that by taking out some of the predators we are helping the local small game critters

1st month is for fun, next 2 months are for money, last month is for fun again.

Normally I trap to get rich. When I'm not doing that I trap to pay the bills because when I get to do it it's because I'm not working. This year I had to work all winter and so far, except for a couple ride alongs, I've only trapped just this weekend for beaver and rats. Just glad I got to do something and I suppose the coyotes appreciate my absence a little too.

Like to see my average on each species and compare that to previous seasons. Well I don't like to watch my beaver averages seems the harder I work for them the less I get.

Me too Pawnee!

I wish they would put the mode on auction reports. Avg gets messed up when someone brings a bunch of junk.

Number one for me is keeping the line healthy by not undertrapping when prices are lower,and not overtrapping when prices are high.I trap more when the populations indicate that the resource will be wasted if numbers are not taken,and trap less when numbers indicate pressure on a declining population will harm the recovery.It has little to do with the price of fur for me,and more about protecting my investment in my traplines for future years.I tend to look at my resource long term.I strive to manage the total fur resource for maximum sustainable harvest over the long term.

Forest-that is exactly why sec 3 is not included in the avg of the fur wanted by the market.

If you're a gambler, or even just a wee bit, the top price is the "high" that keeps you coming back. The average (or mode/median for SNIPERBBB) probably aligns more if a person made any money or not, although I've seen pleny of $50-100 a pound walleye in this state.

What I like, besides seeing how my fur stacks up against other stuff from across North America, is that almost no one does it around here any more. Sort of ironic of SOuth Dakota, but my little corner has become very urban/ suburbanized (full disclosure, I grew up in a city, although its much larger now then when I was a kid, I chose/choose to do some trapping). I suspect that in bedroom town, that claims to have about 10,000 people, the number of active trappers can probably be counted on my hands and toes- I'm sure that I'm the only one in my neighbor bagging up critter carcasses for my trash hauler. I work in a place that has several hundred guys and I'm probably the only current trapper there (maybe I'd be surprised). There are far more who have trapped in the past but because of their work scehdules or their changing interest or even just their drive, almost no one is doing it. So I like being a contrarian in my area. Its something that I can't do sitting behind my desk, even if its checking some coon sets in a hoarder's farmstead 5 minutes from work. More than one masked bandit has met its end on my lunch break...

I think it's like a tangle ball of yarn, I can't untangle it enough to sort it out. But here are some points.

1. My first exposure to trapping was an ADC job I had for a professional company over a summer, for money.
2. A few years later I was living on a large farm and had a problem with skunks, coons getting under my house, so I trapped them...this quickly turned into fur trapping. Fun with the thought it might some day produce money.
3. For the next 10 years my trapping grew and expanded. I sold pelts and coon meat. Was able to cover the cost of running lines each year but always spent more on trapping stuff then I brought in, which didn't bother me, but definitely never made money.
4. The market crashed 5 years ago. I had been on active duty for 9 years and got out a year later. Moved yet again to a new place and started working for myself. Fur trapping for me stopped except on my family property. It was a combination of things.....eventually no time to get permissions, trap, etc due to working 100 hours a week for myself; not wanting to catch a bunch of fur and nothing to do with it; I feel even a hobby line should cover its operating expenses.
5. Interestingly, the town I moved to has no ADC trapper, and desperately needs one. Word got out I can trap and started getting all kinds of unsolicited ADC calls. I took the test and got an ADC license. I do only outside jobs have done beaver, skunk, possum and groundhog jobs. I charge a lot and get paid well for the jobs I do. I only do jobs that won't interfere with my regular job and so I turn most down. That said, already had the all equipment I use, so gas and the license fee is my only overhead, and I have made good money doing the ADC work. I enjoy it a little bit but not like fur trapping.

I am hoping to settle into life enough to run a good trapline again within the next few years. Maybe one where I am not concerned with covering the cost of running a line. Even in the best years nobody's getting rich in VA fur trapping.

Auction averages don't include damage/ section III.

Back when I was shipping a lot of fur up north I liked checking the auction average against what my average was. Because of my bigger beaver I usually averaged $2-3 more than the auction avg which always pleased me.

Kind of like looking at sporting statistics. Fun to look at the numbers.

One thing is for certain. You cannot compare trapping numbers or dollars from different regions. Regions do not need to cover large areas to be vastly different. Fur numbers can be vastly different when only separated by a few miles.

Many conditions dictate expenses when trapping. I have access to approximately 6,000 acres. I do not need to even start my truck to access it. I have access to 20,000 acres with about an 8 mile drive. Problem is it is all by foot only. I never see another trapper, and rarely another hunter for exactly that reason. Also fur numbers are as low as likely anywhere in the country.

Basically huge numbers for me would make many trappers scoff.

I used to live and trap for about 49 years where there were huge numbers of furbearers. Fairly short drive to get there. My numbers then makes my numbers now look ridiculous.

High prices for fur is great. Except it brings out everyone. Mostly the bad.

I have trapped since 1966. It is my passion. It has made me a better woodsman, then being only a hunter alone.

It is funny how my friends who hunt cannot see all the “sign” around them. Even for the animals they hunt. They turn to me for info on tracks they find. It is funny when they send me pics of opossum tracks wondering what strange animal made them. Met a guy recently who flat out told me there were no fisher in this area. I had another fellow who has hunted for 50+ years in this area. He had never heard of a fisher. Really???

Sorry I wasn’t entirely on the subject of this thread with my reply.

I like this. ^
After that I’m about percentages. Setting what counts. Trying new things
Money comes and goes and if it wasn’t a distant 3rd place in the lineup I’da quit long ago.

Thanks for the replies. Hope they keep coming. LOTS of variety among us. I thoroughly enjoy the rendezvous/conventions, banquets/benefit auctions, fur sales, sitting in a parking lot waiting on the groeny truck, all of it. Those events allow me to be social with those I have something in-common with, trapping, which is at the core of how many of us identify ourselves.

Some really good comments and in-sights, so again, thanks!

Why would I try to manage the weasel or mink population ( for example), ? I doubt my trapping them or not has little affect on their population.They are not a profitable fur resource here and likely will not be so in the future. It would be pointless.

Years ago a local fur dealer told me it was all about the average. Sure a few exceptionally high furs can bring the average up, but he didn't think such outliers were common enough to have much effect, and he didn't pay for #3s.
I really only cared about what my total was when expenses were deducted, no profit-not much fun.

On the NAFA though, they throw out the #3 from the average, but, do they also exclude the TopLot from the average?

Trevis, I think I remember that right, you are definitely one of those people who can see things from a different perspective. Always interesting to see what it will be. This one will make ya go, hmmm??? I'm curious now. I don't wanna throw out my top priced pelt and then figure my average. It doesn't look as good.

I don't think having the( top lot 1-20 pelts or so )in the average effects the sales average much.

When I look at the auctions at NAFA, I skip the sales reports and go through the catalogs. I look at the sections that my fur falls in and the size range(if talking coon) and see what they were doing. Then i can make some decisions as to where to sell next or what to go for next season assuming things holds(which doesnt always last).

They should include all in there average ,,, but I understand why they do not,,, in order to be fair apple to apple average it would need to be by region .
Because looking at coyote grades lately in the country for example the line between heavy and semi heavy is a blurry mess.
Good for the immediate year and (us the trapper) but not so good for market as a whole imo

In the boreal forest where I operate,the most valuable piece of real estate in the bush is the beaver pond.By managing the beaver at a healthy number you are benefitting all types of of other wildlife.

Being my first year of actually trapping I found my first experience rather informative. I am happy to brag (just a little ) that my five muskrats got into the high priced category. However I can not say fur trapping should ever be a final source of income. This god given green earth is a garden that must be cared and maintained. (I. Do believe our role is to be the gardeners. ) any who. We have a number of tools and resources at our disposal. The averages tell only what the ultimate demand of civilization is.