Selling Bobcat and Coyote Pelts

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CrossJ

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Question.....just what is the magic 'price' that would make YOU save fur? I hear this all the time....'they just aren't worth enough for me to waste my time'. My guess is that most who say this have never 'put up' fur in their lives, and its an excuse because they don't know how.
I personally put up all my fur. I have more bargaining power with finished hides than I do green, if for no other reason than I have the ability to walk away and not have to worry about spoilage. I do see Scotts point though in regards to the 'on the carcus' cats. Sadly, most of our cats here in OK are piss poor in quality. They are flat, have minimal spotting, with poor washed bellies. For this reason, the taxidermy market will bring the most money.

Every year there is speculation about fur prices.
No one really knows till the markets open.

I did not sell my 2010 furs due to being mid construction on my home. In 2009 I sold 63 finished coyotes for a $12.50 average. I sold 14 cats for a $73 average. It is not a fortune; it bought alot of fuel though.

Maintain
 

Tyson C.

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Question.....just what is the magic 'price' that would make YOU save fur? I hear this all the time....'they just aren't worth enough for me to waste my time'. My guess is that most who say this have never 'put up' fur in their lives, and its an excuse because they don't know how.
Maintain

o.k. i will have to admit you got me there :yelclap:. i would fall under that catagory. BUT my only flaw is that i don't do as good as some (by far), so my limited amount of time, and kills i guess make me say it is not worth it. now i do put in my time to make the hunt, its just not as many days as say a guy who can have more days off and he have less family/kid events etc... to me i think a guys "job" is what helps a lot on "getting time in". but for some one that can put out numbers like you had previously stated, then it would make sense to be more dedicated to getting more and more kills. my poor example/excuse is as i remember i looked at a site last year and the price was like $6 a coyote and bob cat was $40--$80. so in my small mind of math i hit the panic button and said "holly shat, i'm gonna have to kill a boat load to make me some dollars". so without really having a goal in mind of what i wanted to get overall $$$ wise, i guess i ran myself out. so for my limited kills and talking to some fur guys and looking at catalogs and my small arts and craft sideof me, i can apply the furs to these little projects and make more per square inch on a hide then i could selling them just as a hide.....mostly because i can't stack a greater number of kills in season/year (poor excuse, maybe, but its mine).

also i think one way to look at it is that people who skin and like it or take to it easly won't be so bothered by doing the work...practice makes perfect and you get quicker, so it seems "easier". you gotta start sometime. me i'm a noob. i had a guy do a few for me and he got to busy with a new family and job. so i want to learn, i don't mind it so far, but i am waiting on my chemicals to get in, so i can get elbow deep into and see if i really want to do this. :anyone:
 

jarhead983

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As Scott said, freezing the cats whole will be better for some here. There is not a lot of skill required for skin out a cat, but you need to be aware of your market. If the cat is not prime or has poor quality belly spots then your best bet is the taxidermy market. That requires a different method of skinning then the fur trade. If in doubt, leave it whole. If you freeze it, lay it out flat with the belly showing and the legs splayed out so the buyers can see the belly. Also, if helps if you cut a slit from under the lip to one of the eye sockets so you can easily affix the CITES tag.

I organize the fur auctions and somewhere I have the results for the last 6 or 7 yrs years. I will try to gather that info into a chart to show the trends. If you need more info on the auctions, just PM me or go to oktrapper.com as Scott previously indicated.

Our auctions this year will be in Chandler on Feb. 5th and Okmulgee on Mar. 5th.
 

okhunter

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CrossJ, I agree with most of what you're saying. Most people don't know how and have no desire to know how to put their fur up. I have been just as guilty some years of not putting mine up. I have some years stretched every hide I had taken. I usually base it on what the buyers want here in Oklahoma as far as the cats go, the buyers have always told me to bring them in whole and frozen. I have never seen a big difference in the price between stretched and on the carcass hides.last year I didn't put up any coyotes because I was told before hand they would not be buying any coyotes. You are right, people should make more of an effort to put up their fur. That includes me. Thanks for the insight and I hope you are having a great season.

Scott
 

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