By Serge Lariviére
October is the last month before everyone starts heading out to the fields and woods to set traps and harvest furbearers. October is prime time for anticipation — permissions have been acquired, traps are treated and ready to roll, and most of us are thinking about trapping on a daily (hourly?) basis. The cold morning air reminds us that animals will soon prime up and yes, we are lucky to be able to experience yet another trapping season. I always like that just-before-preseason feeling, when in your mind at least, all the places you found and scouted will be top producers. We know from experience that reality may change that, but anticipation is definitely a sweet feeling.
Then November arrives — action time. Every night from now on is going to be busy. November is when anticipation finally turns into reality.
In the last two to three years, I have been asked more than ever before if I still plan to trap this fall, and my answer is always, “Of course, yes!” I am asked because I go to different trapper meetings to provide talks on the fur trade, market forecast, and recently I have a tough time finding the good news. I hate to be pessimistic — but as a scientist by trade — I have to call a spade a spade, and I have never sugar-coated the truth — at least not intentionally. So I will tell you this about the upcoming season and what prices to expect: Nothing has changed much since last year. Expect similar prices with two possible slight changes, coyotes may cool off a bit more (price likely to decline a little) and muskrats may move up a little bit.
Coyotes — they have kept us afloat since the fur market crash of 2014. Fur trim on parka hoods — an international fashion craze — swept the entire Northern Hemisphere and raised the price of coyote fur, especially the shorter-haired, whiter-bellied, paler-furred animals from the West. Western coyotes went up to more than $200 and even $300 for the very best skins, and averages of $100 or more were normal.
For a while — with top skins selling so high, the lesser quality goods sold very well also; Eastern coyotes, red coyotes, damaged coyotes, everyone bought coyotes at a fair price. Now the market is cooling off, and the only remaining survivors of the fashion craze are the Western coyotes. The market no longer craves the lesser goods, and for this reason, Eastern coyotes, red coyotes and Southern skins are rapidly returning to where they were naturally. Western coyotes still surf on a popularity wave — but that wave is becoming smaller, and for this reason, trap them hard if you have them, sell them as soon as you can. This item is a on definite downward slope and we expect that prices will keep sliding downward again next year.
Canada Goose, the company that started the parka hood trend worldwide, has made a corporate decision to move away from coyote fur, and although they are not alone in using coyote fur, they have made a statement and other companies are watching. We also hear that the anti-groups that put pressure on Canada Goose to abandon coyote fur are now targeting smaller companies that have kept coyote fur on their parka lines. It takes little pressure to move the corporate will sometimes, and the popularity and availability of coyote fur as trim on hoods is likely to slip downward every year. Catch them while they still bring good money and sell them yearly.
Muskrats went up in price last year, and this was a nice surprise. At $4 to $5 average, muskrats are fun to catch if you have them in abundance. In many areas, muskrats are much less abundant now than they were 20-30 years ago and some say the problem is pan-American. The regions vary greatly across U.S.A. and Canada, and some scientists believe agricultural practices (drainage, herbicides, pesticides) may play a role in the muskrat’s demise. Regardless, muskrats are definitely worth harvesting if you have them on your trapline. Sadly, wild mink females captured incidentally in muskrat traps are likely to bring less money than a normal prime muskrat.
The final good news is beaver castor glands, castoreum, still soar at record prices. Castor glands are the definite money item on a beaver (after the meat if you have a meat market). Handle them well and expect another year at $100 a pound or more for well-handled glands.
The list of tough items to market remain raccoons, beaver fur, red and gray foxes, fishers. My message for these species is always the same: Tough markets mean you must trap them when they are fully prime, delay your start at catching raccoons until the leather is white. Under tough market conditions, only the very best will sell, so avoid the temptation of abundant but unprime skins. Expect to sell the best at very moderate prices, most likely similar to those you saw last year. I have heard, seen or read of no trends for change for most of the species that struggled last year.
The Trapper’s Fur Market expert Serge Lariviére.
I will trap this year again, my 48th year on the trapline since I started at age 5 with my father. I am experimenting with new gear (new snares, new kill springs), trying new sets, taking more pictures, taking more friends with me, and yes, slowing down a little. But I will still be out there doing what I still love after almost 50 years, and finding things to focus on other than price. The real value of trapping in my life has always been more than just the money — and although I remember and sometimes think about how good it was in 2013 — I will still find great pleasure when I see the pointy tail of an otter in a bottom-edge set, a large flattail floating just below a beaver dam, or a nice cherry red fox killed humanely in a modern snare. And you can bet I will continue to slow down when I spot a well-beaten raccoon trail entering a cornfield!
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