The raccoon market

[cathryn]

whats your take on the market and how long do you think the high prices for raccoon fur will hold?

[FinsnFur]

Where you located and what are you getting now a Cathryn

[Coulter]

Its is really hard to say what the market will do at this point...I just hope the prices hold for another season.

Just remember a couple of years ago the international auctions were paying $9+ for muskrats. the year after everybody and there uncle was out trapping and the market got overloaded. the aftermath was a $2 or $3 rat if you were lucky. Supply and demand, I hope it doesn't happen with the coon this year

Steve

[Jimmie in Ky]

The problem with the coon market is where the majority of them go. Russia had a hard winter and that bolstered the late season market.  Gas prices and a hard winter shut down some of th longliners this winter. Numbers trapped were not that large. I think it would take the prices of the early eighties to get the trappers back out in full force again. I don't see them going that high again in my lifetime unless America wakes up and starts wearing fur again. Jimmie

[keekee]

I look for the coon prices to hold good threw at least the first half of next year. And allot of that may depend on the weather during the first part of the seasons. If the numbers are still down it should drive the price good threw the hole season. I have already heard that they should start high next fall, they sold about all they had and needed more.

I hope so we got a 7 day long line scheduled in Indy early this fall! 

Jimmy hit the nail on the head with what the winters are like over seas. And the gas prices here in the states hurt allot of trappers.


Brent

[cathryn]

Im in WV and tween me and Jerry we have 270 of them at NAFA waiting to be sold.
I hope the prices hold during the May sale.

i kinda hope after that they go back to normal but itll be too late for next season. everyone and their brother will be targetting coon next season. I hate to say it but i look for some problems to arise from the use of connis on land by inexperienced and irresponsible "trappers" who will set without thinking of the consequences..

those fair market trappers, imo, could really hurt our trapping rights overall. I hope and pray im wrong but i dont think so.

[cathryn]

we havent sold any yet but the previous sale in March at NAFA loked very promising and by then the catch was over so im hoping that the prices hold.

a good friend of mine who was there said that every buyer was just about bidding on the coon. thats what will drive the prices up, imo... demand........demand and more demand on a short years catch.