http://www.furharvesters.com/furforecast.htm

Wild Fur Market Forecast
2009/2010 Wild Fur Forecast


Sable/Marten
Last year we realized strong demand for sable; however, the market was softer with excellent clearances. Russia and China are showing the greatest interest and this will be the case this coming season. FHA`s collection is considered the finest to be found on this continent and we have led the market on this article for some time now. The bigger sizes are in the greatest demand with darker colours bringing a premium all, of which are used to supply the trim trade. Smaller sizes are the ones being used in full garments. Sable remains as the status symbol of luxury in the fur business and we expect to see improvement this season as Russia is now showing signs of improvement against the world financial crisis.


Lynx
Last year lynx prices took a big adjustment with demand and clearances strong on the clearer colors. FHA has received the highest prices consistently the past few years with our northern cats bringing a premium. Again it is the Russian market commanding this article and expect stronger levels once Russia recovers.

Lynx Cat
FHA held to strong price levels on all better color cats in the western sections. This article is very select with a small production of top end goods coming on the market each year. We have the best of last year’s cats still for sale and we are optimistic these will move at what we consider fair value as the season goes along. Once last year’s stock is sold the Russian market will be looking for better quality cats.

Fisher
This item took a big price hike a few years back with FHA realizing the highest averages. However the past two seasons have witnessed prices fall away on this luxury item. Again an article produced in relatively small quantities. We are expecting to see an improvement on this item as the season progresses.

Otter
As everyone knows the bottom fell out of the otter market a few years back as China stepped away. Since then it has been slowly climbing back with each passing year. Last season we witnessed improvement again with very strong clearances and customers doing well with their purchases. Expect the same starting this selling season with northern sections with the dominant darker colours realizing the stronger averages.

Beaver
This article was the most disappointing of all last season. As North American dressing companies continue to close, dressing alternatives create a huge problem. Last year’s sales went mainly to China and if China can solve the dressing and plucking issue that is causing the problem, this article will improve only then. Eastern beaver will receive the better prices as southern , heavy leathered sections will be difficult to market. Castor prices are however very good.


Wild Mink
Remains a big disappointment as competition is limited with a few Italian accounts showing interest. Price levels are expected to open at last season levels.

Muskrat
Fueled by strong demand coming from China, we expect muskrat to be one of the better items this year. Chinese buyers will see competition from Canadian and from the old eastern block countries and this will make for a healthy market for trappers who target this species.

Raccoon
Renewed interest in trimming items should help the heavier northern sections especially for the better colours. Semi heavy raccoon will need a strong turnaround in the Russian retail market in order to get supply back in line with demand. Despite the vastly reduced prices of last spring, unsold skins both raw and dressed still remain in the system. This backlog needs to be cleared up before favorable conditions return.

Red Fox
We expect demand will be greatest for better quality darker coloured foxes from heavy and semi-heavy eastern sections. Centrals are seeing interest but at reduced levels. Expect western section to move at last year’s levels.

Cross Fox
This item has been a strong performer the last few years and we expect good demand again this year for this unique pelt.

Grey Fox
Good demand at last season levels.

Coyote
Demand will be greatest for paler western heavies, better qualities from Eastern heavies sections will see decent demand. Semi heavy sections will continue to struggle. Low grades will likely again be of no value. We encourage trappers to be selective on what they skin.

Respectfully


Mark Downey
Chief Executive Officer
Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.

""Coyote
Demand will be greatest for paler western heavies, better qualities from Eastern heavies sections will see decent demand. Semi heavy sections will continue to struggle. Low grades will likely again be of no value. We encourage trappers to be selective on what they skin. ""


What the heck does that mean ?

That means " throw the crappy ones away"

I don't think I'd do business with an auction house that advocated wasting a natural resource.

It sounds like you are warned. Don't complain when you sale your coyotes.

I don't have any to worry about.

Good demand on Grey's? Hmm.. sounds like I sent mine to wrong auction house. Most of mine are still waiting to sell.

lol...I don't think they said to throw in a ditch.
If it has bad fur, then eat it or make mud-flaps out of it if you are that concerned...lol
FHA said "be selective on what you skin". Sounds like good business sence in a glutted market of low end goods.

Let me know if anyone starts making mud-flaps out of flat/damaged yote skins, cause there are a few truck stops near I-65 and I bet they would sell like pancakes to the over the road drivers

Sure I see where they're coming from. My point is that it isn't ethical to take an animal and not utilize it as best you can. FHA is implying that you shouldn't bother skinning a critter if his hair is less than optimum.

The market forecast is totally different than the one portrayed to me yesterday by Don Rumford, the Fur Sales Manager at FHA. I spoke with him yesterday, at length. Basically, no demand for coon, period. Only inquiries that they were receiving were for rats, said $3.00 was plenty, the future market very uncertain because NAFA made the mistake of selling them for $3.00 in May, which we both concurred, was a big mistake. Some demand for just the big beaver, cheap. None for the smaller stuff. Some interest in fox at 7-8 bucks. And that was it. Period.

Does that mean all those ADC coyote trappers who catch worthless coyotes in the summer are unethical?

Does it mean that because I hauled a whole bunch of coons to a landfill this past summer, which I caught at, on, or in other people's houses in June, July, and August under a nuisance wildlife control permit, I am unethical?

Guess i should just let these beaver's wash away all the roads around here and kill all the timber as well.

i'll probably skin all mine then throw them away. That makes it ethical don't it?
just messing with yall i couldn't help it, lol.
We are all trappers here, at least i think so.

Looks like coyotes are the new possums, should have killed every stinkin one of them when they showed up here fifteen years ago now it is too late.

Maybe what they ought to suggest is to not produce fur at all, it has been and continues to be a buyers market.

I don't have any problem with taking the critter. Throwing them away I think is wrong. If I had to throw them away, I wouldn't take them in the first place.

White17, when I took 12 coons out of one house this past summer, I threw every one of them unskinned into a landfill. Matter of fact, that is all I could legally do with them. And I no more felt bad about that than I would have felt about spraying the house for cockroaches. I rid the house of a nuisance.

That's fine. I said I wouldn't do it.

Relocation isn't allowed in Nebraska. Euthanasia is the only option. You'd rather those people lived with 12 coons in their attic and chimney? Made quite a mess, too. Very unhealthy.

Besides, I made more money on that one job than most people will make on their entire fur check this year.

I released a number of possums that were too small i.e. would,nt sell, on occasion I release greys that are too small and some females in mating season . I don,t have yotes yet they are approximately 15-40 miles away from me . Yotes left uncontrolled can really kill some prey and domestics . I have cousins 15-20 miles away could,nt figger out where there rabbits and peacocks and cats and dogs were getting off too they thought it might have been the wild dogs they were seeing now they hear them howling and yipping at night . I will probably be able to trap fox down that way now if I will just work on the yotes . I have one B'cat permission this year just like that. Hal Sullivan wrote a good article on this very thing awhile back sounded like a lot of wisdom to me. I will try to find the article in the next day or two . good luck on your line

Hate to throw away a fur bearer myself.Seems like such a waste.Conibeared a red fox today and it got into a fence.It wasn't intended for fox and he managed to damage his fur pretty good.Skinned him and tried to salvage something from him.Hate to kill a fox and waste him.They pretty rare around here.I wouldn't make a good adc trapper have always been more interested in the fur.That said nothing wrong with killing animals that are causing problems and tossing them.I just prefer skinning them when practical.