No, last couple of years November and Feb. beaver, snared or bit all went together by size. I guess the way I said it could be interpreted the wrong way I meant. What I’m saying is I was hoping it’d be like last year again where it didn’t matter if it had bite or snare marks on it. I’ve been told I’m bad to use dangling participles.

Ok. Sorry I misunderstood.

It should be good to start but I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of season they're starting to buy beaver on the grade again..especially if those big buyers balk at the price they're having to pay.

The buyer will buy them by the grade but they will still sell them to the felt market by pound , but by buying the pelts on the grade, the buyer will increase their profit margin.

Our fur sale isn’t until March. We had 620 beaver there last year. I was banking on a thousand next March.

Buyer will only pay by grade if there is a finished market. Spring 2024 maybe but where?

I'm kind of laughing right now... these reports could be spot on, what the heck do I know? But in my years of experience anytime there is a price spike on something; country fur buyers fall all over themselves to promote the idea that it was a one time thing and now the market is assuredly leveling off.

Puts them in a better buyer's position no?

My thoughts exactly.
No worries,I ship to auction.
It wont surprize me if the flat skins are neglected since the end users found out what they actually got last year,lol
Shoving junk down the pipeline comes back to bite the producer.
The prices will still be good for the semis and hvys.

Did the felt only buyers not realize that fall & winter beaver are different? I thought they needed felt so bad they didn’t care?

If you end up being correct it won't affect many southern beaver trappers' wallets much. We are getting paid to kill the beavers. The pelts and castors are just extra $$. Sorta like them hats you make...

Yep kill em all summer here as nuisance.No double dipping though.Just wrapped up a late job today.Any caught in season as nuisance are skinned and sold by the council.
Not many nuisance calls in winter,lol.

For the beaver trapping I do I hope the castor market goes down so Paul keeps making back breaker, the lure is more valuable to me than a high castor price.

That was what some said about the coyote market a couple years ago. It was just those country buyers working together to buy our fur cheaper. Two years later 3/4s of the country buyers said they didn't want coyotes at any price.
Country buyers don't tighten the grade when they are making money. They buy more. When they start tightening the grade it is because they are having trouble selling and coming out. From what I have seen they tighten the grade when the price is dropping. The next thing that happens is the price drops.

You seem to not understand the reason value added products are made? No or very little money can be made from the actual pelt and castors and meat for that matter, but by making a product and selling that a beaver’s pelt can turn into $500 worth of product with very little labor and added material. Nobody here gets paid to kill beavers. No making products to sell = no beaver trapping.

So what are marten going for?
if anyone has a idea,

My guess. Same as last year if harvest stays low. It appears a marten is a marten so lower 48 seems better than the good stuff.

For what I shipped to the last auction my prices were - Top 85 cd on 2x-3x hvy/semi and 65 on 1x and 45 on lg,dont get any smaller than lg.The smalls and med seemed to be selling in the 30 - 35 range cd.
Overall avg $60+change.Avg is after deductions.

Price has been rising over the last couple years on my marten at each subsequent auction.I expect that to continue this coming year.

I averaged $60 last year as well and after speaking with the furbuyer he expects marten to increase again this year.

Boco averaged $ 60 plus Canadian dollars

Yes thats correct Dirt.I held back most of the 3x 2x.
Will trap marten this year to add to the 100 or so in the freezer.

Hip boots

Oh..I understand the value added products concept. Not really an option here.

But, we are obviously in two entirely different parts of this continent. What ya'll can make money off of...we cannot. Northern tier trappers have and will always enjoy better fur, better markets, longer lasting markets, etc. Most southern trappers have long since given up on the fur market. If it increases = great. If it bottoms out = no big deal.

We are on the same website talking trapping, but in seperate fur worlds. When the market for an item, such as beaver increases to the level that southern fur is bringing the same price as northern fur ya'll lose big time.