Ok gang,,, what would be a reasonable average for finished raccoon for you guys?
This isn’t carcass coon,, i , like everyone else saw the uptick in raccoon… which is nice,, but how high is too high?
Imo, I would be happy with a 12 dollar average… I’m talking for my central Illinois semi heavy type.
I know we all really like prices as high as possible,, but the reality is that when we get those fur booms.. EVERYONE is a trapper or hunter..
we have the unfortunate side effects then… theft and unethical and illegal activities start.. which unfortunately makes its way to the media,,, and then the whole trapping community is shown in a bad light and fuels the anti trapping agenda.

12-15 dollar average you could make some money if you have the numbers

During the last mini-boomlet in 2012-2013
we had a NAFA average of $36.63 at one auction.

During the 1978-1979 season my coon averaged around
$40.00 at the Ontario Trapper's Association Auction in North Bay, Ontario.

walleyed would be satisfied with either of those averages today.

w

Early 2000 the rehabilitation center was relocating near a mountain vacation community.
Very healthy commodity

George “squeaky” Brady would pay 35 in the round

Ten bucks for me but I did it for six average this year

At $30-$40 a day for gas I would need to catch 4 coon a day @$10.00 average. Which is very doable. This year the coon population was off quite a bit. So catching 250-300 coon was not in the cards. I would feel good about a $15 average, you could show a profit with that.

If I could get $15 for carcass and $20 for finished I would hit them pretty hard. I'd still try to keep expenses low though.

50 seems like a nice round number for coon and 80 for beaver-that would be for sec 1 sundry owner pelts.

Nice term

And I bought a Ford f-100 4x4 for $4200 in 1975, and Volkswagons used to cost $1900. Those days are over. Semi heavy coons are now to cheap. XLG up clean from central Illinois $8-$10. Maybe with the demise of the fur ranches we could experience a brief wild fur boom? And that could be wishful thinking.

for 15 in carcass I would hit them hard

right now it needs to be within 100 yards of a barn

I think our sale this year, they averaged about $5-$6 put up... Im not a big fan of coon trapping honestly. Ill take them mostly at pocket sets for mink and rats but for me to target them Id have to get $15 anyway..

For $12 average I would be a coon trapper now.....jk

put up or carcass?

WI opens really early, many timjes around the middle of October. I doubt that 3rd week October coons from WI will average well for quite a while.

If the average for finished coons from my area would be $12-$14 from say early November to Christmas give or take a few weeks I would put more effort into harvesting them. There are still a lot of 2xl coons here in early November and our colors are average at best. My lots are usually 40% western and most of the rest are northcentrals so getting $12 will all those in would not be too bad. Better than $5 coyotes and $6 dollar mink but then all fur may gain some value. We have so much of our corn gone by November 1st that coon are not as concenrated as in some areas. More than half the corn around me is gone before October 1st.

Bryce

At $15 nose count XL and larger I can be in the black.

I lived through a couple of booms when there was good money to be made trapping, and my recollection is the unfortunate side effects have been greatly exagerated relative to the advantages of a decent market. Yes, there was more competition, some jealousy, and most every miss or pull out was suspected theft, but I'd do it all again, with handstands, for a $50 coon market.

Me too.

If your coon averaged $20 in 1980, you would have to get $75.32 average today to keep up with inflation. Think about that.

We were not asked if we would make money, we were asked what prices would increase our interest to harvest more. I have trapped for about 44 years and using my schedule C I don't have profits many years.

Bryce