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Saturday, September 7th, 2024

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Saturday, September 7th, 2024

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Kent Weil

Beavers, bobcats most active in sluggish fur trade

Unfortunately, things have not gone well in the fur trade in 2023. Prices on most items, while up from 2022 sales, started from such a low value that the increases don’t seem like much – with the exception of a few items like beaver or bobcats.
Ranch mink prices are what drive wild mink, raccoon, and muskrat prices. When ranch mink are doing poorly, these items suffer greatly. That’s what we are seeing now in the market – terrible prices on most ranch mink, except for a few of the more desirable mutations – the whites, pearls, palominos, etc.

Beavers, bobcats most active in sluggish fur trade Read More »

Beaver: Here’s how they go from a pelt to a Stetson

If you are a trapper and looking to put up numbers of desirable pelts, beaver appears to be the way to go in pretty much every section of the U.S.
Averages on the more commercial pelts have almost tripled from last year and some in the market expect prices next season to be even higher. Hats are driving this market so I thought readers might have some interest in how the process works – from trap to Stetson.

Beaver: Here’s how they go from a pelt to a Stetson Read More »

Fur Harvesters Auction in March featured mostly higher prices

The Fur Harvesters Auction (FHA), the only international auction outlet for most North American wild fur, held its first auction of the year March 20-22 in North Bay, Ontario.
Most items were up significantly over last year’s results although, for the most part, offerings were relatively small. One example of this was an offering of 35,000 raccoons. Ten years ago, between the now defunct NAFA and FHA, that offering was over 2 million.

Fur Harvesters Auction in March featured mostly higher prices Read More »

Illinois hunters, trappers tag most bobcats ever this past season

Illinois hunters and trappers had their best bobcat season ever. 
According to DNR Furbearer Biologist Stan McTaggart, preliminary tallies show that a total of 383 bobcat permits were filled for the 2022-23 season, which ran Nov. 10 through Feb. 15. It is the highest number ever tagged since bobcat hunting and trapping was reintroduced in 2016.
It also signaled a bounce-back of sorts.

Illinois hunters, trappers tag most bobcats ever this past season Read More »

‘Raccoon Raffle’ will be part of Illinois Trappers Association’s lone fur auction

Springfield — The Illinois Trappers Association (ITA) will hold a single fur sale in 2023. The sale will be held Feb. 18 at Krile Auction House on Route 32 in Strasburg. Doors will open at 7 a.m. and the sale will begin about 9 a.m. The ITA will be holding several raffles, including the traditional

‘Raccoon Raffle’ will be part of Illinois Trappers Association’s lone fur auction Read More »

Illinois bobcat harvest remains steady

Roughly halfway through the current bobcat season, harvest figures appeared to mirror previous Illinois seasons.
“While numbers can change by the minute, as of January 3 the current harvest was right at 128,” Stan McTaggart, head furbearer biologist for DNR, reported.
Those numbers are slightly above last year and about level with 2019. The numbers are also slightly below the 2018 and 2020 numbers at the same point in the season.

Illinois bobcat harvest remains steady Read More »

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