Pelt Prices
 

Does anyone know what pelt prices are going for in Colorado right now? Mainly just coyote and bobcat? I have a place that I can go set some live traps for bobcat, and just kinda curious about the coyote pelts.

Iv been thinking bout getting into trapping im curios
as well

I doubt you can make much with coyote. Maybe some of the other critters that have more demand.

I kinda figured the coyote wouldn't be worth a lot, but money is money. I'm also not sure how accurate it is, but I heard that bobcat hides were going for anywhere between 700-1200 for a good hide. Any truth to this?

Trapping in CO for profit in nearly impossible these days. The only legal traps are live traps. You cannot legally use leg holds, conis or snares. Haven't been able to in over 20 years. Way back then we had a spring bear hunt the bunny huggers hated and they got enough signatures to put it on the ballot. Since CO was being invaded by transplants from CA, the measure passed because 6 front range counties wanted it to and the rest the state couldn't outvote the IDIOTS. As a rider to the bear vote, the bunny huggers added on trapping for good measure. So, CO lost both at the same time.

Back when I was a kid growing up there I ran a good trapline for fox, coyote, bobcat and a few muskrats and coons out on the plains. We used to go to the high country for a couple of weeks during winter break from school and set snares for pine martin. We made some decent money. But live traps make it impossible to run enough traps to make it really worth your time.

I don't know what the going rate is for bobcat but I really doubt they are going for $700 or higher. When I sold fur bobcat went for about double or double and a half what good coyotes went for. I'm guessing $175 would be about max but I may be wrong. If you want to know the going rate, check out NAFA (North American Fur Auctions) since they are about the biggest fur buyers in the nation. Normally the results of last years averages will be posted.

Thanks Flags, I appreciate the info!

Get on the trapping forums for better feedback. I've seen bobcat prices pretty high, bu the prices are up and down like the stock market. You have to hit it just right.

Like you said. Money is money, and if you enjoy trapping. You might as well make some money.

The pelt's price will reflect the quality of the fur and the quality of the skinning job. A mountable bobcat pelt can go anywhere from $100-$500 (and highballing $700 though good luck finding a buyer), fully tanned, split and mountable with claws and pads still attached.

Coyotes are a bit lower, ranging from $60-$250. $60 quality usually has the legs cut off and is considered a wall hanger. Higher priced pelts are mountable.

It all depends on how its skinned, how well its skinned, what quality fur and what type of tan it has.

For the mangy coyotes we have in Colorado?

It all depends on what grade the fur is. I just saw an A grade CO coyote wall hanger up for sale for $150. Imagine if it was fully mountable?

ETA: Of course, auctions will sell for cheaper. Also if you sell it "green" or frozen, it will be cheaper. A lot of the money comes from the tanning cost. You gotta make your money back somehow if you intend to sell.

Well I'm not looking to try and get rich. I just like shooting coyotes and don't wanna waste the hides and when I took my new job the previous foreman who was a friend of mine left me with five live traps for bobcat and a few of his locations around the ranch. I live at about 8250 feet and we have a little better than average fur on critters, and plenty of coyotes. Since the fires last summer I have already noticed an increased movement of predators and would like to take advantage of that.

I live at 8000ft too, and have lots of coyote. Killing is easy. It's all that work getting the skins ready that I don't have time for.

eastern coyotes are 15 bucks each, western silkies bring pretty decent money, last year at the north American fur traders association fur auction top lot bobcats were from Idaho, the top 5 brought 1400.00 each. search nafta and see what prices were at the last auction, hell muskrats were bringing 14 bucks, that's up from 8 the year before.
RR

Heck we got enough muskrats around here I could make a killing...literally. As far as hide prep I'm not too concerned about the time. There isn't much else for me to do in the evening when it gets dark around here. Thanks for all the help and info. Definitely worth it for me to do the bobcats, and I doubt I mess with the yotes, probably shoot em and keep the hides for myself.

Prices are good. Best I've seen in a long time. Also you can use snares, body gripping, and foot holds in CO. Flags must have been mistaken when he stated that.

I'm not mistaken. You better check the following which is taken straight out of the regulations brochure:

Legal small-Game hunting methods: for fur bearers
1. Any rifle, handgun, shotgun, handheld bow or crossbow or live traps — limited to cage or box traps.

illegal small-game hunting methods: (Includes FURBEARERS)
1. The use of toxicants, drugs, explosives, stupefying substances or leghold traps, instant kill body-gripping design traps or snares to hunt,kill, capture, injure or harass wildlife are illegal, except with permits issued by CPW or the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/SiteColl.../smallgame.pdf

If you're going give advice, give proper advice so you don't get someone a citation. When they talk about permits, they aren't talking about a furbearers license, they are talking about special collection permits or problem animal control/government trappers and your average guy isn't going to get one of those. Colorado lost most of its trapping years ago. I know because I was there when it happened and had to sell my traps because I couldn't use them any more.

Interesting. I ran a couple of trap-lines in CO when I was a kid. When did all of that change? Part of the Cali-rado transformation?

About 20-25 years ago, when the invasion from the Land of the Looney started, a bunch of bunny huggers got all bent out of shape about the spring bear hunt. They ran a petition and got enough signatures to put the spring hunt on the ballot. They ran all kinds of B.S. ads about "orphaned" cubs starving. The DOW refused to get involved because it was politics and not science. Go figure that line of thought!

When it came to a vote, the 5 major front range counties where the LIBERAL IDIOTS from CA all settled trumped the rest the state and the bear hunt was outlawed. They had attached trapping to the bill as a rider so when we lost the spring bear hunt we lost the trapping as well. Anybody that thinks their right to hunt cannot be taken away by the public at the ballot box needs to take note. If it can happen in a major hunting state like CO, it can happen anywhere!

You've been warned!

Flags I guess the argument is how easy it is to get a permit then. I was able to get one the 3 years I lived there quite easily.

So Tobe I would just go to your nearest wildlife office and ask. Cause I really didn’t have a hard time getting one. There’s a misconception that only state trappers get these and that is dead wrong. Once you get the license you can use footholds, snares etc.

They just use this process to limit the numbers of trappers in the state I would think.

Do you really think native Coloradans aren't voting the same way? Don't be so naive. Lots of tree huggers were here before anybody else showed up.

Were you in CO when the vote was taken? I was. Right about the time that vote was taken was when the big demographic shift was happeneing due to the massive influx from the Pacific Coast. I'll agree there are plenty of native born Coloradans right now that would vote this way. But how many of them do you think are exactly one generation removed form CA and were brought up by the IDIOTS that screwed up my state? CA LIBERALs will raise CA LIBERALs in CO. Not hard to figure that out.

The long term residents didn't vote that B.S. in when it happened. It was the recent transplants. I saw the interviews on the news and I read the opinion pieces in the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post. From what you have posted previously, you were living in the Land of the Idiots back then and weren't in CO. I was. Big difference.

Bull!



.....

Whatever. This is one we'll never agree on.

After all, you're one of the invaders from CA and I'm one of the ones that got invaded. I was in the state when it happened and you weren't. I went to the demonstrations, I saw the interviews on TV and read the opinions in the papers of the day. Feel free to believe whatever you want, but I know what I saw and I really don't care if you agree or not. You may find it hard to believe, but the opinion of Pete really doesn't carry much weight with me.

Look at the Mt. Lion fiasco in CA. Are you really trying to tell me the same idiots that did that will not try to something similar when they move to a different state? Leopards don't change their spots and neither do CA LIBERALS. CA LIBERALS have overrun CO and many of them still have the CA mentality. You may not share that trait but you are only 1 out of the several million that moved to CO.

That explains why Mulley is full of bs he is from California. The land of the fruit and nuts.

You sure do a lot of things for someone in the service. I've actually hunting Colorado more than you.

I'm not from California peabrain. No surprise you get everything wrong.

Yeah, right now you probably are. But like you say, I'm in the service which means for the last 25 years I've been protecting all the rights you enjoy and I get back to Colorado when I can. When I can't, I either don't hunt because I miss the season due to deployment or I hunt where I'm stationed. By the way, you're welcome. Enjoy the freedoms that I and others like me provide you.

And, the whole bear hunt being voted out happened in 1992. My first tour of active duty ended in 1992 and I was in the reserves with the Navy Reserve unit in Denver until 1994 at which time I came back on active duty. So I was in CO full time watching the invasion from the west coast during that time. Where did you say you were? Oh, that's right you were in CA weren't you?

When you go to bed tonight in your own house and enjoy Christmas with your loved ones in a few days, remember that I'm writing this from the Middle East and I won't sleep in my own bed or get to spend Christmas with my wife. I make that sacrifice for people like you even though very few appreciate it.

I stand ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for you and your family. I wonder if you would ever have the courage to do the same for me. Somehow, I doubt it.

Merry Christmas anyways.

You assume I didn't do the same? Typical.

I'm done on this and other forums, so i'll say goodbye to you now.

I just can't handle the crap that's said on hunting forums. I was much happier hunting when I didn't own a computer.

My whole family is my dog. I'll just be happy with him hunting and fishing, and not deal with all the chest thumping that goes on in forums.

No need to respond. I won't be reading it.

Is that why everything you say is wrong Mulley.

Every forum, I post on 5 of them by the way, has a guy just like him.

They always have to be the expert, want to act like the big shot and try to make themselves superior to others. The way they hunt is always hardest. The place they live is always best. The weapon they use is the only one anyone should use. The game they hunt is better than the game you hunt. In short, they are little more than internet bullies.

He made a foolish comment and I rubbed his face in it. Rather than being a big boy, he runs off pouting. Like all bullies, he can't face someone head on and will cut and run when he finds himself on shaky ground.

Bye Bye Petey. :wave: Don't slip and fall as you run away with your tail between your legs.

in case anyone is still curious about fur prices, I sold 12 frozen in the round eastern plains coyotes a week ago and averaged $20. You can do a search for Petska Fur routes and see if a fur buyer has a route near your location.
A buddy of mine sold 4 cats last winter that were finished and the prices ranged from $150 for the smallest to $600 for his largest. Not bad money in anyones book. He has not caught a good cat yet this winter. He has caught 2 kittens that he released, so no idea what the prices on them is at.

fur prices are good prime and properly put up fur is in demand! expect good coyotes in the 70-80 dollar range fox to 70 martin 150 cats up to 1250. I heard rats up to to 20! I sent most of my fur to nafta.We have a fur sale here in blackfoot idaho on jan. 31 feb 1.Last year we had alot of 800-900 cats top was 1250.Id be skinning those dogs your selling in the round for 20.

Every year there is a big auction in Hugo, Colo around the first week of Feb. There are buyers and sellers for fur, antlers and skulls or Racks. DOW even sells confiscated critters there. Like Bears and Lion and racks. You can legally use leg holds on Private property with a permit from the Division. Coyotes have been doing surprisingly well the last few years. To get the best prices you will need to have the skins fleshed and stretched.There are also permits to hunt at night for cats and other preds. Lots of rules and they differ from unit to unit depending on Big Game hunting seasons and other factors. You will have to do a lot of research, but you can make some money while doing something you love to do. You will start to smell funny, so make sure your significant other is understanding!!!!!

Thanks for all the info! I had a good start to trapping season, but that slowed way down with the warmer weather that we have been getting. All I've caught in my live traps in the last month was a rabbit. That's ok though, there is always next year!