How much is a pelt worth?

azcoyotehunter

azcoyotehunter

New member
I keep seeing posts for people that only shoot coyote's during the winter when the coats are good, or are worried about damaging the hide with the wrong caliber.

So are people selling the coyote pelts? What's with the worry about the hide damage, I typically shoot a coyote, flip it over to the non-bloody side. Take a photo and move on to the next stand. Am I the only one?
 
It might not be as much fun and certainly not as much work, but you will definitely make more money working at mickey D's than hunting and marketing coyote hides.

Jack
 
If you want to make money on pelts then get into trapping. Calling and shooting isn't very cost effective. Folks that harvest with a rifle usually use the 17 Remington for minimal pelt damage.

Most folks that call and shoot, though they may harvest a few hides, usually don't do it for any kind of monetary gain. They may make some of the cost of their shooting and travel, but thats about it in my experience.

using any rifle much bigger than the 27 Remington or 204 Ruger usually makes for pretty good exit holes and that really drives the price of pelts down and yes the harvest season is only in the winter when furs are in their prime.
 
This is MY OPINION and does not effect my opinion of others.

I can not justify for myself killing animals just for the excitement of killing. To not make use of them is a waste. I don't kill any birds that won't get eaten and if I start to get too many in the freezer I cut my personal daily limit to what will sustain my consumption. Since I moved to WA and remairied we don't consume enough venison to warrent hunting deer, so my only big game huning is back in WI where the meat will get divied up among my family and I have just enough to use for personel use. I do enjoy the challenge of finding a large buck to harvest but not if it isn't going to be eaten by myself and relatives that use the meat.

This continues on to my fur hunting, if I'm not going to use the product of my hunting then FOR ME there is no reason to kill something. Selling the furs or haveing them tanned to make something out of make predator hunting acceptable for me.

These values have come from many years of very succesful hunting and fishing many of them as way of life, subsisting on the fruits on the hunt.


AWS
 
Well said,,,AWS...

To each his own, but the older I get the less sence killing for the sake of killing makes.
ADC is another story, but I doubt that is the case with the majority of members of this board.

Later
 
agree 100% with AWS. As for the pelt value... not much. we averaged $17 last year for skinned out pelts. The western silver bellies are worth considerably more. I dont hunt only in winter because I want to get rich, I hunt only when fur is prime as a personal choice because I do not wish to kill for no reason. I was raised by my grandfather who taught me never to shoot something I will not use. I do not hold it against those that do, but it is against my own personal values for me to do so.

With that said, there are exceptions. I killed a coon this summer and tossed it because it was killing my chickens. I've trapped coyotes with an adc license that were killing sheep, and they weren't yet prime. If it is a matter of depredation, I will kill unprime fur. But as for killing for sport, i'll shoot tin cans and targets in the spring and summer and wait till fall and winter to shoot coyotes. Gives me something to look forward to, waiting for the time to start hunting.

These are just my opinions, and if others see it differently than me, I dont have a problem with it.

Angela
 
+ one on the last posts.....here in Iowa , there is a law called "wanten waiste". All game taken must be used for it's meat or fur or else you are violating this game law and my own set of personal rules. I started trapping as a young kid and skinning everything usable (minus animals damaged by predators in traps or deseased ) is second nature and the completion of the hunt....fur money funded all of my outdoor fun and many other things....teaching the next generations to make full use of the things we take is nothing but wise . Once you skin an animal , I make money , the fur buyer makes money , the tannery makes money , the fur store makes money , and the end user has a beautiful garment to wear for years. I encourage all who take furbearers to make use of your pelts as much as possible. SM
 
I put up my own fur to take pride in my hunting, love for the outdoors, and the majestic coyote.

I am one of those people that when I do things, I am either going to do it 100% and do the most complete job that I can, or not do it at all.
 
Quote:
"... here in Iowa , there is a law called "wanton waste". All game taken must be used for it's meat or fur."



Does that include animals like woodchucks or other "varmints"?

.
 
I can't get the alignment right but here is the latest prices from the 2007 fur sale.

Prices paid at the Arizona Trapper 2007 Fur Sale

Species Consigned Sold Total Average
BADGER 9 0 $0.00 $0.00
BOBCATS 400 346 $61,098.56 $176.59
COYOTES 580 482 $9,464.21 $19.64
GREY FOX 453 439 $14,573.62 $33.20
KIT FOX 7 7 $43.00 $6.14
PEARL FOX 1 1 $30.00 $30.00
RACCOON 4 4 $20.11 $5.03
RANCH FOX 1 1 $30.00 $30.00
RED FOX 3 3 $52.00 $17.33
RINGTAIL 14 14 $104.14 $7.44
SILVER FOX 1 1 $30.00 $30.00
SPOTTED SKUNK 1 0 $0.00 $0.00
STRIPPED SKUNK 36 36 $295.20 $8.20
WOLVERINE 1 0 $0.00 $0.00
Grand Total $85,740.84
 
Talk to a few older country folks from the east and I think you'll get the opinion that a young "chuck" make some pretty fair eating. I know I'd pass up a "T"bone for a plate of stewed muskrat hindquarters and dumplings. Beaver liver and onions, beaver jerky & sausage, roast coon and snapping turtle were standard fare at my house, plus of course squirel, rabbit, grouse, pheasant and venison.

AWS
 
I only hunt when it's cool enough and the fur is good here in the desert. I belong to the Phx. Varmint Callers and every spring we put up a bunch of fur to be sold or tanned. The prceeds help finance the club and a natural resource is utilized. I do skin most of the yotes I kill but I have to admit that I hate fleshing!!
 
I agree with AWS in principal, but I farm and raise calves and sheep from time to time, winter coyotes can be a drain on my herds and flocks esspecially during calving and lambing season. I used to case and sell the hides but the low prices make it noncost effective. If they leave my flocks and calves alone I would leave them alone as well. But as long as they are a threat to my bottom line I will shoot them on sight.
BTW you can blame the low prices of pelts on the eco freaks who have made it a sin for folks to wear real fur.
 
Quote:
I agree with AWS in principal, but I farm and raise calves and sheep from time to time, winter coyotes can be a drain on my herds and flocks esspecially during calving and lambing season. I used to case and sell the hides but the low prices make it noncost effective. If they leave my flocks and calves alone I would leave them alone as well. But as long as they are a threat to my bottom line I will shoot them on sight.
BTW you can blame the low prices of pelts on the eco freaks who have made it a sin for folks to wear real fur.



Good point! If protecting livestock (which I don't have) I would shoot on sight also.
 
Quote:
Quote:
"... here in Iowa , there is a law called "wanton waste". All game taken must be used for it's meat or fur."



Does that include animals like woodchucks or other "varmints"?

.



The wanten waste law is for animals that have seasons on them.....woodchucks are put into the catagory of furbearers but have little or no fur value but can be taken anytime to remove as a nuisance . Raccoons taken in the summer that are killing chickens or eating all of your sweetcorn can be taken and because they have no value at that time , you aren't expected to skin them . I have taken many gohphers from my families farm that were damaging crops and I shoot english sparrows from my livestock feeders...they don't eat so much feed as they crap in it and can pass many diseases to my deer like cocidiocis, ect. that I will have to treat the whole bunch for. SM
 
Well for all those that simply must not waste that delicious coyote burger...

CoyoteHelper.jpg


I've been killing coyotes for better than 45 years, no regrets and the animals that come along and clean up the coyote remains have personally thanked me several times along with the deer that lived for another year. Where do you folks get the idea that it's wasted? It's just another part of the food chain when it dies be it of old age or one of my 204 bullets. Geeze!!!
 
AZCOYOTEHUNTER, I'm with ya!! Around here the coyotes put a good hurting on the Antelope and deer fawns, and I have not run across a single rancher yet that did not want every coyote shot on site!! Just doing my part killing yotes and don't think it's a waste at all.

Good Hunting,
John
 
Quote:
Well for all those that simply must not waste that delicious coyote burger...

CoyoteHelper.jpg


I've been killing coyotes for better than 45 years, no regrets and the animals that come along and clean up the coyote remains have personally thanked me several times along with the deer that lived for another year. Where do you folks get the idea that it's wasted? It's just another part of the food chain when it dies be it of old age or one of my 204 bullets. Geeze!!!



Bob.......Seems like you have been doing EVERYTHING for neigh on to 45 years. Reloading, Using Lee's ultra precision reloading junk, Truckdriving, Gunsmithing, and killing Coyotes, Elk, Deer, and Grizz in Alaska.
Just wondering if there is anything you haven't done?
Oh Yea.........The only thing that will "come along and clean up Coyote remains" are Crows and Ravens.
Like I said earlier,,,ADC is another story. But I shouldn't have to tell you that. You have probably done ADC for "NEIGH ON TO 45 YEARS TOO".
I live about 10 miles down river from you and am ashamed to have you for a neighbor.

Later
 
A question was asked as to why some wait till winter to shoot coyotes or are concerned about the caliber or bullet they use to save damage to the pelt. All the answers gave personel reason and did not condem anyone that felt other wise. If your at peace with yourself killing an animal and leaving it lay so be it, it's legal and encouraged in some places. These were just personel conviction I'm sorry you felt the need to defend yourselves. I was hoping it wouldn't turn into the regular battle I thought we were through with that earlier this year.

Any chance we can get a moderator to close this thread before it gets out of hand.

AWS
 


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