Prime bobcat fur prices?

Originally Posted By: Wackmaster Lot of guys holding out for the $1000 offer. Good luck with that!


I sold my 6 Cats to the same local buyer I've been using for years last week.
Got 350.00 average,,,, down 50.00 from last year but since No. ID Cats tend to have weak bellies and only two went 40" I'm happy. Especially considering I don't have to ship or pay fees. Just drive down the road a few miles, BS with Don about at all the fur he picked up on his last trip, and walk out with a check.

He was grading Fox when I showed up.
Crappy lighting but some of those Reds were stunning. Wish we had some around here.


 
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Sorry, didn't ask.
I know he likes those big MT pales though and that he makes a couple loops through MT every year.
I can PM you his phone # if you like.
 
Fur buyer came through Colorado on 2/19/14. Folks that sold to him were pretty disgusted. Most had a bad year and hoped to see last years prices. I watched the grading, the offers, etc.. Coyotes averaged around $15-20, Greys $15, Reds $30, big cats' around $400. Suck bellies, semi's, smalls and off colors were discounted .... heavily.
 
Went to the fur sale today in Farmington. Was pretty disgusted, only had three buyers show up. Best offer was $175-$210 per cat. Smallest one of mine was 33" and all polished prime toms and one was a NICE blueback. I NO SALED mine and so did 80% for the cat guys. All I can say is Peska/Global/WMF are a JOKE!!
 
Here's off the 2/22/2014 NAFA Auction summary for Lynx Cat 100% SOLD ......

100% Western $393.49 avg $1,150.00top, 100% Canadian West $277.40avg $525.00top, 100% Canadian East $131.38avg $250.00top, 100% Northern $143.48avg $270.00top, 100% North Central $112.28avg $270.00 100% Central $73.24avg $120.00top.


A $393 average on western cat means a lot of pelts sold for $500 or more.
 
I was at the Farmington fur sale yesterday also. I sold all my cats and coyotes. I was pleased with what I received. Was it what I averaged last year-No. Was it more that I have made other years (3-4 yrs ago) BIG YES. From talking with other trappers and comparing with other sales, my cats and coyotes brought what was average for the cats and coyotes from my area. I didn't get what a Nevada cat, or a Cali. cat, or a Texas cat would. I got what a properly put up SW Colo. cat was worth. No more, no less.

The fur market is a the most fickle kind of market I have ever known and some trappers are the biggest whiners I have ever known.

Anyone at that sale could see there was a lot of poorly put up and small cats. These were the majority of the no-sales (from what I saw walk out the door). Those trappers were doing a lot of the complaining. NOT EVERY CAT IS A TOP LOT. Yes, some nice cats were also "no-saled". Was it the right move? Only time will tell. You have to be brutely honest with what kind of cats you have.

I overheard one trapper say that they went to Globe, didn't like the price there, came to Farmington, still didn't like the price and was heading to Belen next. You can't tell me they will make up what they have spent in time and money by "sale hopping" and trying to get what they want.

 
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The fur sale I was at cats' were mostly absent. One guy had a half dozen cats' but everyone else had just 1 or two. If this sale was like others across the country it would appear the cat harvest is down. If the European and Asian Commies want cats' maybe the price will go back up.

Another thing I saw were some disillusioned folks. They're definitely in it for the money and in the cat business that's a quick way to go broke. Better to except hunting cats' as a way to recreate
rather than a way of funding an early retirement to an estate in Palm Springs.
 
Originally Posted By: M70SWIFTThe fur sale I was at cats' were mostly absent. One guy had a half dozen cats' but everyone else had just 1 or two. If this sale was like others across the country it would appear the cat harvest is down. If the European and Asian Commies want cats' maybe the price will go back up.

Another thing I saw were some disillusioned folks. They're definitely in it for the money and in the cat business that's a quick way to go broke. Better to except hunting cats' as a way to recreate
rather than a way of funding an early retirement to an estate in Palm Springs.

There is no shortage of cats 3000 at Fallon NV this weekend 800 sold at AZ last weekend 7000 at NAFA yesterday.
Will be a couple thousand offered in Oregon in the next few weeks. Most guys weren't trapping 6 years ago when cats averaged $180 and topped at $450. Going to be a ton of freezer burned carryover to next year by the unrealistic folks and they will really scream when the price of stale fur is nill.
 
I just shake my head and get the giggles. I think Farmington should have been happy any buyers showed up in this market. I always like the sellers telling the buyers how much they should pay, guess they ought to buy fur for a few months and see how that would work out for them.

Carry on, its entertaining to say the least.
 

Very good point Yesterday was the Farmington sale, Fallon NV (largest of the cat sales), Idaho held a sale and NAFA: not enough buyers to go around. Not all cats are in demand, buyers can only move what their people order. To many guys try to slip a turd in bunch and the buyers don't bite, to bad for you. Auctions have competent help to assist you in lotting your fur properly when this happens you win.
 
Oh Gotspots, all cats are worth lots of money,just ask around. Its doesn't matter if they are stretched 6" wide, or 14" wide, or even not even stretched or fleshed or even cleaned up. That's the market, and we are all going to Disney World.

OK, so I have a wee bit of sarcasm.
 

You got it. I dread the calls from the buyers, asking if they can drop of all the crap they've bought along the way to see if I can fix it. See lots of cats that look like they were skinned with a chainsaw fleshed with a wood chipper and stretched on a fence post, then say: it's a thousand dollar cat RIGHT?
 
Well, my buddy said it was worth that. His dads buddys uncle sold some to the biggest cat broker in PA and that's what they got last week. He said it didn't matter iffin they had been shotgunned or dog bit.
 
"look like they were skinned with a chainsaw fleshed with a wood chipper and stretched on a fence post"

That right there is funny!

I averaged $339 at the Farmington auction and am glad I am not still holding cats! All my cats incidentally were $1000+ cats. Stingy fur buyers! I did take a cat down for a friend that went for $799.99 and was probably the high cat for the sale. I had another buddy that averaged $461 for cats. There was a 4 hour delay because of western montana fur not being prepared but I bet they have that fixed next year. Last year there were less than 200 cats at this sale. There were over 730 this year!
 
Skinned with a chainsaw. That is what my cats' look like when I whack 'em with the Swift. Geez ... my average on cats' are right up there with all the experts though. Can't figure that out?

I shot a cat in the eye with a .22 mag this year. It brought less than the cats I blew into the next zip code. Maybe the 3-400 stitches helped some. Boy .... are the Chinese-Commies gonna be sore when my cats come out of the tannery with only the ears left.
 
Originally Posted By: M70SWIFT Better to except hunting cats' as a way to recreate
rather than a way of funding an early retirement to an estate in Palm Springs.

Ain't that the truth?
Funny how the number of Cat experts has grown the last few years.
Even funnier will be how many "lightly used" traps are in the classifieds and e-gay a couple months from now.

Sure glad I'm just an old foot hunter/hobby trapper with low expectations.

 
Quote:I didn't get what a Nevada cat, or a Cali. cat, or a Texas cat would. I got what a properly put up SW Colo. cat was worth. No more, no less

Are you saying that Texas cats are worth more than Colorado cats? Good Texas cats green were going for about $140 down to $30 from what I saw. Not sure about fleshed, stretched and dried.
 
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