Average prices [at the mid-December raw fur sale conducted by the Independent Fur Harvesters at the Pompey Rod & Gun Club] were up, compared to a year earlier, for 10 of 11 fur species that were on sale at the auction.The Outdoor Writer who put together this piece starts it off by thumbing his nose at AR activists:
Only raccoons fetched lower prices in 2005 than in 2004. That's at least partly due to the sheer abundance of the masked bandits. The 22 sellers at the Pompey auction had 355 raccoon pelts to unload, compared to 209 the year before.
Muskrat pelts, which are the bread-and-butter money-maker for most trappers, fetched an average of $4.26 each at the recent sale, versus $2.27 at the '04 auction.
Mink went for an average of $14.94, about half again the $9.83 average logged a year earlier.
Other pelts that were worth more this winter than last included those of beaver, otter, fisher, opossum, skunk, gray fox, red fox and coyote.
Animal-rights activists often boast that fur-trapping is on its death bed, but right now the corpse appears to have a lively pulse.Style being a cyclical thing, they had better not get too excited with themselves, but activists certainly shouldn't wait for fur to start sliding again. Be aware that the market is stronger now, and do your part to squeeze it, whether through educational outreach, protest, or simply talking to those you know who buy fur. Here is a list of retailers who sell fur (and leather) alternatives.
Categories: trapping | fur
