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I just received my latest issue of Fur-Fish-Game. This is the 90th anniversary issue and it's sure an interesting read. They have an article on page 9 called, When all the fur went BOOM! It focuses on the fur boom between 1977 and 1986.

They said if you adjusted for inflation if that kind of market existed today, this is what it would look like.

Fur price in 1977. Price would be in 2015.
Possum: $10.00. $40.00
Raccoon: $40.00. $160.00
Red Fox: $125.00. $500.00.

Now, this was reported by Gary Schroeder, the fur market report guy. Now, I basically started in 1979 and the only fur I caught that season was a possum which the local fur buyer only gave me $1.00 for that. But, I do remember getting $20.00 for raccoon in the round and my first red fox in 1983 which was fleshed and dried went for $55.00. So his prices may be a bit inflated compared what the "average trapper" received but that is still amazing what fur was going for back then.

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Autumn! My favorite time of the year.

Yes TR fur prices were good back then and gas was cheap. Back in the 80s fox sold very well. Have had reds go for over $120 and my highest fox was a cross at $196.00. Back then silver fox were as high as $400.00 and lynx were topping out at $1500.00. Average on our beaver was 40 to 70 bucks per skin. I think we all long for those days to return.

I've heard so many great stories from when my father and his friend trapped back then. He said they were averaging $100 on beaver and $10 on rats. He said in one weekend, they trapped one marsh hard, and caught over 100 rats. His friend bought his first car with nothing but fur money

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13/14 hunt/trap season
Geese-13
Grouse-1
Squirrel-6
Coon-4
Muskrat-8 (1 eaten)
Mink-1 (ranched)



Check out my youtube channel? I'm retroslickbass. I have some videos of me playin piano and bass in church!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/retroslickb ... rid&view=0 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul. Mark 8:36

Those were good times even for southern fur, I managed to cover my trapping expenses and still take family vacations on the money earned in those good years.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I remember in the fall of 1980, my neighbor and trapping partner figured if we caught 14 to 18 red fox that season we could afford to by one of those new Honda ATC 3 wheelers that were the rage at the time. At that time, a new 185 cc ran about $1,300.00. Needless to say we never caught a fox that season but the coon catch bought me a couple of dozen Northwoods #1.5 coilsprings and a new flyrod.

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Autumn! My favorite time of the year.

I started trapping in '75(ish). Everyone and their dog(no pun intended)was chasing the fur too. Trapping ground was at a premium. Trap theft was completely out of control. As I got older i had whole farms of traps stolen. But oh yes it was quite a ride. Traps were less then $15 or so a dozen and i sold many 110s and Montgomery 1 1/2 coils for $1-$1.50/each. We started our supply business and fur buying right around 1980(?). we had dabbled in it a little before then. I remember our flat commercial yotes bringing $50. I also remember guys shooting their neighbors German shepperds and trying to pass them off as yotes. Had more then one bring in tanned pieces of fur off of fur coats too. But as a young kid it was almost surreal going to the fur buyer. One saturday i pulled traps that morning and my stepdad and i went to Grandpas to run his short line, shoot a few rabbits and sell my 3 coons(and i think like 3 or 4 possums, all skinned only) to the local buyer. Gramps wanted me to put them up with some of his but i wanted that loot for Christmas lol. $5 each on the skinned possums and I turned that all into the then new Montgomery no. 1 1/2 coilsprings 'cause Jim Spencer( i think, its heck getting old)in FFG said that was the best coon trap lol. I think i got 15? @$1/each(so 3 possums?) and the 3 coons got me a check of $145. The fur buyer showed me how to start the coons rump better to get a little more length. And we talked mink for an hour. He became one of my mink mentors. Next to my grandpa he was one of the best mink trappers i knew. 100+ every year, and he had 66 as of that days check if my memory serves me right. Incidentally the next day gramps had a red fox on his line when we went with him. He sold it to the same country buyer I sold mine too but the next weekend and it brought $150 or $175 S&D. Times were very different though and it doesnt seem like that long ago.

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Waitin for the leaves to fall...