Got my NAFA check....

Got my NAFA check in the mail today.... after all duties paid..... $8.24 Canadian sent to me................ Eight Dollars and twenty four cents, for dragging a coyote a half km through a farmers field, putting the stinky thing in my vehicle, taking it home, skinning the coyote out then fleshing it clean, salt, stretch and hang to dry, clean up the mess and stink in the garage, then dropping the hide off to auction...... $8.24 cents Canadian.....Just something to think about for anyone shooting coyotes for money.....

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...psdtqi7nkw.jpg


Now, $8.24 isn't much but at least I can write this off my bucket list.... lol
I still plan on taking any coyotes that are in good shape home, I will just continue to home tan them instead.
Happy hunting

think of the guys that did all the work for their coons... they would be happy with 8 lousy bucks lol

You went thru the process to the end, commendable. Saw a post here earlier this year from a guy who got a cheque for -2 cents. Certainly not a get rich quick scheme.

What does it cost to tan a hide these days?

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Originally Posted by Snowwalker

What does it cost to tan a hide these days?

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I have been doing the cheap mans home version.....
1/2 lb alum mixed with 2 lbs salt in 3 gallons of water....
let the coyote sit in the pail for about a week, agitating the mixture twice a day....
Pull coyote out after a week and wash with baking soda for 5 mins.....(stops chemical reaction)
Rinse coyote hide and wash hide with Dawn dish soap for 5 mins
Rinse coyote hide and wash hide with (dog/cat or even human) shampoo for 5 mins...
Rinse, wash with clean water, wring hide, hang and let coyote drain so it starts to dry...
Next day, start pulling coyote hide in all directions..... I usually do this while watching TV in the future man cave (basement)....
When tired of pulling hide, hang the hide again and repeat the procedure later that day or the next day.... keep pulling/stretching the hide until it dries....I have a couple of them that came out really soft and some, pretty soft.....none have came out stiff, mind you I also flesh (dull knife to scrape or cut any missed/swollen flesh) a couple times while they are in the alum too...

You can always throw the hide in the dryer (no heat cycle) when the wife is not home and let it tumble with a few tennis shoes to soften it up... :)

Now if that was a coyote from out west you would be getting around $150.00

Regardless, it's still something to be proud of. I would frame that and put it on the trophy wall or in the man-cave. Well done!

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Originally Posted by GW11

Regardless, it's still something to be proud of. I would frame that and put it on the trophy wall or in the man-cave. Well done!

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Now that is a good idea... Thank you

nice trophy frank ,frame it up and hang it in your man cave ,I lot of folks would not believe us when we told them how much we trappers and hunters really make for all are hard work ,and why I will not pay cash for guys who want to drop off shot up yotes ,well done at least you seen it threw to the end ,Dutch

HAHAHA, thats what I would do...lol

You can always throw the hide in the dryer (no heat cycle) when the wife is not home and let it tumble with a few tennis shoes to soften it up... :)[/QUOTE]

That's still pretty cool Frank. I would also frame it for the man cave.

I just recently tried my hand at tanning a snowshoe hare hide and used an alum powder and borax paste. Seemed to work ok. NEatsfoot oil can be used to treat the hide after if your looking for a flexible leather. Pretty useless though for a rabbit as I found the skin to be super thin.

Anyone else use this method?

I have a friend who retired and took up trapping as a hobby, he makes some money but the prices are pathetic these days. Being he is a sheep farmer and his son's also own sheep farms, finding coyote is not very difficult. Savage308

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Originally Posted by Savage308

I have a friend who retired and took up trapping as a hobby, he makes some money but the prices are pathetic these days. Being he is a sheep farmer and his son's also own sheep farms, finding coyote is not very difficult. Savage308

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wow they should be rolling in the cash, with the price of fur and the price of wool "rolls eyes" lol

hey frank what was the grade on the coyote that was sold ?

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Originally Posted by trappermatt

hey frank what was the grade on the coyote that was sold ?

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Hey Matt, looks like NAFA won't let me log in right now (system down I guess) I will try later and post the info once I get into my account....
I still have another one sitting there maybe it will go at next months auction, either way its all good, enjoyed the experience... and now have a new story (framed cheque) around the man cave... :)

Yup, that's what happens. We do all the hard work to get them and get nothing for it.

That fur will probably go on a Canada Goose coat and sell for $700.00.

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Originally Posted by fratri

... and now have a new story (framed cheque) around the man cave... :)

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Glad you went ahead and did that. A really unique "trophy" or conversation piece.

Don't forget that the CRA is gonna come after you for their share too. :)

My son, just this winter, passed the Fur Harvest, Fur Management & Conservation Course. The best thing I can see coming out of this, is now he can write a % off of a lot of stuff we use normally, ie. gas for atv, new boots, outdoor clothing, etc. And we do not have to call in every time we find bear bait at the side of the road.

Congrats, Frank!

WRT prices. Decent Western hide goes for $100, Eastern for $50. If you want more precise numbers - auctions publish them.
Fur is down this year. Couple years ago was the best.

WRT tanning. I am not an expert, so what I say here is based on research, not lifetime of tanning pelts.
Alum and salt is OK to keep the hide on the wall, but if the fur is for garments it needs to be properly tanned.
There's dry tanning and wet tanning.
I wanted to have my yotes tanned professionally. In the US it can be done for just over $20/hide.

The biggest difference, is how soft they come from tannery drums. Breaking hides is tough work and it's almost impossible to achieve the same results as they do in professional tannery.
Now few places in Canada went out of business, as far as I can tell.
The only place where I got a quote was North Bay fur auction - $70+royalties+shipping. They send it to someone.

I am going to tan my pelts when it gets a bit warmer.
I will probably use Monotan (single drum solution) from an outfit in QC. There're 2 large tanning supplies mail order businesses I know of.

There's even a business in the US where you send pelts, they tan them and make fur closing to size and order for you.
I suspect taking pelts cross border may be complicated.

I didn't mean to hijack :)

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Originally Posted by vom Dufenshmirtz

Congrats, Frank!



I didn't mean to hijack :)

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No that's fine.... all good info... and yes the alum solution "Tan" is being used for my wall hangers/rugs.... :)

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Originally Posted by trappermatt

hey frank what was the grade on the coyote that was sold ?

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Hey Matt....here is the grade info..
SIZE |GRADE | COLOR |CLR|
3XL-XXL I-II DK-DBR 1-4 NC,AVG

Congratulations on the cheque,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,why are the smaller western coyotes more$$$......better fur??

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

My son, just this winter, passed the Fur Harvest, Fur Management & Conservation Course. The best thing I can see coming out of this, is now he can write a % off of a lot of stuff we use normally, ie. gas for atv, new boots, outdoor clothing, etc. And we do not have to call in every time we find bear bait at the side of the road.

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Better talk with your accountant about that trapping is a business just like any other small business and if you are going to write stuff off you need income to write it off against , you get greedy and revenue Canada will be there to tell you no way just like they have done to other trappers in this province in the past

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Originally Posted by COYHUNTER

Congratulations on the cheque,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,why are the smaller western coyotes more$$$......better fur??

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Western coyotes are predominantly a tawny colour[preferred] and their coat is[ smoother ] for a lack of a better word, where our eastern coyotes are rough and a lot of dark colours most likely due to having a lot of wolf in them.

Don't quite your job and the bright side to your cheque is that all royalties to the queen are paid. Tanning is a lot of work but rewarding.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/IMG_2247.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/IMG_2246.jpg

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Originally Posted by trappermatt

Better talk with your accountant about that trapping is a business just like any other small business and if you are going to write stuff off you need income to write it off against , you get greedy and revenue Canada will be there to tell you no way just like they have done to other trappers in this province in the past

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Yes very true, I knew that, but I am-was just trying to give my son some hope, that he can make some cash at it . He is new but eager.

I got 22 hides to send away after this winter. I remember a few years ago when I first started sending them i got a check for 2 cents. I have it framed on on my wall. Although I have got $50 for one before. I have some nice ones to send this year, Not looking for a big pay check, i just like seeing a stack of fur after a long winter.

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Originally Posted by SongDog

I got 22 hides to send away after this winter. I remember a few years ago when I first started sending them i got a check for 2 cents. I have it framed on on my wall. Although I have got $50 for one before. I have some nice ones to send this year, Not looking for a big pay check, i just like seeing a stack of fur after a long winter.

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I remember you telling us...
Send some pictures before you take them to auction...
Hope you do well.

Yup, We are going to nail them all to the barn wall and get a group pic at season end. Hope to add a quite a few more before the snow is completely gone.


Hope you line all yours up as well, Be a good pic.

I have not trapped for years and at that time it was a hobby. When preparing fur for sale I never salted them as I thought it was not the proper way to prepare them for sale. Perhaps this has changed. Others with more experience could confirm.

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Originally Posted by Hardluck

When preparing fur for sale I never salted them as I thought it was not the proper way to prepare them for sale. Perhaps this has changed.

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I too have never heard of anyone salting a pelt that goes to a fur auction and when I first read that I thought that could be why the low payout but I am not a pro and could be totally way off base. Maybe trappermatt can enlighten us as to weather this would of had any bearing in the dollar amount. The guy who skins all our yotes out also traps coons, rats, mink....... and I have never seen him use salt.

No salt on furs put up for auction. Skin, sretch, and dry. Coyotes and foxes stretched fur in and then turned fur out before they get too stiff and hard. Wait too long and they can tear on you when turning. Final drying occurs after turning hides. Rats and coons are stretched fur in and remain that way for auction. Only hides i have ever salted are beef,deer and moose hides to preserve them until they are sold or processed. Properly salted hides can easily last several months if care is taken to thoroughly salt pretty much every square inch of them. I have seen stacks of beef hides 5-6 high . Abbatoirs would salt and hold onto hides if prices were depressed hoping for an increase in hide prices.

Sorry I should of jumped in earlier but these ones sent to market weren't salted...
All the other ones I have hanging that have been tanned or still need to be tanned have been salted... Again these particular ones sent to auction weren't salted i should have clarified that at the beginning....
I am guessing the low price is a combination of poor market, poor coyote fur and poor prep job on my part....

It would be interesting to see what some others around here have received for some of their pelts this year... Post them up lets compare.......

Geez 8$?You hate to not skin them and have them go to waste but thats pushing it.Excpet for mangy ones I could never leave one lying there and not skin it out though.
The tanned ones look so cool and you can give some away or whatever.But a lot of time there to.And once you have one or two of each species then?
Makes you think just buying a tanned one for 70-100$ is the way to go.
Ah keep skinning them out and get a little beer money the way to go I guess/or give them to someone who will:-)

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Originally Posted by kurt tealo

Geez 8$?You hate to not skin them and have them go to waste but thats pushing it.Excpet for mangy ones I could never leave one lying there and not skin it out though.
The tanned ones look so cool and you can give some away or whatever.But a lot of time there to.And once you have one or two of each species then?
Makes you think just buying a tanned one for 70-100$ is the way to go.
Ah keep skinning them out and get a little beer money the way to go I guess/or give them to someone who will:-)

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Same here..... so I will continue to skin them (unless they are really bad).... Planning on giving a few tanned ones back to the farmers as gifts.... They seem to like that sort of thing....

I have no regrets, it was a good learning experience....1 more thing off the bucket list accomplished... :)