Few people are able to make a living at trapping with fur prices this low.

“Beaver pelts, 185 in number, averaged $9.66 at this year’s final fur auction conducted by the Ohio State Trappers Association in March. Three otter pelts fetched $50 each. Coyotes brought an average of $15.42, gray foxes $13.50, red foxes $11.24, minks $5.47, raccoons $3.17, muskrats $2.33, skunks $1.74 and opossums $0.95.”

“It seems hardly possible that such prices for the product of hard, skilled and prolonged work equal something close to minimum wage.”

We often hear from trappers that people are making a living and providing extra income for their families by trapping and selling the fur.   However, when fur prices are as low as they are now, trapping becomes an expensive hobby in which it is almost impossible to make enough money to break even.