Tradhunter - Traditional Archery Bow Hunting Forums

Wow Ron, what have you been feeding that thing? Hard to get that big on bird seed.

Yes big coon and decent color. Looks nice and prime, I'll agree! Should be worth $5 if skinned, fleshed, stretched and dried....ugh! 4 years ago it would have brought $30.

At those prices, that's a lot of work for $5!

Some buyers used to buy critters up home whole...less $$ but, I'd wash, dry and fluff my rats and coons and sell em whole...weren't worth the work... buy a few pellets!

Carpdaddy wrote:Wow Ron, what have you been feeding that thing? Hard to get that big on bird seed.

The only thing its been getting from me is bird seed. I dont know where the rest of his calories come from but yes, he is a dandy.

Ole Dave wrote:At those prices, that's a lot of work for $5!

Tell me about it....thats why very few coons are being harvested these last couple years. Fur is WAY down, and coons are tanking worse then any other critter in the fur market.

BAck in the 80's I sold rats in MT for like $8 ea... and got $13 for coons in PA whole..they paid almost as much for whole muskrats as skinned and dried....

Now, the buyer I used, would open the rats mouth, smell it and squeeze...I asked him WT? He said he could skin them, freeze the meat and sell to guys who sold to S'uthn restaurants as "marsh rabbit"... I had them washed, dried and combed at least 2 days before I took them to him with guts in...

Trust me...I ever see Marsh Rabbit on a menu down here, I ain't eating it!!!

Lol!!!! I like FRESH muskrat, aged, not so much!

Shadowhntr wrote:Lol!!!! I like FRESH muskrat, aged, not so much!

I know old trappers are immune to much that would gag a buzzard off a manure spreader, but aged with guts in for 2 days...I'd say NEVER Cross your lips!

4 yrs ago, I got $15 for a finished muskrat pelt. Now lucky to get $4.

Do you guys remember when you could get $90 for a good red fox? I wish those days would come back.