Turn a $10 coyote into a $100 coyote.

For some reason everyone complains that the fur prices are low, but those same people want to bring a dirty, shot up and frozen whole coyote to the fur buyer and expect a hundred dollar bill. It doesn’t work like that. That coyote is worth $10-$20 as is. However, hours spent prepping pelts will be rewarded with a large fur check after the auction. The proof is in my $74-$125 Wisconsin coyotes. While not every coyote will bring that much, most do and that’s rewarding, but not until after the hard work is put in. No matter the market, we must always remember that we don’t do it for the money.

I do have a fur handling blog post further back on my site, which can be viewed here: Putting Up Coyote Fur, and in that blog post I talk more in depth about what I do through the whole process. This post is more "in a nutshell".

An example of a Wisconsin coyote after my entire washing process is complete.  White clarity is the goal on the belly when looking at pelts to send to auction.

Here is an example showing why washing coyotes before boarding is worth the effort.  The two white outside coyotes were completing washed using my washing process and were sent to auction.  The middle coyote was being tanned for someone's wall, therefore I didn't need to go through the process of washing it before getting it dry.  You can see how much the belly is stained from blood, dirt/mud, urine, etc.  Coyotes are extremely dirty animals, and during the washing process, I fill my bathtub up 3-4 times on each coyote just to get the water to run clear again.

The coyote on the left is a large Eastern from Pennsylvania.  The coyote on the right is a pale Western from Colorado.  Coyotes come in so many colors and sizes depending on the region.  I personally do not believe in the "coywolf" bologna, and just believe that coyotes have adapted to be larger as you go out east simply because of the terrain, weather, prey, etc.  It's the same with turkeys, Osceolas are smaller than Easterns but that doesn't mean that they are hybrids bred with a grouse to make them smaller! 

I made this hat from the PA pelt on the left in the picture above it. At auction, that pelt would have brought $5 due to the dark coloring of browns, reds, and black.  Also the fur is more coarse and less soft.  However once tanned, it makes an absolutely stunning hat that will keep someone warm for a lifetime!  Real fur is biodegradable and better for the environment compared to faux fur made from petroleum products.

The fur buyer at a stop where trappers bring their dried pelts (in those white bags) to be counted, processed, and loaded up, eventually taken to the auction processing house in Stoughton, WI.  NAFA is an excellent auction house to send your fur to.  They have the world's best fur buyers come from across the globe to buy North American wild fur as well as ranched furs.  Their excellent reputation, expert graders, and knowledgeable responses to offered prices means that you get a good price on your furs.

My helpers.  They enjoy sitting next to me while I brush out and pin the pelts down for hours at night.  I think they get jealous that I don't brush them as often as I do the coyotes!

Some finished Wisconsin coyotes hanging to complete the drying process before the next auction.  The experienced eye can notice the rubbing spots between the shoulders of the second and the last coyote, as well as some rubbing on the hips of the last coyote, however the coyote fur market is so strong right now, even rubbed coyotes are in demand.

MANY guys call me out saying they don't believe that I get high dollar for Wisconsin coyotes, so below are a couple shots from NAFA auctions that prove it.  I have had coyotes go for as long as $8 and has high as $138.  SO many factors play a role in what a pelt will sell for.

This Wisconsin coyote of mine sold for $122.00 USD.

This Wisconsin coyote of mine sold for $74.00 USD.

My process for washing pelts is actually very simple.  I wash my coyotes in my bathtub at home.  First I simply submerge them in cold water and agitate with some dawn dish soap to work out all dirt, mud, burrs, blood, ticks, loose hair, etc.  After two or three of these cycles, the water runs fairly clean so I move on to the next step.  I soak them in cold water with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda for 30 minutes, then rinse.  I then soak them in cold water with fabric softener for 30 minutes, and do not rinse.  I wring out as much water as I can then hang them on nails in front of a box fan to drip dry overnight.  The next morning I put them on my coyote boards fur in and do my "fleshing process".  This involves removing all the meat with my skinning knife, removing ear and nose cartilage, trimming legs and bottom lip, and pinning according to NAFA guidelines.  I apply a thin layer of borax all over the leather and after a few minutes when the borax has absorbed the membrane, I pull it off the hide all the way down.  This is normally done when guys use a fleshing beam and knife, but I simply don't have those tools, so I improvise.  I allow my pelts to dry in front of a fan by the furnace for approx. 6 hours, then I flip them fur out and re-board them, pinning in the same locations.  I periodically brush them against the grain to fluff the fur up, and once completely dry, remove from the boards and hang on nails until auction time.  There are many little steps I do that I haven't mentioned, but I don't want to reveal all my secrets ;)

It is very rewarding to see the finished product after hours upon hours spent on each pelt.  Seeing your fur to the very end is your responsibility as a trapper, both to yourself and to the animal that you harvested.  Being lazy is never going to work for you, not only in trapping, but every aspect of your life.  Hardwork gets rewarded no matter what.