NAFA SALE!!! Time to make some money!!!............maybe.

[KDM]

Thanks CT. Now I at least know where to troll around for the info. Thanks again!!

 

[JMF]

Me too ;:;banghead. When they are available a new link will show up in the same area where the "current season receipts" link is now. It should say "lotting letter" or "lotting valuation".

 

[Kickemup]

Should be out sometime soon. I have never looked for them until the day before the auction and they were out then.

 

[Trapper62]

KDM, do you tumble your furs? If not, you should! NAFA will automatically tumble ALL long haired fur unless your specify not to. Make yourself a tumbler and add some brightener to the grit and you will be amazed at how nice they come out. Doesn't take any real time other than to put them in and blow them out and you don't pay NAFA a fee to do it.

Ever get any Top Lot furs yet?

 

[JMF]

There is a difference between tumbling and drumming. NAFA uses a huge drum to tumble all fur out pelts, and your looking at a substantial cost to build or buy something similar to what they use. It is pretty easy to convert an old dryer to a tumbler if wanted. Tumbling at home will make them look nicer and the fur will "pop" out more though. But by the time they get bagged and packed as tight as possible into a semi they will be flat again by the time they get there. I think washing at home before stretching with downy and a few drops of Mrs. Stewarts bluing has more advantages than a tumbler. So for a dollar apiece I will let NAFA drum them right before the sale. Now if I was dealing with a bunch of wet coons I would have a tumbler built out of an old dryer.

 

[bucksnbears]

amen Jason.:;:thumbsup

sending to nafa, there is no need to tumble fur.
they know good fur when they see it

 

[KDM]

KDM, do you tumble your furs? If not, you should! NAFA will automatically tumble ALL long haired fur unless your specify not to. Make yourself a tumbler and add some brightener to the grit and you will be amazed at how nice they come out. Doesn't take any real time other than to put them in and blow them out and you don't pay NAFA a fee to do it.

Ever get any Top Lot furs yet?

I haven't made or aquired a tumbler or dryer, but might if I was going to sell to a local buyer. No top lot furs yet, but still trying. Our coyotes will probably produce 1 top lot quality critter out of a couple thousand. I might have a shot at a top lot coon or fox though.

 

[coyotetrapper]

I will let NAFA tumble too, for a $1 a piece it is worth it. I agree with KDM though that if I was to sell to like Groenewold or someone like that I would definitely have a tumbler.

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Lotting letters are posted!!!!:;:rockit

 

[KDM]

Just checked my lotting letter. What does an asterisk mean on a grade??

 

[coyotetrapper]

This is from Trapper Ron off of trapperman. Here is the link to the post.
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5097461/NAFA_June_Sale_Q_&_E#Post5097461

These are “labeled” skins. Labeled skins are Super Select, Select, and 1st Quality. The buyer Receives a label with these furs when he purchases the fur lot with an *. They are to be sewn into garments and represent the best furs on the auction for that species.
The two labels for wild fur are NAFA Northern and Northern Lights.

Just checked my lotting letter. What does an asterisk mean on a grade??

 

[Enslow]

Thats like a star on your coloring in school.

 

[KDM]

WOW!! That's pretty cool!!! I only have one, but one out of 37 is better than 0 out of 37. Now I wish I knew which fur got that grade. Thanks CT. You're fast becoming my hero. Now, how do I go about catching more of these asterisk coyotes??? (Grin)

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Thats like a star on your coloring in school.

LOL!!! That one made me chuckle.

 

[JMF]

Great job KDM, that means you not only got a good coyote but you didn't bugger it up after you caught it. My grades are about what I figured they would be for late season coyotes. Only 1 labeled, a few 1-2's and a bunch of 2's. Had lots of slightly rubbed to really rubbed coyotes in this bunch. Even had a few damaged ones.

 

[coyotetrapper]

My coyotes were last week of Oct to mid Nov. I had a couple I-II and the rest II. pretty usual grading considering early coyotes and I had a couple young of the year. Dec 1 to mid/late Dec is when the best of the best are to be had.

 

[KDM]

Thanks JMF. I'll pass this on to my partners as well. I wasn't in this by myself and I've had LOTS AND LOTS of help from trappers like you. THANK YOU!!! I had about half and half I-II and II with 2 being SDA, 1 being DG-1, and 1 being DG-2. I figure those were those early blue skin jobbies I used for practice. I'm guessing SDA means slight damage and the others are much worse. Overall, I can't and won't complain. This is all a learning process for me and getting paid to take out coyotes is a BIG BONUS for me. Wish I could tell which ones were damaged and why though. I can't improve when I don't know what was wrong.

 

[JMF]

That's the crappy part KDM so much is out of our hands, you really can't change the quality of the coyotes. All we can do is try not to make them any worse when we put them up. Far too many variables and things that can mess up a good coyote in the wild. Prime wise, I start killing in October and don't stop until March, regardless of how prime or not prime they might be. A dead rubbed coyote that only brings 20 bucks is still worth more than a live rubbed coyote, it's not like there is any shortage of them. Just keep killing em and do your best to put them up right, that's all we can do.

 

[Enslow]

I can get on land where there are lots of dogs. I would help u get your traps out.

 

[JMF]

KDM, how many of yours went Heavy? The more the better, that's where you see the big jump in prices.

 

[bucksnbears]

very happy with my grades.
all but 4 are heavies.
semis can do very good also.

best part is the 2 roadkilled mink i picked up. they both got into the same lot and its in the top 10:;:rockit

 

[JMF]

That's awesome bucks! I had 22 heavies and 19 semi's, which is almost twice as many semi's as I usually have percentage wise.