NAFA lotting letters - Page 2

PCP_ECOM · #31 05-11-2014, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty S

Typically price drops for a May sale, even if price structures are exact, due to an increase in late season rubbed, shed and abundance of damaged goods. Remember the damaged coyotes that were not offered in Feb? They will be offered in this sale.

Right now the coyote buyers are sitting there feeling sorry for themselves cuz all their buddies that buy mink and everything else are getting really nice bargains in the current cool down, so they think on such basis they deserve such. Now we get a chance to again test this market, for the depth and the hunger. It is my understanding that the coyotes are still hot and will hold, less the necessary drop in average that the addition of low quality goods to the average will affect.

Thanks Marty,and congrats to H380 being in top lot,still wondering about muskrats.Peter

jim summit · #32 05-12-2014, 07:42 AM

I see i have couple Weasel in the top lot, out of 8 Lynx, the best is a couple down from top lot.
Marten seem to be grading poor this year... waiting.

DUKE-1 · #33 05-12-2014, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty S

Typically price drops for a May sale, even if price structures are exact, due to an increase in late season rubbed, shed and abundance of damaged goods. Remember the damaged coyotes that were not offered in Feb? They will be offered in this sale.

Right now the coyote buyers are sitting there feeling sorry for themselves cuz all their buddies that buy mink and everything else are getting really nice bargains in the current cool down, so they think on such basis they deserve such. Now we get a chance to again test this market, for the depth and the hunger. It is my understanding that the coyotes are still hot and will hold, less the necessary drop in average that the addition of low quality goods to the average will affect.

With Russia being ousted and shund affect our prices??

The Spruce · #34 05-12-2014, 10:43 AM

Doesn't look like I will have any top lots this sale. I am one off on beaver, have a few *I graded SM fishers, although I have a *SSL Marten....but it is a Large. Can't remember if they like big or smaller Martens.

Spruce

357xp · #35 05-12-2014, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Spruce

Doesn't look like I will have any top lots this sale. I am one off on beaver, have a few *I graded SM fishers, although I have a *SSL Marten....but it is a Large. Can't remember if they like big or smaller Martens.

Spruce

I got a couple top lots in marten last winter that were very unexpected, seems like there are numerous top lots in marten. not sure how it works.

braggadoe · #36 05-12-2014, 03:02 PM

did you get a hat?

357xp · #37 05-12-2014, 03:43 PM

Nope

The Spruce · #38 05-12-2014, 04:01 PM

I have had a few Top Lots, only ever got a sheet stating what it was for.

Spruce

braggadoe · #39 05-12-2014, 04:06 PM

i've never had a top lot. was hoping to get one of those hats someday. bummer!

bullgetter · #40 05-12-2014, 05:32 PM

You have to get your hat and pin from a NAFA rep. They go to the various trapping events in the summer. They will be at Drayton this summer. Give them your name and they will look you up. Certificates come in the mail.

braggadoe · #41 05-12-2014, 05:56 PM

excellent! keeps the dream alive

H380 · #42 05-12-2014, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill9044

Post us a pic of your top fur and then we can judge.

braggadoe,I had no idea I would get a top lot when I started this thread , have had some with FHA , but never NAFA . I always take a pic of the furs I send and if I i was to guess which one in the pic is my best I would have to go with one of those 2 on the far right , but I could be wrong . Congrats to all you guys that got top lots in different classes, members on here have put up some pretty good fur . thanx to all for posting your photos .

HunterDave · #43 05-12-2014, 10:16 PM

Is it possible to get a pelt into top lot if it has a well sewn bullet hole or does it have to be absolutely flawless?

H380 · #44 05-12-2014, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Is it possible to get a pelt into top lot if it has a well sewn bullet hole or does it have to be absolutely flawless?

Good question Dave , almost all of my hides were sewn to some extent , most just a small pinhole . Very few had exit holes .I'd like to know exactly which one i got that made it . I see on another site that many guys are complaining about the grades they received for this sale . However , most of them don't have quality furs like those that a number of our AO members are putting up . Hides in pics I see from nube and others look pretty good to me.

nube · #45 05-13-2014, 06:31 AM

I am happy and disappointed at the same time with my coyotes. I have some Labelled fur which to me is a pretty good one. I also have most of mine that if in the last sale would have been over $100 coyotes. My average would be very good I think. The part that I am disappointed about is the amour of section II furs I had which was more than last sale. I am not sure why? I thought I had it figured out and was doing a better job at them. I know instead of drying them real wide like I used to I started to dry them more narrow like your supposed to. I ripped a couple because they were harder to turn being narrow and that is why I got some damaged one. I will have to see how it turns out.

AS for my rats I did a comparison as well to what I got for last sale and I would have averaged more this sale if prices were the same. I got less of the 3XL sizes as well so I think I am either doing better with the fur prep or just caught some nicer fured rats is all.

H380 · #46 05-13-2014, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nube

I am happy and disappointed at the same time with my coyotes. I have some Labelled fur which to me is a pretty good one. I also have most of mine that if in the last sale would have been over $100 coyotes. My average would be very good I think. The part that I am disappointed about is the amour of section II furs I had which was more than last sale. I am not sure why? I thought I had it figured out and was doing a better job at them. I know instead of drying them real wide like I used to I started to dry them more narrow like your supposed to. I ripped a couple because they were harder to turn being narrow and that is why I got some damaged one. I will have to see how it turns out.

AS for my rats I did a comparison as well to what I got for last sale and I would have averaged more this sale if prices were the same. I got less of the 3XL sizes as well so I think I am either doing better with the fur prep or just caught some nicer fured rats is all.

I'm the same as you , my furs this sale are much better than the ones I sent to the first , from my thinking anyway . My skinner has started to wash them and they are fuller and brighter .All we can do now is hope the price doesn't slide too much .

Decker9 · #47 05-13-2014, 07:32 AM

All of my lynx graded II's, would that mean not quite prime? All winter I thought they looked a little lite, was my first time ever targeting lynx, could it be how I put then up maybe? The fleshing was a bit of a learning curv for me.
Out of my 17 marten, I did manage 6 sel's and 9 *'s, I'm guessing that's good?

You guys sure do good on your coyotes!! Next winter I want to learn how to trap/snare them as I have a few kicking around here in bc.

Question for the seasoned trappers, when it comes to muskrats, are the rats here in bc as good as the ones you guys get? Or as good as the eastern provinces? I have alot of rats on my lake here, but have never targeted them.

Good luck everyone, its pretty cool hearing about the diffrences in trapping from bc to alberta. Sounds like you guys do alot of water trapping.

Cheers

Marty S · #48 05-13-2014, 07:45 AM

Take a wet cloth and damp the belly area and lower parts of the pelt to ensure that you don't tear anything. Also don't over dry your skin before turning.

Damaged skins damages are not limited to actual holes in the pelt but include rubs, matts and other things such as blood, mud, burrs, and who knows what else. The grader never does the fur handlers job, nor does he ever assume that things like fur matts or blood matts will comb out and be of no consequence, instead he assumes this is an affected are of skin and throws it down into the damaged or slight damaged grades. I seen one time a coyote pelt, in Toronto at a May sale three years ago that graded IIIs - DMG which is one of the worst grades that you could get that was thrown down to that grade due to a 4 inch blood spot, soaked and dried. It was a nice coyote and I took the time to understand the extent of the damage. It was likely a skidoo coyote with one .22 bullet hole in the back. Perhaps they wanted to salt the lot? But whoever didn't wash that coyote paid dearly.

Sew jobs on the other hand, if done masterfully slide through the system all the time. The grader is up against the element of time, two graders and 100,000 skins to grade? enough said.

Also in regard to an increase in damages at this sale, many coyotes were not offered in Feb that will be offered on this sale. In addition to this, fur is sometimes graded differently from sale to sale. Who noticed in Feb that there were an abnormally low number of I's? I sure did. I hate it when they do that!

The Russia thing effect? Who knows the consequence at this time. There are always ways to get fur into a country and in the event of sanctions I would think if these people want the goods, they will get them, people are creative.

nube · #49 05-13-2014, 08:29 AM

Thanks Marty some good advice. One thing I didn't do this last round was wash my coyotes. I did this on the advice here on this forum and I must say I did worse this way. I will wash them now instead. I always comb mine no matter what and if they were blood soaked I would wash but I think a washed yote looks better and obviously graded better as well from what I see. My 2 cents

357xp · #50 05-13-2014, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Decker9

All of my lynx graded II's, would that mean not quite prime? All winter I thought they looked a little lite, was my first time ever targeting lynx, could it be how I put then up maybe? The fleshing was a bit of a learning curv for me.

Cheers

I don't think it's your put up. Most of mine graded 2 as well this year. Last year I had more grade 1's and I thought I had done a better job this year. Quality wasn't as good this year I think.

Our the marten didn't look as good this year either and the grades defiantly reflected that.

bullgetter · #51 05-13-2014, 11:31 AM

Of the 7 lynx I sent in one graded I-II and the rest were all II. Pretty typical for the cats I have caught. Good thing they are all 2 and 3 for color/clarity. I have only had a couple of select lynx and these were both blue yearlings. On average the lynx on my line are just to brown i guess.

HunterDave · #52 05-13-2014, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

I'm not sure what is happening with my NAFA account, or if I even have one. I dropped some yotes off at the ATA back on 18 March and supposedly I was to have an account opened. To date I haven't received anything from NAFA to tell me what my account number is. I'm new to this and I'm quite confused.

I contacted NAFA via email last night and I got a reply this morning with my account number (They had spelt my name wrong....no biggy). The NAFA site appears to be down so I guess that I have to wait a bit more to check my grades. I'm really not expecting much on my first batch, learning the process was much more important to me.

PCP_ECOM · #53 05-13-2014, 07:19 PM

I noticed I had a lot more GC for colour and GD'S with PR, no I's this time but I-II and one of my coyote's graded same as my top dog from February which brought 138.00,bobcat graded a select,and most of my rats were SEL or I's so i'm happy,Nube I form my coyote's too NAFA standard,9" at the bottom for XL-LGE and 7" for smaller,this is why my boards will not go any wider at base then 9",lot of slack when I slide back together and come off with ease,i roll my from the head down to turn,and I take my time,if a little worried around the rump area,i just dampen a little,put one small tear in one,other than that all good,and I have been using more Borax,works excellent,Peter

tchardy1972 · #54 05-13-2014, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H380

braggadoe,I had no idea I would get a top lot when I started this thread , have had some with FHA , but never NAFA . I always take a pic of the furs I send and if I i was to guess which one in the pic is my best I would have to go with one of those 2 on the far right , but I could be wrong . Congrats to all you guys that got top lots in different classes, members on here have put up some pretty good fur . thanx to all for posting your photos .

I like the one directly above you boys head.

H380 · #55 05-13-2014, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tchardy1972

I like the one directly above you boys head.

Thanx , he's my grandson but I'll glady claim him as mine .. lol ..That is another hide that I liked .

bill9044 · #56 05-13-2014, 10:38 PM

I think the second one in from the right would grade better but I am no expert.

PCP_ECOM · #57 05-14-2014, 09:07 AM

Looking at the fifth from the right,really nice i pick that one,Peter,hey i like em all and would be proud to send them in to auction.

H380 · #58 05-14-2014, 05:43 PM

Here's a better pic that shows em all . Your guess is as good as mine as to which one they liked . Marty knows more about dogs than anyone on here , maybe he can see one he likes . Peter , have you got a photo of that top lot bobcat ?

nube · #59 05-14-2014, 09:41 PM

Would the belly fur be most important in the higher price on a yote or is it the back fur? I always thought it was the belly fur on the highest priced dogs that got them there

PCP_ECOM · #60 05-14-2014, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nube

Would the belly fur be most important in the higher price on a yote or is it the back fur? I always thought it was the belly fur on the highest priced dogs that got them there

clearer is better for sure,but I believe you need good colour,dense fur and heavy pelts with size to get you up in top lots,IMO