7wt said:
Big Sky,
What's the going rate for red fox tails these days? Or maybe even a whole pelt? I wouldn't mind getting one to try out some salmon hair flies. DO you tan the pelts or are they just dried?
tails of any animal by them selves other than squirrels are pretty much unsaleable, Mepps lures will buy squirrel tails in lots of 50 + in trade for lures.
Same with pelts w/o tails or faces, pretty much no value. (the fur dresser at the garmet tanneries use the face and the tail to hold onto while they are dressing the leather side for use in the garmet industry. After tanning the faces and tails end up in the "novelty market" )
Going rate for red fox in the round..about $5. Properly skinned, fleshed, streched and dried furs from US district 9 (part of Wy, MT, ID and also included in Alberta CA and a small portion of BC) usually around $30. The fur from these states usually commands the highest prices. Most other states about 1/2.
I do a lot of "traditional" i/e brain tanning of many of my pelts/hides. But everything sold for the fur trade market is just "trapper dried"