The market for coyote pelts and a number of other pelts is wide and gives quite the resource for avid hunters of coyotes to sell pelts and learn more about the value of the pelt they offer.
Heavy western coyote pelts are worth between $70 and $100. Eastern coyote pelts usually go for between $30 and $40. Southern coyote pelts and low-quality pelts are likely to be worth $10-15. Coyote pelts can be sold on e-commerce sites, to a local buyer, or at an auction.
There are a few places you can sell Coyote pelts and a lot to know about what makes coyote pelts worth anything.
What Contributes to a Coyote Pelts Value
The market value of the pelt changes based on the size of the pelt and, more importantly, the region it came from. Other factors are primeness and current fashion trends. (Source)
Size can be the biggest indicator, for obvious reasons. The more material sold, the bigger the cost.
However, it isn’t always the size that influences the price of the coyote pelts. Eastern coyotes are bigger than Western coyotes, so why is it that western coyotes are worth more? Simply put, it’s the quality of the fur. Unlike the course, dark guard hair of the Eastern coyotes, Western coyotes are more uniformly pale, and their prime pelts are thick, altogether creating a much higher quality.
Primeness is essentially how thick the fur is, or how prepared it is to deal with the cold. Southern coyotes don’t have to deal with cold weather, so naturally, they don’t get prime coats, but that doesn’t mean all the ones up north will always be better. If harvested too early in the season, you’ll find that the prime winter pelt hasn’t grown in yet, so the quality won’t be ideal. High-quality coyote pelts will have been hunted at just the right time, for peak thickness.
Finally, the color of the pelt and current fashion trends will also influence the market value of the pelt. After all, if someone’s going to buy it, they have to want it for something. These pelts could be used as coats, rugs, blankets, or decorations. The uses of pelts are very versatile. Simple economics will tell you that if there’s little or no demand, the selling price will be low, while if there’s a high demand, it can sell for a lot more.
Trends can change quickly, so make sure to pay attention to what is in and what is out, as you don’t want to bring last season’s pelts to next season’s auction. Those who truly care about the quality of their pelt are willing to spend lots of money, so you don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.
Types of Coyotes
That being said, a good way to predict the demand for your pelt is to be aware of what people are wanting to do with them or use them for at that time. Hunt the coyotes at the right time of year, in the best location, and you are set. The three different locations are west, south, and east.
Southern pelts aren’t the highest quality, as their coats arent as thick. The southern coyotes aren’t exposed to colder weather so their bodies have adapted. Eastern Coyotes are the biggest of the coyotes, making them harder to hunt. They are found in the northeastern part of the country, from the Great Lakes to the big state of New York.
Western Coyotes are found in Oregon, Washington, all the way up through Canada, and Alaska. Some even live in California and Mexico. It all depends on the species. Their coats are much thicker, creating a higher demand and cost. (Source)
What the Pelts are used for
You may wonder what happens to your pelts after they are sold. Even though it is just a product, you spend a good amount of time hunting the animal and prepping the pelt for the auction. It is natural that you become curious about what all your hard work goes towards. There are many different purposes for coyote pelts.
Think of it this way, you’re not selling it to be someone else’s trophy, and the only other real use for it is as a material. So, that’s how people use it, as a material to sew into something. Most recently, coyote pelts have been used as trim for winter coats to provide extra warmth around the head and neck.
They’re also used to trim parkas, and some people might make them into jackets or even blankets. Many buyers like using the pelts to add color to the finished product in addition to extra warmth.
According to Canada Goose, the company famous for their coyote-trimmed winter coats, the fur doesn’t hold water, so it doesn’t freeze, and it disrupts airflow, so it blocks wind. This makes coyote pelts great protection from extreme weather conditions. (Source)
We often wonder how animals stay warm in the winter, this is how. They have thick skin and a layer of fur to protect them from the cold wind and weather that we as humans find unbearable.
How to Sell Pelts
Selling Pelts is a difficult process since the pelt’s value should come into consideration and you’ll have a hand in how much it will make in profit from the second it comes into your possession, right to the moment it’s sold.
When you go to sell a pelt, you should look at how many you scored, and then make sure that you’ve skinned them and taken care of the pelt in a fashion that will elevate its overall value. This could be difficult or easy depending on what kind of coyote you’ve harvested and the demand for its pelt. Make the pelts look their best for the potential buyers.
While you’re looking for a buyer or negotiating a price, keep in mind that the buyer will likely try to resell the pelt, and the buyer they sell to might also be trying to sell it. All of them will be trying to make a profit from it, so they’re not likely to pay the highest price for it. Since you are the first seller, you really need to hold your ground, since you know the next person is going to make even more money off of it.
Local Buyers
Often there will be associations or clubs in your local area, with plenty of people selling or buying fur. It is not as intense as an auction. You basically set up your area and can sell your products. However, this selling option can get a little competitive, as you have multiple other sellers, with pelts from the same area as you.
The worth of your pelts will go down if you were to sell them yourself. A great advantage would be to ship your pelts out of state, to an area that has nothing similar to you. (Source) If you don’t have any local clubs, associations, or auctions to sell to, shipping your pelts out of state to another fur buyer would be the better option.
Traveling Buyers
Traveling buyers are a great way to make the most money off your pelts. It is also very convenient, as you can schedule the time that works best for you. They are of course from out of town so they don’t have other obligations limiting their schedule. They may also be in a hurry to get to the next town, so they aren’t going to spend too much time negotiating with you and lowering the price.
Traveling buyers are often from larger companies, so lowering the price isn’t one of their biggest priorities. Besides mailing in your furs or selling them at an auction, selling to travel buyers is a great way to get the most buck out of your bang. (Source)
Mail Buyers
You might have seen an ad for a mail buyer in a magazine, but you need to be careful with these buyers. They’re a convenient solution if you don’t have any other buyers nearby to sell your pelts to, but their prices can vary from their listed ads.
Some might offer to pay shipping, but they also might only offer a good price for some of your pelts. They’ll usually give you a few days to accept their offered price, and if you don’t like it, they’ll send your pelts back to you.
Fur Auctions
When there are a lot of people at an auction, the chance of getting a good price for your pelt is a lot higher. Be aware, though, that market prices for pelts might change in the time it takes to wait for an auction to be set up. You may also be charged a commission to enter your pelts into the auction, which decreases your profit.
On the other hand, the location of the auction might be convenient to you, as well as the potential to offload multiple pelts in one go. So if there’s an auction near you, it might be worth your time and the commission to go there. Instead of trying to find the buyers, the auction brings the buyers to you. Most times this is worth the extra costs of commission.
If you don’t want to lose costs at an auction, then you might be better off with local buyers. (Source)
Etsy and eBay
Another way to sell your pelts is by looking online and finding a demand there. Searching on Etsy can show you whether there are people interested in pelts or parts of pelts for certain projects they have. These crafters will be less picky about the quality and color of your pelt as long as they can make it work for their project.
eBay also has a big market for pelts, and instead of having to find someone who will offer you a price you like, they’ll sell to the highest bidder. However, you might find a bigger market here for finished products rather than pelts themselves. (Source)
Additionally, buyers may come to eBay looking to buy in bulk for their businesses. A reseller may also buy the pelts in bulk from you to make a profit. Selling in bulk may bring in less than otherwise, but it could be a convenience to get all of your pelts sold in one go. If it is the end of the selling season and you’ve had no luck, eBay may be your solution to still making money off of your product.
When to Harvest for the Best Prices
It’s best to hunt the coyotes during harvest season. This leaves them at their best state, right before they could get mange. Mange is when a mite plants itself into the coyote’s skin. It itches so much that it causes the animal to scratch all of its furs off. If they scratch all of their hair off, the pelt will be useless. (Source) It’s important to harvest the coyotes before mange happens. You will be saving them because they will be unprotected from winter without their fur. This keeps nature in balance.
Coyotes are healthiest when legally harvested. Legally coyotes can be hunted year-round, but most hunters like to get them in the winter months at the beginning of the year. The primeness, or the thickness of the coat, depends on the time and season of when you capture them. Winter months would be the best time of year to harvest them for primeness because they have their nice thick winter coat developed. (Source)
Coyotes are best hunted during winter for the prime thickness of the coat. Primeness is a big factor in how the pelt is priced. Other factors that determine the price of the pelt include color, location of where it was harvested, its size, and the current fashion trends.
When selling your pelts, whether it is online or in-person, these factors are very important. As you can see, there are so many places to sell coyote pelts. You never have to worry about losing profit. Coyote pelts can be worth plenty as long as you market them correctly.
