Coyote pelts made up the bulk of wild fur sales in Saskatchewan during the last fiscal year, bringing in more than $2.7 million, or 77 per cent of the total provincial fur market.
The average pelt price was $111.47, up 32 per cent from the previous year. However, the total coyote harvest was down about 30 per cent with 24,380 pelts harvested compared to 34,652 the previous year.
Total cash sales for the year was $3.5 million, down from $3.7 million the previous year. The total number of pelts harvested during the last fiscal year was 64,362, compared to 90,647 the previous year. That is a drop of 29 per cent.
The number of trapping licenses was also down from 4,990 in 2016 to 4,534 this year, a drop of nine per cent.
The second highest cash value was for martens which fetched a price of $99.01 a pelt up 54 per cent from the previous year.
The total marten harvest was 4165 pelts bringing in more than $412,376.
Third on the list is beaver. More than 8,616 were harvested bringing in $15.33 a pelt, up 38 per cent from the previous year.
The total beaver harvest brought in more than $132,083.
Muskrat pelts were up 57 per cent to $3.42. The provincial harvest totaled 18,696 animals with a value of $63,940.
The provinces fur industry has been on a decline for decades. Back in 1980, 22,506 trapper licenses were issued.
That number has dropped 81 per cent since then. The following are the top ten pelts marketed in Saskatchewan in 2016-17, according to dollar value:
Coyote – $2.7 million total cash sales – $111.00 average pelt price (up 34 per cent)
Marten – $412,376 total cash sales – $99.00 average pelt price (up 54 per cent)
Beaver – $132,083 total cash sales – $15.33 average pelt price (up 38 per cent)
Muskrat – $63,940 total cash sales – $3.42 average pelt price (up 57 per cent)
Fisher – $63,088 total cash sales – $61.37 average pelt price (up 13 per cent)
Red Fox – $42,690 total cash sales – $18.79 average pelt price (up 51 per cent)
Lynx – $39,352 total cash sales – $94.37 average pelt price (up 78 per cent)
Wolf – $31,076 total cash sales – $235.00 average pelt price (up 45 per cent)
Mink – $11,044 total cash sales – $17.15 average pelt price (up 58 per cent)
Raccoon – $6,958 total cash sales – $13.08 average pelt price (up 156 per cent)
The most valuable pelt is the wolverine which went for $302.00 a pelt last fur season, up nine per cent from the previous year. However, the provincial harvest was very small, consisting of only 13 animals last year.
The numbers are contained in the latest Saskatchewan wild fur harvest and price publication for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which is being released this week.
It can be found on Saskatchewan Environment’s website.
(PHOTO: courtesy the Fur Institute of Canada.)