Fashion trends continue to drag on the fur market. Despite all of the obvious benefits of fur – its incredible warmth and durability, sustainable management, environmental friendliness and biodegradability, and the necessity to harvest animals to manage healthy populations, the animal rights movement continues to influence the industry and fashion.
Several fashion lines have announced they’ll discontinue using fur. Canada Goose – the largest buyer of coyote pelts and trendsetter in fur lined parka fashion, has gone ‘fur free’. In addition, several cities in the U.S. have passed rules banning the sale of fur products, and some states are contemplating fur bans as well. Just when we should be celebrating the benefits of wild fur, society seems to be running away from it.
Coyote – For years coyotes were the one standout in an overall poor fur market. This was driven primarily by the trendy fur lined parka hoods sold by Canada Goose and other similar coat companies. The trend appears to have finally reached its end, and demand for coyote pelts dropped off a cliff last year. That’s unfortunate because coyotes are one of the most prolific furbearing species, and humans benefit greatly from responsible, sustainable levels of coyote harvest. With the low prices to come, we may not see much harvest for fur, and animal damage control trapping will likely need to play a larger role in harvesting coyotes. The best quality
Heavy western coyotes will still be in demand, but at a lower price, likely around
$30-40.
With the limited demand for coyote pelts likely to be filled by western heavies, the lower quality Eastern and Southern coyotes will be priced low, with
Easterns bringing in the
$15-25 range and the rest around
$10-15.