NCTA Convention Sept 27 & 28, 2019

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
It is almost that time again! The 48 annual NCTA Convention will be held at the Smithfield Livestock Auction Arena, 526 County Home Road, Smithfield, NC 27577 on Sept. 27 & 28. It will be 2 days packed full of demos, good food and lots of good fellowship. And, once again, we have an outstanding list of vendors with anything you might need to pursue your quarry come trapping season. This event is open to anyone and the Friday Night Feed featuring fresh cooked whole hog BBQ and fried catfish is worth far more than the $5 adult admission, good for both days.

You do not have to be a trapper to enjoy this event. I know that coyotes are a subject that many of you are concerned about. I do not think you will find a better local venue where you can learn about coyote behavior and management techniques. The same also goes for beaver and and other fur bearing species.

I look forward to seeing many of you there!

The following links contain the details!

2019 Convention Agenda

2019 Convention Vendors

2019 Convention Demo Presenters

2019 Convention Motels
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
I was wondering when you would get out from under that rock and post this. LOL. The wife and I will be there Friday and will be bringing the usual for the auction. Looking forward to it and would encourage anyone with the time to attend if for nothing more than the fellowship with numerous forum members. And I can't believe that for the price, NCST8GUY doesn't attend just for the feed.
 

KrisB

Ten Pointer
Job doesn't start until Oct. 7, so I will be there! :D Looking forward to picking up my trapping supplies from 7oaks and seeing demos and meeting people. :)
 

Hazmt

Six Pointer
I will have to miss again. Gotta work the paying job all weekend! Thanks for the heads up though. Been awhile since I have been able to go.
 

KrisB

Ten Pointer
Had a blast at the convention today! I missed the muskrat demo ( :eek:), but 41magnum more than made up for that with a crash course in muskrat trapping. Covered all the basics and then some, which was very, very helpful! Also picked Mr. Jimmy Pierce's brain and Prune's during his muskrat skinning demo. :D Had an awesome time! Just degreased my traps. Getting excited for the season!
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
so I have always wondered,,,,why have a convention weekend in hunting season?

expect more folks would attend if it was not during the season(s)
 

PSell

Four Pointer
Had a blast at the convention today! I missed the muskrat demo ( :eek:), but 41magnum more than made up for that with a crash course in muskrat trapping. Covered all the basics and then some, which was very, very helpful! Also picked Mr. Jimmy Pierce's brain and Prune's during his muskrat skinning demo. :D Had an awesome time! Just degreased my traps. Getting excited for the season!
I second that, had a great time learning and preparing for the upcoming season.
 

Steelshot

Eight Pointer
Seemed like attendance was a tad low this year compared to previous years. QBD please correct me if I am mistaken.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Seemed like attendance was a tad low this year compared to previous years. QBD please correct me if I am mistaken.
I agree that the attendance was off a little as it has been at most all of the trapping rhondys this year. And that is a shame too, because we had a great bunch of vendors. And even though we did not have many nationally known folks doing demos this year, the folks we had are top notch trappers who collect lots of fur. And folks you meet and talk to at convention are a wealth of knowledge as well.

The best cure for attendance would be rising fur prices but unfortunately, I do not see that in the near future.

I talked to lots of folks during the convention, vendors and attendees and everyone was upbeat and having a good time. I expect most of the vendors who were there this year will be back next year and already have a commitment for at least one new vendor next year.

I am going to consider 2019 edition as a big success even if we were missing a few folks!

Thank you to all NCHuntandFish members that attended!
 

TKL

Four Pointer
This was my first year attending and my kids had a great time. They say it it will definitely not be our last time. It was really nice to see them asking so many questions and enjoying it so much.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
BUT>>>>>>>>>>>How was the feed???????
What happens in Smithfield stays in Smithfield.......................................you have to be there!!!!!

Seriously though, I have no idea how but the Feed just keeps getting better year after year. This year was no exception! The entire cooking crew did an outstanding job and the sides and desserts where outstanding as well!
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Not particularly as I recall. Did have some chopped rabbit BBQ.

But on Saturday we did have a wild game cooking demo with our own Kenneth Holland aka Muddawg. He set a couple of Coleman stoves on his tailgate and rendered down some coon fat into almost a quart of cooking oil, then drained and pressed the cracklins. He also deboned a bobcat hind quarter, cut it into steaks, seasoned it and fried it in a cast iron pan using the rendered coon oil. The cracklins and bobcat steaks were cleaned up pretty quick.

Planning to have another session of Cooking with Muddawg next year featuring another species or two.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
,why have a convention weekend in hunting season?
because historically they are horrid failures when held in summer months....cuz people are not thinking of trapping then and we, as society, are terrible planners.
I will no longer attend or be a vendor at the VA convention in June cuz I barely make gas money...…..over 2 days sales.......low attendance, sadly.

YET, the Bland Va Trappers Rendezvous in mid Oct I do real well.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
because historically they are horrid failures when held in summer months....cuz people are not thinking of trapping then and we, as society, are terrible planners.
I will no longer attend or be a vendor at the VA convention in June cuz I barely make gas money...…..over 2 days sales.......low attendance, sadly.

YET, the Bland Va Trappers Rendezvous in mid Oct I do real well.


OK,,,glad it works for you all,,,
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The NC Convention has been held on the last Friday and Saturday of September since I have been going (about 10 years). Not sure how long before that. Nebraska and Mississippi are the same weekend as NC and this year Alabama was also. The week before NC is the GA and WV conventions. Many of the same vendors attend many of the conventions and I expect a lot of these dates were established to avoid conflicts with other states competing for the same vendors. And the dates need to be during the off season for obvious reasons. The NCTA was started in 1972 and the bylaws specify that the annual convention is to be the last weekend of Sept. or the first weekend of Oct. We now have some counties with local fox season starting Oct. 1 so quite a few start trapping then.

Yes, we do loose some attendance due to deer hunting but probably less to bow hunting than to the eastern muzzleloader that comes in on Saturday now. Deer seasons used to start on Mondays.

I have been to one of those mid summer conventions is VA as well and this old man will not make that mistake again. That was like being in an oven and I did not even stay all day.

A strong fur market will solve attendance woes and increase sales for vendors too.

Next year the NC Convention will be a few days earlier than this year....Sept. 25 & 26, 2020. It will be the 49th annual BTW.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
A strong fur market will solve attendance woes and increase sales for vendors too.


I trapped hard in the 70s,,,,times when young men had dreams of making a living trapping for fur,,, knew several fellows who quit nice jobs to do just that

Then the bottom fell out
 

KrisB

Ten Pointer
A strong fur market will solve attendance woes and increase sales for vendors too.

I trapped hard in the 70s,,,,times when young men had dreams of making a living trapping for fur,,, knew several fellows who quit nice jobs to do just that

Then the bottom fell out

Do y'all think the fur market has hit rock bottom and things will start to turn around in coming years? Or have the prices been this low pretty steadily since the bottom fell out back then?
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
First, I am no expert when it comes to predicting what the fur market will do and I did not sleep at the Holiday Inn Express last night either, but I do listen to folks I consider to be very knowledgeable on the subject. Gary Groenewold of Groenewold Fur and Wool gave us a brief update on the market at our General Membership Meeting on Saturday. They buy and actively market wild fur around the globe so their success or failure depends on them knowing the market.

Some key points from Gary:

The coyote market will remain strong this year, especially the heavy and semi heavy westerns as trim for high end coats/parkas.

Top grade western bobcats will remain fairly strong for high end fashion. The lower grade midwestern and eastern bobcats that he referred to as commercial quality will remain about the same or slightly weaker.

Most beaver will be used in the hatter market and it will remain steady and current levels.

Otter will remain weak.

Muskrat and wild mink will remain at current levels.

Raccoon is selling but the price will remain low.

Fox, both red and gray will remain at current levels which are very low.

GFW will be buying pretty much all of the fur we can produce in NC including raccoon but it will be at a low price for the most part. I do not remember him mentioning the Carolina Silver Sable, aka the possum though. That might be the exception.

GFW will run a pick up route in NC similar to last year. They will buy green beaver and otter that is skinned and frozen as they have in the past. And this year they will also buy green skinned and frozen raccoon and skunk. Being able to sell green frozen saves the trapper the time and effort to flesh and stretch, saving time on critters where the sale price is already depressed.

GFW pays you for your fur when you drop it off at their truck.

Other options to market your catch:

Also, NAFA (North American Fur Auctions) will run pick up routes in NC and southeastern VA similar to past years . With NAFA all fur must be fleshed and stretched. They accept it as a consignment, tag each pelt and sort it into lots by size and grade and offer it for sale auction style at usually 4 auctions per year. They charge a fee of 11% of the sale price for this service and you do not get paid until your fur is sold.

And there are also a few local buyers left in NC. You generally take your fur to them and they pay you for your fur. They may accept in still on the carcass, green skinned or fleshed and stretched. There is a listing of licensed fur buyers for NC on the WRC website.

There are lots of factors that drive the fur market and I have not really tried to address them here, maybe another post if some of you are interested.
 

Prune

Four Pointer
NC coyote market = 0 - 35

NC bobcats = 15-40 ,sell paler and nicer spotted to taxi market

Most beaver will be used in the hatter market 9 average all in but kits

Otter will remain weak. 15-30

Muskrat 2 -3 and wild mink 3-10

Raccoon is selling but the price will remain low. 1-8 , trapper average around 4-5

Fox, both red and gray will remain at current levels which are very low. 5-10

Carolina Silver Sable, aka the possum . I put up the larger ones 1-2 GFW hasn't been buying recently

Skunks 4-10 ...I would want them frozen whole

Selling beaver & otter green skinned is the way to go in this market.. Castor from beaver adds another 5 easy right now. Castor selling around 70 a lb takes 7 -9 beaver for a lb kits out.

All fur above is put up except beaver & otter

GFW will buy green skinned raccoon ,but would try not to sell them in carcass price will be reflected

When fur is put up, NAFA , FHA, or Va D1 Fur sale can be shopped around ,where as green skinned and carcass is tougher to handle easily.


There it is real quick but could change quickly based on economy ,fashion trends ,weather creating short catch .. theres more factors but when price is low learning and trying new ways is now. And take a kid or someone new along


These are what have a feeling on a price range...Been messing with fur a good while and this is my best guess.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Do y'all think the fur market has hit rock bottom and things will start to turn around in coming years? Or have the prices been this low pretty steadily since the bottom fell out back then?


it will flunctuate up and down but I expect it will never have the returns we saw back then

mainly I hope to break even,,,seldom do anymore,,,but it's fun,,,and heck,,,cooked right some are good eats!!
 
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