Fur Quality and Timing question

[Focus]

This is my first season trapping coyotes. I'm in Southern Idaho, trapping at about 2500-3000'. Its been below freezing overnight, but around 35-40 during the day. This will continue for the foreseeable future.

My question is, at what point of the season does the fur quality fall off to the point you'd pull your traps?

There's a fur sale next weekend and another one in March. I know I don't want to be trapping clear into March due to other irons in the fire but stopping now seems too early.

FWIW my last catch came mid-week last week. That coyote was snare-caught and pretty torn up so I wasn't able to gauge the quality of him.

 

[shb]

Coyotes get a new fur coat about the first of November.


The rate of fur degradation after that depends on the texture of the fur, amount of movement, and habitat abrasiveness.



Every area is different.


North of I-80, The sweet spot is about 15 days each side of Thanksgiving.



You can still get some good ones, but the percentage of good, vs worn gets smaller the farther you get into the winter.

 

[wytex]

For coyotes it's all about the guard hairs. They start getting rubbed off pretty early, say Nov. depending on snow etc.
Bobcats, fur is much better now than say early Dec. but may depend on where you are.
We'll keep setting til late Feb., bobcats have to be tagged before March 12.

 

[brockel]

Got first really rubbed one earlier this week. Will start getting hit or miss on if they are rubbed or not from here on out

 

[Sask hunter]

Got first really rubbed one earlier this week. Will start getting hit or miss on if they are rubbed or not from here on out
View attachment 169315

That looks like what we call lice. Some years I have had to throw about half away due to lice

 

[brockel]

That looks like what we call lice. Some years I have had to throw about half away due to lice

I think you are right. Every coyote I’ve killed has looked healthy and plump except this one. Pretty scrawny coyote

 

[Schism]

That looks like what we call lice. Some years I have had to throw about half away due to lice

I would agree. What I've seen is the fur degrades up the front shoulders and over the back. I've shot many with lice the last few years in ND. One area it's as bad as 30-50% of those I've shot.