Selling the Fur

You have a stack of finished, bone-dry raccoon pelts on your bench. What happens next? The law has an opinion, the market has prices, and graders have standards. This lesson walks you through all three — so you get paid what your work is worth and stay on the right side of the regulations.

The legal prerequisite: the Commercial Fur Harvest License

In South Carolina, two licenses are required to take or sell furbearers for commercial purposes:

1. A valid SC hunting license — the standard hunting license you already hold to hunt raccoon legally.
2. A Commercial Fur Harvest License — a separate furbearer-specific license required in addition to the hunting license whenever you intend to sell pelts.

At the time of writing, the resident Commercial Fur Harvest License costs $25; nonresident cost is higher. These figures change — confirm current costs at SCDNR.

Reporting requirement: all Commercial Fur Harvest licensees must submit an annual harvest report to SCDNR by April 15 each year. The form is provided by SCDNR. Failure to report results in escalating penalties, including loss of licensing eligibility on a second offense.

Edge case Who needs a Fur Buyer's License?

If you are purchasing raw pelts from other trappers — not just selling your own — you need a separate Fur Buyer’s License. Resident Fur Buyer’s Licenses cost $100; nonresident, $200. The personal-use exception (five or fewer furs acquired for your own non-commercial use) does not cover reselling. Verify current requirements at SCDNR.

Two channels to market

Once you have the right licenses, two main pathways move your pelts to buyers:

Direct sale to a licensed fur buyer. A fur buyer holds a state Fur Buyer’s License and purchases raw or finished pelts directly from trappers. They grade your pelts on the spot, make an offer, and pay cash. This is the fastest path from pelt to money. The South Carolina Trappers Association maintains contacts for buyers who operate in the state — check their website or contact them for current buyer information, as buyer activity varies by season and market conditions.

Consignment to a fur auction. Fur auction houses — such as Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. (NAFA) in North Bay, Ontario — run scheduled auction events where pelts from many trappers are pooled, professionally graded, lot-sorted, and sold to the highest bidder from the buyer floor. Your pelts are shipped to the auction, sold at their market-grade price, and you receive a check minus the house fee. Auctions typically yield a truer market price, but payment takes longer and there are shipping and consignment costs.

Deep dive How to find current SC fur buyers

The South Carolina Trappers Association (sctrapperassoc.com) is the most practical starting point for finding current SC fur buyers. Many buyers operate at annual SCTA fur sales events, or can be reached through the association. Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. (furharvesters.com) provides instructions for consigning pelts to their North American auction. Verify any buyer’s current license status with SCDNR before transacting.

How graders set a price

Whether a fur buyer or auction grader is looking at your pelt, they are evaluating four things:

1. Prime-ness / season timing. Raccoon fur is most valuable when the pelt is fully prime — the underfur is thick and dense, guard hairs are full and glossy. This corresponds to cold weather, typically December through February in the SC Piedmont. Pelts taken early in the season (still growing) or late (beginning to shed) grade lower.

2. Size. Larger raccoons produce larger pelts; large pelts bring more. A big Piedmont tom in full winter fur is the premium product.

3. Condition and preparation. Graders inspect for holes, tears, knife nicks, bare patches, staining from fat or gut, and matted fur. A pelt with holes from sloppy skinning, or one that wasn’t fully fleshed, drops a grade immediately. Everything in the skinning and fleshing lessons directly affects this score.

4. General appearance. Is the fur clean, does it brush up nicely, and does the pelt lie flat and symmetric on the stretcher? These are the finishing marks that separate a “1” pelt from a “3.”

Prime-ness — fur density and guard-hair quality Size — overall pelt length Condition — no holes, tears, or stains Preparation — even stretch, clean edges

Realistic price expectations

The raccoon fur market is driven by international demand — particularly from European and Russian fashion markets — and is historically volatile. In recent strong years, quality SC raccoon pelts have reached $8–$13 each at auction. In weak years, average prices drop to $2–$5. The market through the early-to-mid 2020s has been soft for most common fur species.

Do not trap raccoon expecting to profit from fur alone at current prices. The more realistic frame: the fur check offsets your license, trap, and time costs, and the experience of processing your own harvest has value independent of the market. If the market improves — and it has before — a trapper with sharp skills and clean pelts will benefit first.

The why What moves the raccoon fur market

Raccoon fur is used primarily in trim, hats, and accessories. Demand is most influenced by fashion trends in Russia and Europe and by currency exchange rates. When those markets are buying, even average pelts fetch reasonable prices. When they aren’t, the North American market struggles to absorb supply. The best thing a trapper can do about price is to produce the cleanest, highest-grade pelt possible — premium pelts always outperform market averages.

Knowledge check

You have a SC hunting license and 12 raccoon pelts you'd like to sell to a local buyer. What else do you legally need before you can make that sale?

You have a SC hunting license and 12 raccoon pelts you'd like to sell to a local buyer. What else do you legally need before you can make that sale?

A Commercial Fur Harvest License from SCDNR Nothing — a hunting license is sufficient to sell your own pelts A Fur Buyer's License

Check answer

Knowledge check

A grader picks up your pelt and finds three small holes near the nose and one tear in the belly. Which grading factor does this fail?

A grader picks up your pelt and finds three small holes near the nose and one tear in the belly. Which grading factor does this fail?

Condition — holes and tears drop the grade regardless of fur quality Size — a holed pelt is treated as a smaller pelt Prime-ness — holes indicate the fur wasn't prime when taken

Check answer

Take it to the woods (and the license counter)

Fur-selling readiness checklist

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Reset

• ⚠ Safety Verify current Commercial Fur Harvest License requirements at dnr.sc.gov/regulations.html before hunting begins. Regulations change yearly. Do not assume last year's rules apply.
• Hold a valid SC hunting license AND a current Commercial Fur Harvest License before taking any raccoon for sale.
• Mark April 15 in your calendar — annual harvest report due to SCDNR.
• Contact the SC Trappers Association or SCDNR to identify current licensed fur buyers in your area.
• Before consigning pelts, self-grade them: any holes? Fat stains? Matted fur? Fix what you can; know what you're sending.

Sources

• SC eRegulations — Trapping and Commercial Fur Harvesting: https://www.eregulations.com/southcarolina/hunting/trapping-commercial-fur-harvesting
• SCDNR — Rules and Regulations (verify current): https://www.dnr.sc.gov/regulations.html
• SCDNR — Commercial Fur License Application (PDF): https://www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses/pdf/CommFurLicense.pdf
• South Carolina Trappers Association — Fur Sales: https://www.sctrapperassoc.com/fur_sales
• Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. — 2026 Wild Fur Market Forecast: https://www.furharvesters.com/marketforecast.html
• Trapping Today — 2025 Fur Prices Market Report: https://trappingtoday.com/2025-fur-prices-trapping-todays-fur-market-report/
• SC Animal Law — Article 12, Trapping Furbearing Animals: https://www.animallaw.info/statute/sc-fur-article-12-trapping-furbearing-animals-regulation-dealers-buyers-processors-and