Selling Tanned Furs

Hi all, I am getting various responses to my question regarding selling tanned furs by the DNR. I have a few questions regarding the whole process.

#1 Can I sell my tanned furs to anyone? These would be the pelts/hides of animals I killed, and that I process and tan. I emailed a question similar to this to the DNR and got one email saying my tanned furs had to be sold to a licensed fur buyer, and another one saying: “ Once tanned, otherwise lawfully taken furs may be bought, sold and possessed by anyone.” Which response is correct?

#2 What animals hides have to be registered? I know Bobcats do, and I do plan on hunting them. I am mainly going to be hunting coyotes, raccoons, and fox. Do I need to register those? If a bobcat hide is then processed can that be sold to anyone (similar to a previous question)?

#3 Where do I get a tanning license or a taxidermist license, and which do I need? I’ll explain my whole process for more detail. I am looking to go hunt, skin, and process hides/pelts, then sell them wherever possible.

Sorry for all the questions, but I am extremely confused by the wording and varying answers I am receiving. I just want to make sure I do everything legally. I’m sure this is probably confusing in itself, but I’ll respond to any questions anyone has. Sorry again, I’m 20 years old, and a first generation hunter. There are so many laws and confusing ones at that! I’m still pretty green, but I’m hoping that with more clarification I will be able to actually go out and hunt!

Zach

In mn Bobcats, otters, fishers, and marten require tags and registration. The tags are required to be on those hides in order to sell. They’re is also a specific season for them.
I’d assume they’d have to be on a tanned hide also.
It’s been a few years since I’ve sold fur, maybe things have changed.
The market for selling is terrible right now.
Look up and call a few fur buyers. If that’s your intention to sell to a buyer, they will instruct you how to prepare the hides.
More than likely they’d rather buy them green than finished.
I always sold mine green. That means skin it and freeze it, nothing else.
With the market being what it is, you are going to want to line up a buyer before you start collecting fur. Don’t worry about price if you find a willing buyer, sell them if you can.
Your best bet for legal info will be your local conservation officer. He’s writes the tickets so I’d go with his interpretation of the law.

Thank you for the info! I forgot to add that am also in MN. I really appreciate all of it, but especially the conversation officer tip! Thank you again.

I wonder what the difference is between a hide and a pelt on page 32 of the 23/24 Hunting & Trapping Reg book.
https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/full_regs.pdf

Of course I am in Wisconsin but have a friend that does what you are planing, as mentioned above the tag has to say with the pelt. He goes to rendezvous and sells he dosen`t make a ton of money but covers his cost plus a little more. He did not need any license to sell furs but he learned to actually make decent money he learned to make hats, jackets, and pants. One Beaver hat using the tail as the bill he got $500 for it.