The NWT government says sales at just one recent fur auction surpassed total sales of fur from the territory in 2025.
Nathan Kogiak, a traditional economy coordinator at the territory’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, told Cabin Radio NWT trappers made a total of $625,000 in sales at last month’s Fur Harvesters Auction in North Bay, Ontario.
That’s more than double the sales they made at the same auction last year, while selling just 63 more pelts.
Comparatively, NWT trappers made a little over $580,000 in total fur sales for all of 2025.
“I think it means a lot for the smaller communities where the wage economy isn’t as prevalent as it is in the larger communities. These smaller communities are more reliant on that traditional economy,” Kogiak said.
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“To have that huge influx of income, I think that will go a long ways for helping people’s quality of life, their mental health, because they’ll be out more on the land.”
He added the NWT’s cold winter meant tougher conditions on the land and the need to use more fuel, so high sale prices for fur can help to cover those increased costs.
‘Marten is our pride and joy’
Kogiak said marten accounted for the majority of NWT sales at the March 2026 auction.
“Marten is our pride and joy up here,” he said.
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He explained that marten in the NWT are larger than in southern Canada and the United States.
He added the NWT has dark marten, which buyers from Greece and Italy usually buy to use as a trim on mink coats, as well as paler marten, which buyers from South Korea are interested in as their fur is easier to dye.
Lynx, wolverine, wolf, mink and ermine also did well at the auction, with prices increasing compared to recent years.
Kogiak said many trappers will receive a prime fur bonus through the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program. The bonus is paid when the value of fur sold at auction meets or exceed the value of the advance given to trappers, with the aim of incentivizing trappers to deliver high-quality pelts.
‘Dust off the traps’
Of all the NWT marten pelts sold at the auction, Kogiak said only six did not sell at a high enough price to make the prime fur bonus.
“It’s pretty crazy to see all these fur bearers that we have going up,” he said.
“It’s amazing to see all these prices just shoot up so high.”
The Fur Institute of Canada told Cabin Radio the fur market is experiencing “a mini boom,” with some fur selling at record prices and inventory of some animal pelts completely or nearly selling out at the March auction.
Kogiak said he’s hoping to see similar prices at the upcoming June auction, adding the fur market is expected to be strong for the next two to three years.
“I think after this year, after word gets out that fur is ‘back’ so to speak, we’ll see a lot of trappers that were trapping before dust off the traps,” he said, “and you’ll see them out here next season, this coming winter.”
