Squirrels are a plentiful natural resource. Plus, squirrel is some of the best wild meat and their skins are used for caps, coats, glove linings and many other items, but the tail is usually thrown away. Mepps® continues to ask hunters to save their squirrel tails, AND, they’re offering to reward you for your efforts!

    Mepps buys fox, black, grey and red squirrel tails and will pay up to 26 cents each for tails, depending on quality and quantity. Plus, the cash value is doubled if the tails are traded for Mepps lures. All Mepps asks for is the squirrel tail with the bone left in. The rest of the squirrel is for hunters to keep and harvest.

    Mepps® needs squirrel tails to create hand-tied, dressed hooks for their world-famous, fish-catching lures. They’ve been recycling squirrel tails for over half-a-century. In fact, they have recycled nearly 8 million tails since the mid-1960s, more of them than anyone else in the world.

    We’ve tested many different natural and synthetic materials for our dressed hooks, but nothing can compare to the action of a squirrel tail underwater. The fact is squirrel tails are all hair–no fur. Practically all other animals have fur tails with just a few guard hairs. Fur doesn’t have the same rippling, pulsating movement of squirrel hair in the water.

    Mepps Communications Director, Nik Kolbeck, wants to remind everyone, “We are focused on sustainability, we do not advocate the hunting of squirrels solely for the purpose of sending in squirrel tails.”

    For all the details on the Squirrel Tail Program, either visit their web site
    www.mepps.com/squirrel-tail or call 800-637-7700. Mepps, 626 Center St., Antigo, WI 54409-2496.

    Please note: Squirrel tails cannot be sold in California. Only eastern grey squirrels can be accepted from Oregon. Only red & fox squirrel tails can be accepted from Idaho.