Actually, they can be farmed quite effectively, if you know the secrets :) I happen to have found some relevant info recently, which I'll share.
Short story: HoH is a good place to farm these.
Long story:
Go here: http://www.kyros.info/Tradeskills/cultural.htm
props to Kryos from EQTraders, who assembled the info (and figured it all out for all I know :)
Anyway, that chart shows that fine pelts are most commonly dropped by mobs which are level 58-62 (the ones in HoH are almost all in this level range)
On top of that (quoted from the site):
Mobs have an additional 6% chance to drop an item from the next-lower tier, and a 2% chance to drop an item from the next-higher tier. Humanoid ratios are
2 silk : 1 animal pelt : 1 ore
and
1 fluid : 1 marrow : 1 loam.
Humanoids can drop any type; spiders drop silks and fluids; animals drop pelts and marrow; and golems drop ore and loam.
So, if you haven't been hunting humanoids or animals, your chances of getting any are zero :(
When I farmed some in HoH recently, I was seeing one drop per 6 or 7 mobs. So your farm rate will vary, depending on your farming toon.
Tat
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Tatanka Wolfdancer, 115 Wood Elf Druid, 9 x 300+ Master Artisan, 7 maxed trophies (dang research! :)
Michone, 115 Troll Shadowknight
Anaceup Mysleeves, 115 Erudite Mage, 2 x 300 Master Artisan
Snookims Whinslow, 112 Erudite Enchanter, 2 x 300 Master Artisan
<Inisfree>, Tunare (Seventh Hammer!)