More on Trapping

In answer to a few questions.

In our neck of the woods we trap Red Fox, Grey Fox, Muskrats, Beavers, Coons, Mink and Coyotes. Sometimes we spend more time on one or another, depending on population numbers and fur prices. We limit the number of 'rats we take out of our little ponds ond streams. I have found it does not take to long to trap them out, you need to save some seed stock. Once you own the traps its silly not to trap. Some folks figure they can't make anything if they aren't getting prices like they did in the "boom". Well, you can still make money it just depends on what your lifestyle is and how much money you think you "need". I don't have time to go full bore with it becouse of the herd and all. We don't pull in large sums of cash with our line, but we enjoy it. When we trapped in Alaska we run a wilderness line. Now this was trapping! We had a cabin that was about 24 miles from the highway. You had to cross 2 lakes to get there. We trapped mostly Marten , fox, mink and wolves. I loved marten trapping. We trapped marten with wooden boxes and 110 body grippers. Foxes and wolves we used #4 double longsprings and bridger #5 coils. Until I trapped there I had never done a lot of snow trapping. It was a learning experience. We used long chains with grapple hooks instead of stakes. Anyhow, How did I learn to trap? The school of hard nocks. I started when I was 11 or so. Nobody in my family trapped so I read Fur-Fish-Game magazine and read Trapping North American Furbearers, which is a classic book. I tried all sorts of goofy sets I dreamed up. My first coon set, before I started reading, was a Peanut Butter sandwhich with a victor 1 1/2 coilspring in a cherry tree, on a branch. The trap was nailed to the branch, not to legal but hey I was 11. I caught 3 coons in that set! My advise to anyone looking to learn trapping is to find an old timer to teach you. You can learn alot at the trappers saftey course that you have to take. Trapping conventions are also good. There are alot of good books and videos out there as well. Start by buying a dozen traps and and get them dipped and hung out on a tree. Soak up all the learning you can before season starts and then have at it.