The Trapper -julkaisun February 2020 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

The Trapper|February 2020

R3 INITIATIVE

It’s no secret that the ranks of trappers, hunters and even anglers are shrinking. This is nothing new, and some of the reasons are unavoidable. More and more folks live in cities and fewer and fewer live in rural settings, and if you don’t think it’s harder to hunt-fish-trap when you live in town, you’ve never lived in one. An aging population is another big reason for the decline. I’m a Baby Boomer, and this summer I’ll turn 73. I’m still plugging along, but I don’t have as many sunrises ahead of me as sunsets behind me. The day is coming when I’ll hang up my traps and throw away the key to the gun room. Not this year or the next, I hope, but it’s out there, and I…

3 min

The Trapper|February 2020

THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD OF COYOTE DAMAGE CONTROL ON THE TRAPLINE WITH TOM BEAUDETTE

I don’t think there is a more challenging furbearer to trap than the coyote. Th roughout the years, I have trapped some impressive numbers of the little wolf, and most of those coyotes came pretty easy. It wasn’t until I started working in damage control that I received a real education. There are and always will be coyotes on a trapline that will be tough to catch These coyotes have either seen a buddy in a trap, or quite possibly have fired a trap and escaped themselves. Either way, they will be very difficult to catch. Once an old coyote puts two and two together, the coyote trapper will have a challenge trying to put up these guys. Most trappers reading this article will not want to bother with tough…

5 min

The Trapper|February 2020

A DECOY DIMENSIONAL TRAPLINE

There’s far more innovation out there in trapping methodology than what we currently think. I have noticed that strategies in the trapping world don’t necessarily change as fast as other outdoor pastimes when trying to collect predators. Heck, I occasionally find myself still setting the very reliable Newhouse leg hold traps that don’t look all that different from today’s long spring traps. Mr. Newhouse himself would be proud, almost 200 years since his birth, to see his iconic trap design still in the field today. I have personally tried just about every bait recipe known to man, and have concluded that there’s no secret magic bait — only concoctions that fare a little better than others on the trapline. I haven’t discovered the secret dirthole or blind set, either. However,…

11 min

The Trapper|February 2020

THE PEN SET

I was cutting out an old snowshoe trail when I found the set. Judging by the blazes that marked the way, the trail was quite old. The set looked like a small corral. Strands of old haywire dangled from a tree in the center of the set where the trapper had wired his bait. Traps or snares would have been placed in the two obvious openings in the corral-like structure. Although I didn’t know it at the time, I was looking at a set that was quite common to both the First Nation and Scandinavian trappers who had trapped the North Country during the Hudson Bay era. They called this type of set a pen set, and it was a favorite for canines, lynx and wolverines. Since it takes some…

4 min

The Trapper|February 2020

TRAPPER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

pursuitchannel.com FEB 8: Indiana State Trappers Association Fur Sale. Miami Co. Fairgrounds, 1079 W. 200 N., Peru, Indiana 46970. Doors open at 7:00 a.m. Sale at 9:00 a.m. (EST). Contact Byron Tiede, 219-863-3803 (text or call). FEB 15: Pennsylvania Trappers Association District 2 Annual Fur Sale. Burnt Ridge Bow and Gun Club, Cowansville, PA. 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Fur Taker’s License required to sell fur. A 4% commission will be collected on fur sold. Contact Val Schmaus 724-859-8607, or Jim Colosimo 724-794-4549. FEB 21-22: Montana Trappers Association, Western States Fur Auction. Park County Fairgrounds, Livingston, MT. Fur receiving times: Friday noon to 7:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fur sold 5:00 p.m. Saturday. Contact Brian Stoner 406-581-8583 or 406-388-0103. MAR 6-8: West Virginia Trappers Association Annual Spring…

2 min

The Trapper|February 2020

OTTERS: CURB THEIR DESTRUCTIVE HABITS

Some folks might be surprised to hear this, but otters can do a lot of damage around their habitats. Whether it’s destroying fish populations in farm ponds and hatcheries or burrowing under homes that are near waterways; and gardens are not safe from them, either. On top of all of that, their feces is extremely foul smelling and the food they leave behind can cause a smelly mess. There are several repellents available on the market these days that are made to deter otters from coming around homes, but they are not always guaranteed to work. One of the most effective ways to discourage river otters is by spreading the seeds of black pepper in your garden. Alternatively, you could make use of pepper spray. You may also consider using…

3 min

The Trapper|February 2020

A NEW YEAR, AND A NEW ERA

The year 2020 will be a year of change, and we can probably state that the greatest uncertainty about the fur market is happening right now. As you read this, the entire industry is in turmoil, and there has been major shuffling of all longtime industry players. As I am sure you have heard, North American Fur Auctions (NAFA) faced some major financing challenges in 2019, and the oldest fur auction in North America was forced to get out of the wild fur business for 2020 — this year. As soon as the news was out, most all of the other industry players are fighting to try and captures the market shares that NAFA dropped. Imagine this: more than 15,000 wild fur trappers that historically shipped to NAFA now have…

4 min

The Trapper|February 2020

FUR MARKET MEMORIES

During my seven decades of watching the fur market, I’ve seen plenty of ups and downs in the price of furs. But then, the same can be said for almost every other product or service that touches our daily lives. I remember when it cost only three cents to mail a letter. Shotgun shells were a dime each at that time, and you could buy as many or as few as you needed out of an open box at most country stores. Sears, Roebuck and Company was not only handy in the outhouse, but the company sold everything from steel traps to underwear to baby chickens, and would deliver it all to your doorstep via rural mail carrier. Sears also bought raw furs, and paid either by check or credit…

10 min

The Trapper|February 2020

Association News

Email reports to Chris.Berens@Media360LLC.com Arizona Trappers Association President — Wayne Boring, traparizona@gmail.com 928-243-0973 Vice President Rick Van Horn, Kingman, 928-757-3860 Secretary Grace Van Horn, Kingman, 928-757-3860 Treasurer Mike Huffer, Scottsdale, 480-970-5904 Membership Carrie Crouther, Flagstaff, 928-699-4305 Directors: Apache County Scott Trowbridge, Chinle, 928-349-0405 Cochise County Bob Lackner, Willcox, 520-384-3279 Coconino County Lance Crowther, Flagstaff, 928-607-9380 Gila County Vacant Graham County Park Romney, Thatcher, 928-428-6952 Greenlee County Vacant Lapaz County Vacant Maricopa County Vacant Mohave County Rick Van Horn, Kingman, 928-757-3860 Navajo County Jim Manard, Heber, 928-535-9029 Pima County Atom Hatley, Arivaca, 520-444-7116 Pinal County Jeff Serdy, Apache Jct., 602-820-4429 Santa Cruz County Vacant Yavapai County Vacant Yuma County Ryan Trousdale, Tacna, 909-499-8226 Membership Options: • Adult membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $30 • Junior (under 16)…

61 min

The Trapper|February 2020

TRAPPING IS HAND-ON

Make this set — if you can still bend your fingers. Trapping is tough on your hands. There is no question about it. I once trapped with an old-timer, about halfway through the season, he would declare, “I know when I’m trappin’ because my hand looks like the back foot of a beaver.” This old fellow trapped all winter long, bare-handed. I could not follow in his footsteps. If I stick my hands in icy water, it feels as if there are a thousand needles prodding at my flesh. But, even though I wore gauntlets for most of my water trapping, my hands would still get wet and muddy while I ran my traplines. For a week or two everything was okay. Then the water and the mud would start…

3 min

The Trapper|February 2020

LURE SENSE

Let’s face it, there are about ten thousand lure and bait choices on the market these days, and we trappers who aren’t lure-making experts are left confused about what works and how it works. Take any trapping supply catalog and check out the sections with baits and lures — the choices are staggering. Sometimes the short descriptions about the products can provide some clarity about their use, but they’re often more of a sales pitch than detailed information. Now, to be fair to our quality bait and lure makers out there, the advertisement space is limited and some lure makers do provide some good details about their lures. But, a lot is left to be desired when it comes to information about when, where and how to use many of…

10 min

The Trapper|February 2020

QUICK-HITTER LINE

We all like to consider ourselves blood kin to Jeremiah Johnson, Jim Bridger and Walter Arnold; trappers of the highest order, pack mules piled high with prime beaver pelts, our Hawken rifles propped proudly across the saddle horn. The reality is that only a small percentage of today’s licensed trappers are longliners of the “see you in six months” variety. The responsibilities of modern life are such that few of us can afford to take a trapping hiatus that lasts all season, which leaves us a simple choice: set a few traps near home on weekends and holidays or wait till retirement gives us the time and opportunity to get back into it. I have been what might best be called a “hobby” trapper for about 50 years. Even during…

11 min

The Trapper|February 2020

3 KEYS TO COYOTE CINSISTENCY

Coyotes haven’t survived — and thrived — this long by being gullible. They’re incredibly cunning and leery of anything that’s out of place in their environment. So, there’s a lot more planning and effort invested into every successful coyote hunting endeavor than most people think. It’s not as easy as setting up a decoy and/or calling and the coyotes just come running headlong into your sights. To stay at the top of the game, hunters need to key in on coyote travel corridors, odor control and reducing noise. When coyote hunters have a better understanding of these three vital elements and plan how to implement them into their hunting strategies, they will have much higher odds of a solid song dog season. TRAVEL CORRIDORS Ask just about any canine hunter…

9 min

The Trapper|February 2020

THE TRAPPING BUG

Before I leave this earth, I need to sing the praises of the Volkswagen Beetle. I mean the ones from about 1947 to 1974. The Bug was designed in Germany to be a peoples’ (Volks) car. Honestly I never owned one. They were homely little underpowered things. In college, the rifle team coach commissioned my buddy’s VW bus to take us to a shooting match. We took turns driving. My driving experience was my Grandpa’s, God rest his soul, Dodge 383 V8. I thought that VW was gonna throw a rod when it was wound out, and we weren’t makin’ 50 miles an hour. Two good friends of mine, in the late 1960s, opened a garage specifically to work on “foreign” cars because the main garages were turning folks away.…

4 min