The Trapperの April 2020 の目次

We are now into early 2020 and just about to start seeing the big international fur sales start. The uncertainty that has loomed over the trade still remains, as the whole game has changed since the announcement that North American Fur Auctions, NAFA, has announced that it would not be collecting and selling wild fur for this season due to financial difficulties. Consequently, and immediately after the announcement, fur buyers from all over got busy to try and capture some of the market shares. As trappers were busy harvesting fur, many buyers were busy setting up new routes and calling big trappers that were known to be historically loyal to NAFA. Fur Harvesters Auctions, the only remaining auction house for wild fur, also strengthened its position, adding more staff, hiring…

Twelve expectant faces gazed inquisitively at me from the outdoor amphitheater steps. After presenting to groups about trapping many times in the past, I didn’t think I would still get nervous. I was wrong. I live in North Dakota, a very rural state. If a person doesn’t hunt or fish, they know someone that does. Even so, trapping is an art that is often misunderstood. Visions of giant leg-hold traps with vicious teeth holding a poor, defenseless animal spring to mind. The anti-trapping movement of the 1990s, when I was an impressionable kid, cast a dark shadow over the pursuit. Thankfully, education and discussion of ethics can often change perceptions. While the trapping community has worked to recruit and retain new trappers around the country, getting accurate numbers on new…

Encounters with coyotes are on the rise. As people move into coyote territory, the animals have no choice but to adapt to their new environment, so sightings become more and more common. These occurrences frighten many people who are not familiar with coyotes. Even some that have been around coyotes for a long time can become a little apprehensive around the wild canines. In most cases coyotes won’t attack humans, but domestic pets and livestock are at risk. Not only do pets and livestock become targets, but of course, other wildlife is preyed upon by coyotes. It’s no secret that turkeys, deer, upland game and other furbearers are all favorite foods of coyotes. As conservationists, we owe it to all animals to protect them from coyotes, to feel safe in…

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, either while trapping fur or working in animal damage control, it’s this: A successful trapper must be able to adapt to the circumstances — no matter what predator is the target. WEATHER I’ve pursued every furbearer imaginable — from pigeons, squirrels and coyotes, to beavers, bears, lions and everything in between. Aquatic furbearers, like beavers and muskrats, can be problematic because of nature herself. Flooding and freezing temperatures can cause a trapper to lose valuable time. The Number 1 rule to live by for water trappers is this — If you’re lucky enough to be given a contract or opportunity to trap in good weather, absolutely take advantage of it. I remember one particular job that I signed up for, to trap muskrats…

With recent changes to the fur market, especially the closing of one of the largest and oldest auction houses in North America (North American Fur Auctions), trappers and predator hunters are looking for the best way to market their fur for the top dollar available. Local fur buyers are great outlets to use for selling your pelts. Depending on their pickup schedules, you may be able to sell more often throughout a season, and you can discuss the furs and prices offered face to face. But, to get a good price for your fur, it’s extremely helpful to have a good understanding of the fur market. It is not as easy as just trapping or hunting a furbearer and receiving a check for your hard work. There was a time…

(Readers be advised: I have no special training in dietary science. My only credentials in this field are that I have not starved to death.) What to do about lunch on the trapline? For a time, lunch on my trapline consisted of a can of pork and beans and a handful of crackers. But, I soon outgrew that health food kick. It wasn’t long until I found myself steering away from real food into nutritional supplements — candy bars. I never knew that candy bars were so good for you until they started putting the nutritional information on the label. I am no stranger to candy bars. They sold candy bars at the mom-and-pop store in our little village. They were a nickel, 5 cents, 20 for a dollar. By…

Through a series of misfortunate encounters, I have educated a gang of coyotes to my intrusion into their territory. They have since abandoned their usual haunts. Now, I have managed to track them across a soybean field to a new location. Actually, I didn’t track them much at all. I just took the lay of the land and guessed that they had headed for a brushy corner far distant across the field. I guessed right. Being the apex predators, these coyotes don’t hesitate to head out across open ground. So I didn’t really follow the tracks one after the other, I just found where the tracks stopped and where they took up again, the tracks were in fact several hundred yards apart. I am definitely proud of my ability to…

Major controversies surrounding the protection of wolves have taken over the courts, trapping associations, landowners and many others who deal with these apex predators. Many people who are not properly educated on the real issues surrounding wolves want to see them totally protected, to roam freely and continue to do what they were put on the Earth to do. Simply stated, they kill. Despite what some may say, wolves do sometimes kill just to kill and not feed on the prey. Elk, deer, moose, livestock, pets and just about any other critters that live in wolf territories are facing the consequences. The federal government and too many states have ruled to protect these animals from trappers and hunters, and the results have become more and more detrimental. Until these predators…

Sooner or later, you’ll be faced with it—the choice to trap when live-stock are present, or to pull out and miss an important opportunity. No matter whether you’re trying to solve a live-stock depredation event (and livestock are always present), or you’re just trying to collect fur while the rancher unexpectedly moves cattle on top of you, keeping traps working and catching furbearers is much more difficult when setting in the same pastures. Let’s recognize that not all livestock are the same. Cattle can be a problem when they stomp out your set, but sheep and goats can be held in a coyote trap. And for some reason, goats almost always seem to find your traps. Feral hogs and wild horses are even worse about stomping or rooting up traps.…

Whitetail hunters worry endlessly about deer bedding areas. You make it your goal to discover the bedroom of a target buck showing up repeatedly on a trail camera. Why? You don’t want to intrude on that bedroom safe haven. Plus, you hope to use the repeated return to that sanctuary as a future ambush opportunity. It’s a piece of the hunting puzzle that reveals much about your quarry. The same can be said for mule deer hunters and elk hunters. Wild turkey hunters also put extra effort into finding bedrooms, albeit you must look up for roosting cover a turkey would appreciate, and then down to confirm droppings from consistent use. The reason that most hunters place so much importance on locating these bedroom digs is because it’s a constant…