Table of contents for Summer 2020 in The Trapper

I have revised this column several times over the last month or so, each time fervently hoping that I’d be wrong. Because of the time required for producing a magazine and getting it into the readers’ hands, I’m usually writing this a month ahead of time — this time that’s smack-dab in the middle of the swirl and panic of COVID-19. Things are changing fast as I write this, and nobody knows what’s coming tomorrow. Or later today, for that matter. Nevertheless, Fur Takers of America’s annual rendezvous, set for late June in Indiana, has been cancelled. I sincerely wish that wasn’t the case. But, when I’m pecking out these words, this statement is on the FTA’s home page: “The Fur Takers of America regrettably announces that the Rendezvous scheduled…

Email reports to Chris.Berens@Media360LLC.com Arizona Trappers Association arizonatrappersassociation.com 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 application available at arizonatrappersassociation.com Membership Options: • Adult membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller…

ON THE TRAPLINE WITH TOM BEAUDETTE Over the years, all of my traplines have taught me something at one time or another. There have been traplines that produced good catches — and many traplines that did not. With coyote fur being in high demand over the last eight years or so, it has brought out a lot of hunters and trappers pursuing them. Competition for fur is a good thing. But, one will have to work harder to achieve any consistent success for the end product. As I started out my fur season, I was reminded just how tough coyotes can be. My first calling stand produced one coyote that began circling my spot to catch my wind. The first snow of the season revealed how several lure- and trap-shy…

ONX HUNT APP Get an edge with the most intelligent and accurate GPS mapping tool for trappers and hunters. OnX Hunt maps encompass 985 million acres of public land and more than 121 million private properties. Trappers, hunters and outdoorsmen are able to use their mobile phones as a GPS unit, tracking their movements, delving through different topographic maps and detailed aerial photos with unique applications for trapping, hunting, fishing, hiking and more. Those maps are accessible via a membership and can be viewed and used on a cell phone or personal computer. The OnX mapping system can also be used on a traditional GPS device with a purchased, preloaded chip. App features include public/private boundaries, a Wind & Weather feature, Offline Mode, a Historic Wildfire Layer, sharable Waypoints, logging…

I’m trapping along a ditch that has an odd configuration. The walls are steep and vertical, the ditch was obviously dug with a large track hoe some years ago. The ditch was dug to drain a wetland area, but the land is so flat and the ditch so poorly executed, that it has become just a long puddle with three feet of water in it. The local beavers travel up and down this ditch pretty frequently. I really need a 330 here because the water is not deep enough to drown a beaver in just a foothold trap. Unfortunately, the ditch is clean and straight with no constrictions that might help me find a good place for a 330. This calls for some innovation. I have found a slot in…

The changes you’ve noticed in this issue of the magazine have been a long time coming, as we have heard from many loyal readers over the years how much the trapping lifestyle means to us all. We’re proud to continue to improve and publish the best trapping magazine in the country, and carry on the tradition that began 45 years ago. The Trapper has undergone many changes in that time, from different size formats, to a variety of color combinations, a name change, staff and ownership changes, and more. But the one thing that has not changed, and never will, is the publication’s dedication to being the leading source of practical, comprehensive information for North American fur harvesters. As we move forward, you are going to see more focused, educational…

Any land set can be markedly improved or greatly diminished by connecting wind direction. Few trappers give this friction between atmosphere and earth the credit it’s due for working the traplines with us. You can’t make the wind but you can harness it. Wind is never still and often the slightest breath can be enough to draw a critter close — or send it into the next district. Old-time wolfers were geniuses at reading air flow for all of the classic government sets that really knocked down the timbers of the past. You can learn all you need by a simple method I like to call listening and watching. Radical thinking, I know, but if you can be still for a couple of hours at dawn or dusk it can…

Getting ready for your next trapping season really should start shortly after your previous season ends. You should put equipment away properly so it will be in working order and keep notes on the most productive sets of your last line. I am probably the guiltiest of being fed up with a bad weather day when pulling the line at the season and leaving a batch of traps balled up in mud. Unfortunately, that just makes the prep work harder for next season. No matter what shape your equipment is in it needs to be ready well before the first trap is placed so more time will be available for the short days of the season. HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE In my opinion, your notes from last season are…

MAY 15-16: 27th Annual Orwell Pennsylvania Antique Trap/Sportsman Show. 34142 PA RT 187, North Orwell Community Hall, PA. Fri. noon to 5 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m. to noonish. Free admission, antique bear traps, hunting, fishing, collectibles and more. North American Trap Collectors Association. Contact: Bruce McCormick 607-426-6276. JULY 10-11: U.P. Trapper’s Association Annual Convention. Fairgrounds, Escanaba, MI. Fri. 8 a.m.– 5 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Camping, dealers, demos, raffles, free fishing for kids, Friday night fish fry/banquet. Contact Roy Dahlgren 906-399-1960 or visit www.uptrappers.com. JULY 31-AUG 1: New Mexico Trapper’s Association Summer Rendezvous. Mountain View Christian Camp in Alto, NM. www.nmtrappers.com AUG 8: Pennsylvania Trappers Association District 8 FREE Trapper Training School. Shippensburg Fish & Game. Contact George McEntee at 717-732-8099 or email wildlifecontrolpros@yahoo.com. AUG 13-15: 44th…