Alaska Trapping Legend Dean Wilson Passes On

This past month, the Alaska trapping community lost a legend.  Dean Wilson, 69, died in his sleep of complications due to Parkinson’s disease.  Wilson was an icon in Alaska trapping.  In addition to running his own successful trapline, he spent time educating others on trapping methods and was a prominent fur buyer in interior Alaska.  He also wrote “The Alaskan Trapper’s Handbook”, a collection of his knowledge and experiences.

Wilson, a prominent trapper and fur buyer for more than 30 years in the Interior, is considered the patriarch of trapping in Alaska. He was sometimes called the “Father of Fur” and developed a reputation over the years for treating trappers fairly and honestly.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Alaska trapping legend Dean Wilson dies at 69.