Habitat drives populations. One of the first things you learn as a fur trapper is to spend time in the habitat that best supports the species you’re pursuing. Abundant water and young aspen draw in beaver. Cattail marshes are muskrat magnets. Coyotes like open spaces and the forest/field edges. Marten need mature forests. As a marten trapper I learned early on to look for … [Read more...]
Thoughts on the Free Trapper
This article first appeared in my monthly column in the Northwoods Sporting Journal - Jeremiah Wood. It’s tough to put a price on freedom. That goes for a lot of things, but we outdoors folks seem particularly fond of living life on our own terms. That means making a living doing something we’re excited to wake up to each morning, being our own boss, and living or dying by … [Read more...]
Under Ice Beaver Trapping – Jeremiah Wood
This article was previously published in the Northwoods Sporting Journal Maine winters are long and cold, so naturally you’d expect ice fishing to be a popular way for outdoorsmen to pass the long dark days until spring. That’s what I did when I moved back to Maine. Every year I put out at least one fishing cabin on proven smelt water, and spent a lot of hours sitting in the … [Read more...]
Selling Fur – Jeremiah Wood
This article was originally published in the January 2019 issue of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. It’s fur selling season. For trappers who spent late fall and early winter working hard to catch, skin, stretch and dry a pile of quality fur pelts, the last piece of the puzzle is figuring out where and how to market that fur. In the good old days of the fur boom, selling … [Read more...]
Skinning and Handling Fur – Jeremiah Wood
This article was originally published in the December 2018 issue of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. A great deal of trapping is preparation and anticipation. You spend the summer and fall prepping traps and gear, scouting for places to trap, and putting together all of the detailed tasks needed to get the trapline up and running. Then comes the frenzy of setting and … [Read more...]
Trapping Season in Maine – Jeremiah Wood
This article was originally published in the November 2018 issue of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. Trapping season in Maine. It’s a time that a unique subculture of outdoors folk spend the entire year anticipating, and the rest of the crowd doesn’t even notice. The state is home to around 3,000 trappers, and while they often fly under the radar, trapping plays an integral … [Read more...]
Why We Trap – Jeremiah Wood
This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. The cooler weather and shorter days signal the inevitable coming of fall. Fog hangs in the river valleys each morning. The faint smell of skunk essence lingers in the air. To a trapper, these are signs that can only mean one thing: trapping season is almost upon … [Read more...]
Trap Like a Kid: Why Formulas and Traditional Education Don’t Work in the Trapping World
Some of the most effective professional trappers in the world today approach trapping with the mindset of a child. That may sound like a bold statement, but let’s think about it for a minute. Having an open, creative mind, the ability to try new things, and willingness to solve interesting problems can all be considered youthful traits. The most enthusiastic I’ve ever been as a … [Read more...]