If you've followed this blog for a while, you have a good idea of my struggles on the marten trapline in recent years. This year I got the chance to put our a marten line earlier in the season, and got 25 sets out in new country that looked to be good marten habitat, but I'd never trapped there before. On Thursday, I checked the line for the first time. The sets yielded … [Read more...]
What are You Trapping This Season?
The low fur prices have a lot of us down, but most trappers can't stand to sit at home when the season opens. So far I've stuck close to home, trapping muskrats in the swamp across the road from home. It keeps the gas bill low and I haven't got much to lose if fur continues to be near worthless this season. Trapping season for all furbearers opens soon here in Maine, and … [Read more...]
Lessons Learned from Failure on the Marten Trapline
Over the years, I've learned never to take things for granted in trapping. Things don't always go as planned, and we trappers do make mistakes. I try to take away a valuable lesson from each failed experiment on the 'line, but for some reason, it's taken me much longer to learn from my marten trapping mistakes. I'm still not sure what the lesson is, but I guess it'll get … [Read more...]
Alaska Beaver Snaring Pics
Trapping Today reader James from Alaska shared some great pictures from his beaver trapline. James sets snares on poles at several locations in runs between the beaver house and feed bed. He's had great success so far. Thanks James! … [Read more...]
Indiana Considers Otter Trapping Season
After a successful re-introduction of river otters to the state, Indiana wildlife officials are considering a fur trapping season for otters for the first time in decades. INDIANAPOLIS — Efforts to restore Indiana's river otter population have been so successful over the last two decades that state wildlife officials say they need to cull the population. The Natural … [Read more...]
Raccoon Fur Handling Video Part 3 – Boarding
Boarding Boarding on Wire … [Read more...]
Raccoon Fur Handling Video Part 2 – Fleshing
Raccoon Fur Handling Video Part 1 – Skinning
We've had some requests for fur handling videos recently, so I thought I would post a few that I've found on YouTube as part of a new fur handling series. We'll start off with raccoon, with three short coon handling videos from the guys at Coon Creek Outdoors. … [Read more...]