Until it was virtually banned in Washington, trapping was a good management tool.If you don’t believe that, ask the folks around Loon Lake what they think of the beaver with an appetite for their ornamental trees.Mention the muskrats that like to build their nests in Styrofoam docks.Both those fur-bearers are doing what they have been doing for eons, but when they compete with … [Read more...]
Fur Trapping Alive and Well in Tennessee | WMOT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WMOT) -- It may sound like a throwback to the state’s pioneering days, but there are a growing number of Tennesseans interested in Source: The sport of fur-trapping is alive and well here in Tennessee | WMOT … [Read more...]
North Dakota may join states that allow otter trapping – SFGate
Experts say the otter population is thriving — thanks in part to managed harvests — but animal welfare groups worry the expansion of trapping in the U.S. and Canada in recent decades isn't sustainable. Trappers in North Dakota for years have pressed state wildlife officials to allow otter trapping as the animals have moved into the eastern part of the state from Minnesota, … [Read more...]
To save their skin, Louisiana fur trappers look to save the coast | NOLA.com
For almost a century Louisiana trappers have struggled to make ends meet during drops in the fur market. The price they can command for pelts still fluctuates, but today's coastal trappers are facing a new problem: Land loss is eating away at the habitat of fur- bearing animals. Less land means fewer muskrat, mink and otter. That means fewer opportunities to skin the … [Read more...]
Small Time Marten Line
It isn't always about putting up numbers on the trapline, and Tom Chapin and Dan Hertle are a great example of how much one can enjoy small time trapping. These two old veterans get out on foot during Minnesota's very short and limited trapping season. Most trappers these days drive their traplines, hopping out to check a couple of sets here, a couple there. Chapin and … [Read more...]
Trapping on Reality TV
In a small way, trapping is returning to the forefront of some folks' minds through mainstream reality TV. Shows like "Mountain Men", "Yukon Men", "Life Below Zero" and "Great Wild North" are giving average Americans a new view on trapping, and it's pretty neat to see. Overall, modern day television has shifted from drama to the reality show. Reality shows are everywhere … [Read more...]
Still Trapping Despite Low Fur Prices
Times of low fur prices help to highlight many of the other reasons trappers get out in the field. Not only is trapping an enjoyable and fulfilling activity that gets folks close with nature and their subsistence background, harvesting furbearers is also critical to proper wildlife management. Here's a quote from Luke Laha in a recent Wichita Eagle article following a … [Read more...]
Trappers Slowed by Fur Market Woes
Patrick Whittle of the AP recently wrote a good article on Maine trapper Brian Cogill and the current state of the fur market. Tall, husky, barrel-chested, with a bushy auburn beard and a rosy complexion, he tromps through the forest to check traps capable of killing an animal within five minutes. Stepping onto a frozen pond, he chips through 4 inches of ice, reaches into the … [Read more...]