They say the only thing constant in life is change. Things change all the time, and if you stop and look back over several decades, it can be pretty surprising to see how much things have changed. In this article, Walter Arnold is looking back on his younger years as a hunter and trapper, and is fascinated by how much has changed over that time. I can’t help but wonder what … [Read more...]

Trapping beaver through the ice is one of my favorite things to do. It’s also without a doubt the most labor intensive type of trapping one can participate in. The changes in population status and pelt value between Walter Arnold’s time and today are more evident with beaver than any other species. By the 1950’s, beaver were still recovering from decades of overharvest that … [Read more...]

With the exception of the coyote, bobcats probably vary more from region to region of North America than any other furbearer. Trappers have long argued about bobcat characteristics such as hunting habits, whether they kill deer, where they can be most effectively trapped, and how big they get. As a general rule, bobcats in the Northeast tended to be larger and prey on deer in … [Read more...]

The fisher is one of the most interesting furbearers around. Somewhere between a marten and a wolverine, he’s vicious for his size, but doesn’t get big enough to pose a threat to much more than house cats, porcupines and in some cases, believe it or not, Canada lynx. Fishers do well in the young forests found in farmland reverting back to pasture and regrowth after timber … [Read more...]

Getting old is nothing new. With age comes the inevitable slowing down, physical ailments, and in some cases, increased responsibilities. Walter Arnold was feeling it in the 1950's. He still got around great, but the responsibility part was grinding on him. Working on a farm to pay the bills sapped much of his time and energy, and his backwoods trapline was getting … [Read more...]

There are no new problems in this world, just old ones recycled in different form. I think that saying holds a lot of truth in all aspects of life, including trapping. As I write this, the fur market is at one of its all time lows. Fur prices don’t come near reaching the cost of production for a trapper, and we struggle to see an end to terrible market conditions. Without an … [Read more...]

You don’t hear about it too often in trapping circles these days, but the water set was a pretty popular one back in the day. I remember my uncle showing me this set when I’d started my trapping education. He’d probably read Arnold’s article on the set in Fur-Fish-Game magazine back when he was a kid, and used it many times on his backwoods traplines. You wouldn’t think foxes … [Read more...]

Trapping is adventure, but it’s hard work. By the late 1940’s, Walter Arnold wasn’t a young pup anymore. He was in his 50’s, but the adventurer that seems to be inside most trappers at any age was still alive and well. In this story, Arnold and his trapping pal decided to spend the season out in some new territory. They had a blast, but it wasn’t all roses. Here’s the story. … [Read more...]