The issue of trapping on public trails has been a hot topic in the news lately. It seems like every few weeks a story comes out about a hiker's dog being killed in a trap, refuelling debate about how trappers should operate. New York State recently adopted emergency trapping regulations that made it illegal to set traps that could kill dogs near public trails in the state. … [Read more...]
Fur is Eco-Friendly
The thought of wearing fur incites a negative reaction from a portion of the public, but is such a reaction really justified? After all, fur is a renewable natural resource. When managed wisely, furbearers can provide recreational and economic benefits to trappers, and play an important part in the global fashion market without harming the environment. In … [Read more...]
Fur Market Info Added
I added a fur market page to the site today. The page currently only contains a few links to fur buyer / auction sites, but will serve as a place to post related fur market information in the future. Stay tuned for more updates! … [Read more...]
Beaver and Raccoon Can Make Great Table Fare
They might not sound like the tastiest of treats, but a small number of people do eat the meat of certain furbearers, which can taste really great if prepared correctly. This might not be surprising, considering that beaver and muskrat are herbivores, and raccoons consume a wide variety of food items. Most other furbearers are predominantly carnivorous (they mostly eat meat), … [Read more...]
Hoofbeats of a Wolfer: A Review
I just finished reading "Hoof Beats of a Wolfer", a coyote trapping book written by L. Craig O'Gorman, predator trapper from eastern Montana. O'Gorman has been trapping coyotes for decades and has tens of thousands of critters to his name. He traps and hunts coyotes 12 months out of the year. His experience in predator control with both the government and independently for … [Read more...]
New York Extends Emergency Trapping Regulations
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation announced last week that it would extend the emergency trapping regulations put in place at the beginning of the 2007 season. The regulations were adopted to avoid the incidental killing of dogs and other pets with conibear (body gripping) traps set on the ground for raccoon and fisher. Body gripping traps have … [Read more...]
Do Water Trappers Ever Stay Dry?
I fell in again today. Getting wet seems to be a common occurrence in water trapping, and at times it's as comical as it is frustrating. Today's episode would have been an amusing one viewed from the bank, but as luck would have it, it was just me and the river. The fall was sort of a graceful slide. I was curious about a beaver flowage on the river I was doing … [Read more...]
Small Trickles are Great Places to Catch Mink and Muskrats
Narrow areas along small waterways offer a great opportunity to pick up traveling mink and muskrats as they move in search of food and/or shelter. The location below was the outlet of a small culvert, with a trickle of water leading to a canal. There were limited locations to set conibears in the canal, but this waterway allowed the perfect opportunity to put in a 110. I … [Read more...]