Trapping Today

Fur Market Woes and Alaska Snaring: Podcast Episode 121

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In this episode I start by discussing the changing state of the fur market with the coronavirus epidemic and the crash in oil prices. Groenewold just announced they are suspending all U.S. fur buying routes due to recent changes in the market. There are a lot of questions up in the air, and I go into things in detail as I see them. In the second part of the episode, Jim and I … [Read more...]

Under Ice Beaver Trapping with Walter Arnold

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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...]

The Elusive Bobcat with Walter Arnold

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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...]

Walter Arnold on Fisher Trapping

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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...]

From the Alaska Trapline: Part 1 – Podcast Episode 120

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In this episode I start with an update on Trapping Today and the fur market, with an emphasis on the upcoming FHA auction. Then, we get into the first of three sit-downs Jim and I did at the trapline cabin in interior Alaska during my stay there. Most of the talk is around my first impressions of Alaska and trapping there after a couple days on the line. Enjoy! Support our … [Read more...]