As trappers, we all have decisions to make about which animals we put effort into catching each season. The reality is that most of us can’t do it all, and we often choose between catching big numbers of one or two species, or making smaller catches of a wide variety of species. In today’s era of low fur prices, many factors other than price are at play when deciding what to trap for. These include animal damage concerns, the abundance of certain species in our area, the ease of trapping a particular furbearer, the difficulty and associated challenge of trapping a species, and of course, fur prices still do play a role.
In this article, Walter Arnold bemoans other trappers’ efforts to target species for status and reputation, and instead advises trappers to look at the potential money they’re giving up by just going after the ‘high profile’ species. In this case the ‘status’ trappers were targeting red fox, which had a reputation as being the toughest animal to trap. Nowadays the fox has been dethroned in favor of the mighty coyote, which is considered much more difficult to catch, particularly in big numbers.
Personally I don’t mind the idea of trappers specializing on a species that isn’t that valuable (price-wise) in order to make the big catches. There’s something about the hard work, dedication, and learning process involved in making big catches that helps make us better trappers. But Arnold makes a good point that the quest for glory among trappers can get a little annoying. He also makes a good argument for looking at the economics when planning out your trapping efforts.
Another interesting tidbit in this article is how much the value of pelts from certain species has changed relative to others over time. He runs the numbers in a couple of trapline catch scenarios for comparison’s sake. The exercise is designed to get trappers to think about different outcomes that result from where we decide to put our efforts. If the fur check is an important component to your trapline, it’s an exercise I think you’ll find very valuable to try.
Glory or Dollars?
Walter Arnold
First Published in Fur-Fish-Game October 1941
In the trapper’s relentless pursuit of the sly fox, it is easy to overlook some of the other furbearers less prominent but more valuable. If a trapper is out just for glory, he should concentrate on fox, because for some unexplainable reason, a great many people judge the ability of a trapper by the number of foxes he takes. However, if out for cash he will be wise to pay equal attention to other furbearers, which when taken together collectively, are usually found in much larger numbers than fox, with several of these species being far more valuable per pelt.
In this section of Maine a trapper who takes 50 foxes in a season would be heralded far and wide, yet his entire catch at present prices would not net him a penny over $150. On the other hand, the hard working mink trapper who takes 25 of these valuable pelts would receive but little notice from anyone except the fur buyers, yet his catch would net him around $200.
Before saying more on this subject, it might be wise to remind the reader that this article is based on conditions and fur prices prevailing at the time of writing here in central Maine. I mention this because there are states in which a catch of 100 foxes is not out of reason, as well as states in which no bounty is paid on bobcats. Mink are not as valuable in some states as in others. Some sections there are bounties on such animals as weasel, grey fox and other species, and then there are many sections in which the pelts of skunk, muskrat, fox and others are more valuable than here. However, none of this alters the fact that a good mixed trapper can make more real money than a good fox trapper who specializes in fox.
A trapper who glorifies himself by taking as many as 45 or 50 foxes a season in this state must have a very choice location and do a lot of work. A good muskrat trapper in a favorable location, doing the same amount of work, should have no trouble picking up 150 pelts with about the same net value. Both trappers will pick up other animals, but in this respect the muskrat trapper is likely to come out on top. He will make some accidental catches of mink with an occasional raccoon, whereas the fox trapper is more likely to be picking up a few skunks with now and then a stray raccoon.
The mixed-species trapper who makes a catch of 2 bobcats (which provides $30 in bounty), 6 mink, 3 raccoon, 30 muskrat, 18 skunk, 20 weasel and a half a dozen foxes would not get his name in the paper, yet he should receive more money for his take than half a hundred foxes will bring.
The beginner should not place too much dependence upon the word of any glamour trapper who attempts to make people believe he traps 50 or more foxes a year with all grading extra large and fancy, bringing $2 or more per pelt than reliable dealers are quoting. No trapper makes a large catch of foxes without picking up a reasonable number of scab, small and medium pelts and the average price per pelt is seldom anywhere near as much as outsiders are led to believe. It has been a long time since fox pelts have netted the trapper the money they should. Probably someday prices will advance to a point where it will make the profession a paying proposition again. We hope that day is not far off. (Authors note: Arnold was correct, fox prices advanced a great deal over time. Fox pelts were going for $70 or more during the fur boom of the 1970’s. They crashed again, and the average Maine fox pelt today is bringing $20 or less. Based on inflation, that would equate to around $1 in 1941.)
On many occasions I have had the opportunity to observe the difference between specializing on fox and trapping all furbearers. Probably the most outstanding example was back in the fall of 1931. Fur prices were at a very low level but the trapping fever had finally gotten me down. I was anxious to work back into the big woods and make it as near a full time job as possible. My activities in this line for a few years had been more of a hobby than a business as I had been held to a short line while carrying on work at the office. I adjusted my mail order business so the Mrs. could handle that work, took on a trapping partner and completed three well built trapping cabins, two of which are still in use.
We spent a great deal of time working on the cabins, packing in supplies and traps and prospecting new country. This made it difficult to spend much time focused on the trapline. We ran four-day lines, the last three days of which ran through country that was already being trapped by a pair of well established, expert fox trappers. They specialized on fox, which was one reason we laid our lines across part of their territory.
We went after everything that had a fur pelt which we could legally sell. In many instances we passed up good fox country and took to swaps and low ground where we believed more profitable trapping for bobcat, mink, otter and muskrat were likely to be found.
Although our camp building activities and the lack of traps prevented any more than a 70% trapline efficiency, especially during the water trapping period before freeze-up, we made fair catches right from the start. To be sure we had our lean days, but also those in which we loaded down the old fur packs. Deer and partridge were plentiful and we lived like kings, being envious of no one’s position in worldly affairs.
After the season got well under way, folks in town would ask “How many foxes have you got?” We would reply with the information of whatever the number might have been – six, eight or ten, then they would remark, “Well, what’s the matter? Those other two trappers have twenty-five.” This was the way it went until the final count was 19 for us, and I believe 57 for our friendly opponents. I think it will go without saying that we took a lot of ribbing from our friends. However, we knew enough to keep quiet. We realized the other two trappers were intelligent men and we did not care for them to learn the real facts. Once they did, they too would be after the animals that were paying far better dividends than foxes.
Let us analyze as close as possible just what did take place that fall. The fox experts evidently figured that mink were not worth going after. As near as we could learn, they took either three or four. We picked up 19. They did not bother with muskrat. We took 27. The following seasons when we had more time for trapping we found the line good for about 55 a season. They passed up the little white weasel, but we took 54. They collected bounty on two bobcats, while our traps netted us five. They trapped one fisher, and we did the same. They did not bother with otter, whereas we outwitted one. We took a few coon and skunk, possibly they may have taken the same number in their fox traps. Unfortunately there was no open season on beaver in our area that year, so neither took any, making winter trapping anything but profitable.
Previous to this season, I had been buying raw furs for a number of years, and am sure we had as good if not better outlet for our furs than the average trapper. Our furs netted as follows:
19 fox at $4.26………………..$81.00
19 mink at $8.68……………..$165.00
54 weasel at $0.445…………$24.15
27 muskrat at $0.54…………$14.60
5 bobcat at $3.00……………..$15.00
5 bobcat bounties…………..$100.00
2 skunk at $0.875……………$1.75
3 raccoon at $2.66………….$8.00
1 otter…………………………….$16.00
1 fisher……………………………$35.00
Total………………………………$460.50
Now let us examine the other side and see what specializing does. I do not know the exact figures, but am sure they received no better prices than we, so allowing the full benefit of all doubts to the specialists, we have:
57 fox at $4.26…………….$242.82
2 bobcats………………………$6.00
2 bounties……………………..$40.00
4 mink……………………………$34.72
1 fisher…………………………$40.00
Incidentals……………………$10.00
Total……………………………$373.54
If we could have had our cabins all built and a full supply of traps in the woods at the beginning of the season, the same as they, our catch would have been much larger. The next season found us making a better catch on everything excepting mink. Our friendly competitors were getting wise to mink, and we found we were getting plenty of competition and only picked up 13, our lowest catch on this animal during the five years we trapped together. Each year these men broadened out and then one year they went after otter, picking up several pelts we had figured as ours. They too had gone into mixed trapping and found it to their liking. As I hinted before, these fellows were far from being dumb. Any two men who can trap 57 foxes in wilderness trapping here in Maine are good and plenty good – they are just as crafty, if not more so, than some of these 100-fox a season trappers who operate in open country where there is an abundance of foxes.
A few years ago a trapper from one of the states bordering the Great Lakes wrote me, asking if there was an opening up this way for a good trapline, stating that about all he could find in his locality was muskrat. He had taken $800 during the past season. Now had I been in a position to place him on a Maine trapline where he could be fairly sure of taking 50 foxes a season, he might have made the change, yet it is absolutely safe to say there was not a fox trapper in the United States who came anywhere near making even $500 on foxes that season.
The big money in trapping in this country is certainly not made on foxes. Beaver, mink, muskrat, fisher, bobcat and bounty coyote trappers can show much larger pay checks. I have had skunk trappers write me of catching two or three hundred skunks during a season. In localities with high quality skunk pelts, trappers can make more money than the much publicized fox trappers in the same state.
This fox glamour has not done the beginner or farm boy trapper a bit of good. Its glitter has drawn many a trapper to the elusive pursuit of the Sly Red pelt, which brings no appreciable amount of money. The same trapper may have covered during the time a real fur pocket of muskrat, skunk, raccoon, weasel, opossum and other furbearers. Trapping these should be quickly mastered by any intelligent person, and real money made when the last pelt has been cashed in.
For example, let’s consider two 100-acre farms separated by a creek, and a young prospective trapper living on each. Neighboring farmers have granted trapping rights providing each with, say, 250 acres of land to operate on. This should provide both boys with water, marshland and hilly country to take fur from. Now, suppose one is to specialize on fox while the other goes for mixed trapping, and each can only afford $12 to invest in equipment.
After purchasing a dozen good fox traps, trap tags, scent and other items, the fox trapper will have little left for smaller traps. The mixed trapper can outfit with two or three fox traps and the balance of his trap allowance will provide him with around two dozen reliable #1 ½ longspring traps which will hold most anything up to a fox, and in an emergency can be used for fox.
The would-be fox trapper, if lucky, may pick up half a dozen foxes, a few skunk, and possibly a raccoon or two. The mixed trapper might string out most of his #1 ½ traps the first few nights for muskrat, collect ‘rat pelts and carcasses for bait, and commence putting out sets for mink and other animals. A muskrat carcass fastened down at the water’s edge with a trap placed just under water at the side of the carcass makes an excellent set for mink, muskrat and raccoon. The hind quarter of a large muskrat with the foot left on is a most tempting bait for a fox, especially at a water set. The heads, insides and other parts may be profitably used at skunk and ‘coon sets.
With his trapline producing plenty of the very best kind of bait, the mixed species trapper should wind up the season with a nice catch, consisting of plenty of muskrat and skunk, some ‘coon and mink, and one or two foxes. This catch would be worth about double that of the fox trapper.
It is likely to be the opinion of those who have not had experience on a real trapline that the fox specialist who makes a large catch of fox each year has only to put out a lot more traps and collect in a large number of other animals along with the foxes. Active field experience will soon teach anyone that it requires time to set out and keep in working order a trapline for any animal. Three hours a day spent on other than fox traps means three hours a day less for the fox line. This in itself will cut into the catch of sly reds. Furthermore, in making sets for muskrat, mink and other low ground animals, it is often necessary to stray far away from good territory. A trapper will have a certain amount of time in which to do his work, whether he traps a few hours a day, or full time. If looking for cash, he must do some wise planning on just how to use that time to wring the most money out of his territory. Catching nothing but foxes is seldom the answer.
I hope the reader does not misunderstand me to mean that a beginner should not go after fox at all, as this is not the impression I wish to create. The point is this: if a young man is to learn the machinist trade, he is not likely to expect his education will start by being set to work upon a lathe turning out intricate work and demanding the most skilled labor. Rather, he is more likely to be placed as an assistant in the foundry or other low grade work, and learn the trade from the bottom up. In trapping, successful fox trapping may be likened to skilled lathe work in the machinist trade. To be a successful trapper, one should begin at the bottom, picking up all of the easily trapped animals he can outwit, and devoting plenty of study to the sly ones, but not to the extent of curtailing the catch of the less glamorous money makers. The young man who works along these lines will find that in a few years he has acquired the knowledge which will permit his making a trapline pay a good profit every season. The fox expert, on the other hand, is almost sure to experience some very lean years.
In some lure recommendations, we read where this or that fellow has taken a big bunch of foxes in his first attempt, but these cases are very rare exceptions when compared with the thousands of trappers who have gone through their first season without taking a single fox. I have customers myself who made record catches of reds during their first attempts. One in particular made an excellent catch during his first season, going as far as to take six foxes at one set during the fall and winter. In a couple of seasons there was a scarcity of foxes in his area and for a year or so this trapper did not make his salt, simply because he had paid no attention to the other furbearers which should have paid him profitable returns year after year. My advice to the beginners who wish to have some spending money in their pockets at Christmas time is to forget about glamour and go after these often overlooked, easily trapped, cash producing pelts. After all, a hard earned fox trapping dollar bill is not worth a bit more than an easy earned mixed trapping two dollar bill.
Find this stuff interesting? I’m working on a book – a compilation of the works of Walter Arnold, the legendary trapper from the Maine woods. Stay tuned, and contact me at [email protected] to reserve a copy!
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