This episode is part 4 of my interview with Maine trappers Billy Thompson and Charlie Tucker. We talk about Charlie's experiences filming the History Channel show "Mountain Men", as well as Billy's reality TV experience and other shows. We dive deep into trapping history, talking about local Maine trappers and some stories from the Northwest Territories. Enjoy! Support our … [Read more...]
Nancy Becker, Wife of Last Alaskan Bob Harte – Podcast Episode 125
After providing a fur auction update from Fur Harvesters, I sit down with Nancy Becker, who was married to the late Bob Harte. You may have seen Bob and Nancy on the Discovery Channel show "The Last Alaskans". Bob and his family were one of the few remaining permitted to live in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Theirs is a dying way of life, but it's a special one. We take … [Read more...]
Pan Covers: Podcast Episode 114
After a brief update on the fur market, we dive deep into pan covers and their use in trapping. I discuss the different options, their pros and cons, and alternatives to pan covers. Enjoy! Support our Sponsors:Kaatz Bros. LuresFur Harvesters Auction, Inc. Mentioned in this Episode:Wire Screen Pan CoversFiberglass Pan CoversTrapper's CapWild River Trap PansExpand-A-Pans … [Read more...]
Trails of an Alaska Trapper
Running a trapline in the remote Alaskan bush sounds like a pretty sweet gig for a young man seeking adventure and independence. But how would you go about finding such a place? All of the good ground must be claimed by other trappers, right? Ray Tremblay, a young man from the Lower 48, found himself in the arctic in the late 1940’s. He’d dreamed of running a trapline … [Read more...]
Born on Snowshoes
Three girls, their mother and an old man, 280 miles deep in the wilderness, running traplines for a living. It may seem like an odd combination, but it was reality for much of Evelyn Berglund Shore’s young life. George Berglund and his brother caught gold fever during the Klondike gold rush of 1898. They returned years later to work mining claims, searching for riches along … [Read more...]
Above the Arctic Circle
Most of the early Alaskan pioneers moved up from the Lower 48 for seeking opportunity and adventure. The majority left when times got tough, but the best and the toughest stayed on, and helped make the frontier what it is today. Minnesota-born James Carroll was one of those guys. Carroll journeyed to Alaska in 1910, in search of opportunities made possible by the gold rush. … [Read more...]
Book Review: Sam O. White, Alaskan
So many of us dream of going to Alaska, but only a few actually take the plunge. Sam O. White was one of those early adventuring pioneers who helped shape the great northern territory before it was even a state. Born in Eustis, Maine in 1891, the young woodsman longed for adventure after fighting overseas in World War I, and found a job that would take him to wild places. … [Read more...]
Book Review: Mink, Mary and Me
In the fur boom years of the 1920’s and 30’s, trapping in the far north wilderness was one of the riskiest, but potentially most profitable occupations in society. Many who struggled to find jobs in and around civilization went north, trapped fur and came out in the spring with enough money for a fresh start on the outside. Chick Ferguson first headed north to earn his stake … [Read more...]