Traditional body gripping traps have a two-pronged wire trigger that the animal pushes as it moves through the trap, which causes the jaws to fire and make the catch. But this trigger isn't always the most ideal, and a number of modifications and improvements have been made over the years for more effective trigger setups in certain situations. Don't get me wrong - in many … [Read more...]
Tanning Options for Trappers
In years of low fur prices, many trappers turn to alternative methods for marketing their fur. I talk about this a lot in my book Fur Profit, and discuss the option of sending your raw fur out to get tanned at a tannery. This opens up the option of selling tanned fur locally, online, at craft fairs and sportsman's shows, or turning it into garments or other items you can sell … [Read more...]
Commercial Standards for the Marketing of Wild Fur
In this video, I review the book "Commercial Standards for the Marketing of Wild Fur. This is a great book, loaded with high quality images and guidelines for proper fur handling. It's a valuable resource to have in the fur shed. Retail is around $30, and the only place I could find it available was through F&T Fur Harvesters Trading Post. Here's a link. … [Read more...]
Serious Money Making Strategies – Clint Locklear DVD
Most trappers are entrepreneurial by nature, but how many of us are actually making money in the industry? Clint Locklear has succeeded in the business better than most. Starting from nothing, he built a wildly popular brand of trapping lures, created numerous books and DVD’s, developed a high end ADC business, and started a business training program for trappers. In “Serious … [Read more...]
Bench Swager Review
In this video, I show the bench swager I've been using to make snares, extension cables, drowning rigs and cable stakes. Works great, and worth the money if you're going to do any volume. … [Read more...]
An Overview of Fleshing Knives
The fleshing knife is a key component to most fur sheds. If you're fleshing muskrats, mink, marten and weasels, you can simply use a butter knife, or a small pelt scraper. But if you've got any amount of meat and fat to clean off a pelt, you need a fleshing knife. Fleshing knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and a wide range of price points. The very low end, entry … [Read more...]
Making an Under Ice Beaver Snare
In this video I show how I currently make my under ice beaver snares. I've tried a number of different styles and sizes, and for now this seems to be working best for me. I'll share details on what I use and affiliate links (I get a small cut if you purchase through the links!) below. 42" of 7x7, 5/64" snare cable 5/64" Cam Locks 5/64" aluminum stops 5/64" … [Read more...]
Glands: A Trapper’s Commodity – Kyle Kaatz
If you're stacking up the fur on the trapline and aren't saving glands, you're missing out on a good chunk of extra money. Glands are worth quite a bit to the lure making industry, and trappers who take the time to save them can get a pretty good financial reward for a little bit of time. If you're an amateur lure maker, collecting glands from your own animals can save a lot of … [Read more...]