This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of the Northwoods Sporting Journal.
The cooler weather and shorter days signal the inevitable coming of fall. Fog hangs in the river valleys each morning. The faint smell of skunk essence lingers in the air. To a trapper, these are signs that can only mean one thing: trapping season is almost upon us!
Trapping is a unique activity. Some consider it a sport, some an occupation, some an important part of their cultural heritage. It’s a tough one to pin down. For me, the beauty of trapping is in how it combines the experience of nature, the challenge of outsmarting and catching wild animals, and the ability to produce a small income from that natural, renewable resource we call fur.
Today’s fur market is just a shell of its former self. Back in our fathers’, uncles’ and grandfathers’ days, more people trapped and they made some pretty good money doing it. If you ask around, you can still hear stories of guys who bought a new vehicle or paid their way through college with a fur check. Nowadays the furbearers are just as abundant, but the fur checks are thin, and most folks trap for reasons other than the money, although it’s a nice bonus to enjoy an activity that keeps the gas tank full most of the time.
Though few people trap these days, there are plenty of reasons to do so. Maine has more than a dozen furbearers that can legally be trapped, ranging from land predators like fox and coyote to water animals like beaver, mink and muskrat. With abundant populations and low harvest, these animals comprise a renewable resource for trappers to harvest, and wildlife managers rely on trapping to help keep many of their populations healthy and in balance with their habitat.
Each furbearer species is unique, and has its own specific pattern of habitat use, movement, diet preference, and a host of other variables a trapper needs to learn to be effective at making a catch. Think of it in terms of learning to hunt deer, but doing so for more species than there are days in the week. The learning curve can be steep, the tools are varied, and the challenges are endless in trapping. So are the rewards, for those willing to put in the time and dedication needed to be a proficient trapper.
Learning to trap in Maine can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have a friend or relative to take you under their wing. As a teenager, I wanted to trap more than anything in the world. Eventually, I got my break when a veteran trapper moved into the area and offered to teach me. I started with one or two species and soaked up new trapping information like a sponge, tried new things, succeeded and failed repeatedly, and over time things started to click.
The first step in becoming a trapper in Maine is getting enrolled in a trapper safety course. It’s a requirement for all new trappers, and the ten hour process teaches you a lot about basic methods and the rules trappers must follow. Maine’s trapping regulations are among the most complex in the nation, and they need to be studied faithfully to make sure you’re doing things right and in a responsible manner. Finding an experienced trapper willing to help you along is key as well.
It’s often said that every day of checking traps is like being a kid on Christmas morning. The excitement, anticipation and reward for hard work makes for a really great experience. It’s only half the battle, though. After the catch a trapper has a hard earned fur pelt to prepare and care for, and fur handling can be as much an art as trapping. But that’s another topic altogether.
Jeremiah is an avid outdoorsman, biologist, and trapper. His new book, “Fur Profit: A Trapper’s Guide to the Modern Fur Market” helps trappers better understand how to sell their fur in today’s market. He can be reached at [email protected], and you can learn more about trapping from his website, TrappingToday.com.
Leave a Reply