Trapping Class at 4-H

My kids are involved in the local 4-H group here in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  My wife is usually involved in planning activities, so I floated the idea that she suggest I teach a trapping class.  The idea was very well received and, as it turns out, very popular with the kids.  My first class on Thursday afternoon had 22 eager students with lots of questions!  I think we have some young trappers in the making....

So, just a heads-up to all you trappers out there with a local 4-H group nearby....this can be a great venue for introducing the next generation to trapping.  If you want to get involved in preserving our rights and our heritage as trappers, this is a great place to start.  Teach some kids!

Here's a few pics of me and the class:

Pro-Fur Friday on November 26

The PETA wackos have declared Friday November 26 "Fur-Free Friday" and plan to hold "events to educate holiday shoppers about the cruel fur industry."  I'm sure the throngs of shoppers competing for iPods and Barbie Dolls will be happy to stop and hear about how animals are people too.  Anyway, if you happen to be among the brave souls who go shopping on that day, try to wear some kind of fur garment, or take along your wife and ask her to wear that beautiful fox coat you had made for her (you did have one made for her, didn't you?)  We can support the fur industry by making fur more visible.  Why should the wackos be proactive while we trappers sit on the sidelines and shake our heads?  Let's make November 26 "Pro-Fur Friday."  After I check my traps in the morning and skin my catch in the afternoon, I just might find the courage to go to the mall wearing my 'coon skin cap.

 Image from USA Foxx & Furs

    Nothing looks better on a lady...

A Good Read for Trappers

I'm always amazed at what a Google search can turn up.  Just recently I found the following document on furbearers and trapping, compiled by the Northeast Furbearer Resources Technical Committee.  It is packed with great information and presented from a pro-trapping standpoint.  It would be especially useful for explaining the importance and necessity of trapping to non-trappers from a conservation standpoint.  Have a look....

Trapping and Furbearer Management in North American Wildlife Conservation

A Victory for Maine Trappers

 A great bit of news from Tom Remington over at the Black Bear Blog.

     Trappers in Maine and sportsmen nationwide scored a huge victory after a Federal Court of Appeals rejected an effort from anti-hunting groups seeking to use the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to stop trapping in the state. This decision reaffirms a lower court decision that set a precedent against manipulation of the ESA to stop hunting, fishing, and trapping.

     “We are ecstatic and relieved that this lawsuit is no longer a threat to our lifestyle as we prepare to open the 2010 trapping season,” said Skip Trask of the Maine Trappers Association. “The Maine Trappers Association couldn’t be happier with this decision. It is much more than just a victory for Maine. This decision will help protect all trapping and other sports from coast to coast. We appreciate the support and guidance of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) legal team and all of our partners.”

Bridge Trap Set for Raccoon and Mink

Bridges form a natural bottleneck on the travel routes of all kinds of critters that run the water's edge.  These locations can be real hot spots on your 'coon or mink line.  Thanks to "ADC" from Iowa for this article on making sets at bridge crossings.

How One Trapping Career Began

Visit a few trapping forums or go to a few trapping conventions and you'll soon discover that trappers love to tell their stories, and love to hear the stories of other trappers.  Maybe we've retained this trait from the old days when trappers told their tales around campfires at the rendezvous.  Whatever it is, I find few things more pleasurable than to hear a seasoned trapper talk about how he got started, what he has learned, and the odd things that happened to him over the years on the trapline.

The following comes from Jonathan Weber, a lifelong trapper and resident of New York state.  Thanks, Jonathan, for sharing a bit of your story with us.

Bank Hole Set for 'Coon

Tony Hursman illustrates a simple and effective looking set for 'coon along creek banks.  Thanks Tony!

The Cubby Set

Thanks again to J.C. Desclos for another informative article from his forum Swamp Talk.  In this article J.C. illustrates several variations of the cubby set, which is especially effective when targeting raccoons.  If you've never visited Swamp Talk I'd encourage you to check it out.  There's some good info over there about hunting, trapping and homesteading.  Thanks J.C. 

Black Bear Trapping in Alaska

Maine is currently the only state that allows bear trapping, but it looks like that may soon change.  Jeremiah Wood over at Trapping Today brought this little tidbit of news to my attention:

"The Alaska Board of Game is expected to vote on a Fish and Game proposal setting trapping seasons for black bears in half a dozen large areas. If passed, bear trapping and snaring by the public would effectively become legal for the first time in Alaska's history. The board quietly took the first step toward legalization - reclassifying bears as furbearers - in January."

 

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Alaska Game Board poised to legalize black bear trapping

 

I have no bear trapping experience (yet) but it is definitely on my list of things to accomplish in my trapping career.  While trapping rights are being challenged left and right, it's refreshing to see a state expanding its trapping opportunities.   

Conibear Sets for Marten

Bruce T. from Northern Maine illustrates a simple conibear set for marten.  If your regulations allow it, this set looks very effective and easy to make.  Thanks Bruce!

Fox Attack!

Here's a strange story:  A woman taking a walk in Pennsylvania was attacked by a red fox and had to strangle it with her bare hands, then suffocate it with a garbage bag.  Now there's a dispatch method I've never tried!  Authorities are testing the fox for rabies, of course, and with behavior like that it's probably infected.  As the season approaches this is a timely reminder to be careful with animals exhibiting weird behavior, and to take protective cautions when dispatching or fur handling. 

This is the best quote from the woman's interview:

"I want that fox's pelt.  I think I deserve it."

Read the whole story here.