Gettin' Ready (And a Shout Out for Minnesota Trapline Products)

Hi folks.  I know it has been quiet around here lately, but with the season just around the corner there will be a lot more activity here on TSR.

I love this time of year...cleaning out the fur shed, getting my gear ready and enjoying the cool weather.  It's amazing how much there is to do to get ready for a new trapping season, but tinkering around in my fur shed is one of life's small pleasures.

I ordered a few supplies, including a few of the Duke dog-proof traps that I plan to experiment with this year.  I'm not so concerned about non-target catches in the places I trap...I'm more interested in trap sets that will remain operational when the weather hits that freeze-thaw stage.  Weatherproofing foothold sets can be a real headache, so I thought I'd seriously try some dog-proof traps this year.  Being self-contained with the ability to set them above ground, it seems like dog-proof traps will be just the ticket in the colder months when footholds get tricky to use.  I'll be experimenting, and I'll be sure to post some reviews of the Duke DP traps along the way.  I've only used footholds for years, so it's time to try something new.

I also thought I'd mention the great service I got from the Caven family at Minnesota Trapline Products.  I've made plenty of orders with them before, and they never disappoint.  I placed an order on Monday, it shipped the same day and I received it on Wednesday (in Pittsburgh, PA).  Besides quick shipping, they have a great selection of products (anything you could ever need, really) and competitive prices.  I've ordered things from other places, and have generally had good experiences, but I can't think of any reason to use another online supply company besides Minnesota Trapline Products.  They're top notch.

Well, I wish you all the best as you gear up for a new season.  If you'd like to contribute anything to the site, like a review, a trapping tip, pictures or just a good story, please send me an email.  Your contributions are always welcome!!!

Best wishes, and tight chains!
C.J. 

A Pocket Guide to Animal Tracks

Identifying animal tracks is an important skill for the trapper, and a handy guide like this can be a big help if you are new to trapping.  This particular guide comes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Wildlife.  You can print it out and stick it in your pack-basket for future reference.

A larger version can be found here.

A Few Favorite Blogs

Maybe I'm more of a reader than a writer; at least I feel that way when I visit other outdoorsy blogs and see how verbose and entertaining some of my fellow sportsmen are.  I thought I'd put out a plug for a few guys who are just as good at writing as they are at the skills of outdoor life.  I visit these blogs regularly and I think TSR readers will get a kick out of them.

Here's an eyefull of the dirty feet of Ian Nance.  Ian is an avid hunter from Florida and tells his tales of outdoor adventure on his blog The Wild Life.  Ian's blog is interesting and diverse, including all kinds of things from hunting stories and tips to game recipes and equipment reviews.  He just cracks me up, too.  He's got a great writing style and injects some good humor into the tales of his adventures.  A true story teller, just what you expect from a true outdoorsman.  I'm going to do a guest post for him soon on coyote hunting, so keep an eye out for that.

I'm also lovin' The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles by Albert Rasch.  Albert has some excellent material on his blog, especially range reviews of different weapons and a lot of great writing on hunter's rights and the animal rights movement.  Here's an "in-your-face" outdoorsman who is proud of our lifestyle.  From his blog description: "Claim the privilege of hunting according to the dictates of your own conscience."  Enough said!   

Last but not least, I want to mention Jeremiah Wood over at Trapping Today.  Jeremiah's blog is THE place to find trapping news, and he brings a truly professional perspective to the sport of trapping.  Jeremiah has degrees in Wildlife Biology and Fisheries Biology, and is currently a state fisheries biologist for the state of Montana.  Jeremiah is one of the first bloggers I met after starting TSR.  He has been very encouraging to me, and I still visit his blog regularly.  If you're a trapper you just have to bookmark his blog.  You'll enjoy it!


Well, there ya go....a few blogs truly worth your time to visit.  Tell 'em I sent ya!

An Insider's Perspective on the Fur Trade

The International Fur Trade Federation is an organization that promotes the fur industry and supports trapping in many ways.  They have an interesting website where I recently came across an article called "A Life in the Fur Trade - An Insider's Perspective." (link) The article is about the career and experiences of Andreas Lenhart, the chairman of IFTF.  I found this quote by him especially interesting:

“The biggest challenges I have experienced are without a shadow of a doubt the actions of animal rights organizations” says Lenhart: “It shocked me deeply to see how they attacked our trade in a very disrespectful and non-negotiable way. The violent attacks on people as well as businesses were an absolute downside of my life in the fur trade.  It still saddens me that the attacks had no ethics, no dignity, no room for conversation or respect. Despite the hard work and love for their industry, the reputation of countless family businesses was contaminated.  Feeling that you almost had to apologize to belong to your trade was hard to bear and is fundamentally unjust.”

“On the upside, it is heart-warming to see that lots of people, in and around the industry stayed loyal.  Family driven businesses, great retailers, distributors, dynamic and refreshing designers, editors of countless magazines, and - let’s not forget - loyal clients have kept this industry thriving.  The passion, skill, and dedication of these people have made the fur trade a better, responsible industry that has a firm place in today’s society. The loyalty of all people concerned, and the support we got even in the most difficult times kept me going, especially when times were rough.”

Makes me proud to support the fur industry in whatever small way I do.

 The IFTF promotes a positive image of fur in the realm of fashion and clothing design.  This is a foreign world to most of us trappers, but I find it amusing that our world of dirt holes, chest waders and skunk essence is so connected to the world of supermodels and fashion shows.  I also find it gratifying to think that the skill of some trapper or the hard work of some rancher is behind that beautiful coat worn by a supermodel on a catwalk.  I like the results of our work!

 

A Trip to Beautiful B.C.

In my online wanderings I've gotten to know a few trappers in British Columbia, and this blog has a few great contributions from some guys in B.C., but I had never been there myself until a few weeks ago.  I'm truly jealous of you guys who call B.C. home!  It's a beautiful place with more untouched wilderness than I've ever seen.  Although it was a fishing trip, I could not help but wonder what it would be like to trap in that vast, beautiful wilderness.  It sure sparked the imagination of this suburban fox/coon trapper.  If any of you guys up in B.C. have some pictures to send or stories to tell, please let me know!  Meantime, here are a few pics from my trip.  The fishing was second to none; I can only imagine what the trapping is like!

 

The Myth of the "Untouched Wilderness"

The "untouched wilderness" is an ideal that is often conjured up from history, describing a time before Western explorers brought their guns and traps to conquer and settle the New World. It is assumed that the vast wilderness of what would become the USA once existed as an idyllic haven where animals lived freely, harmoniously, bountifully, and without human interference.  Environmentalists and animal rights activists, of course, blame human exploration and civilization for ruining such a picturesque world.  However, there is some evidence that this "untouched wilderness" was not so pristine, and that human management improved an otherwise languishing environment.

Tom Remington over at the Black Bear Blog has written a very thought provoking article on this subject entitled "How Pristine Were Our Ecosystems Before Western Exploration?"  Tom cites some primary sources, such as the journals of explorers and Mountain Men, who had great difficulty living off the land as they found it.  Indians and white explorers alike faced a scarcity of edible resources in many areas, and some of the best hunters in history were compelled to eat their horses.  The picture that emerges from these primary sources is an environment that had reached an unhealthy imbalance rather than a bountiful paradise.
Even though people have made mistakes in managing the environment, this article reminds us that WE are part of the equation that leads to a healthy ecosystem.  People are not just the destroyers of the "untouched wilderness."  Hunting, fishing and trapping, within wise limits, are absolutely necessary to keep our ecosystem balanced, to ensure healthy and stable game population levels, and to limit natural predators so game species can thrive.

What really struck me about Tom's article is how it reminds us that WE....hunters and trappers....are an essential part of a healthy environment.  Environmentalists and animal rights activists assume that we are unnatural elements in this world, that humans and our needs are out of place, and the world would be pristine if not for our utilization of the environment.  But we are not above or beyond the ecosystem.  We are part of it, and hunting and trapping activities are our contribution to the balance of the system.  I can't do full justice to Tom's article, so go have a look at the full story here.  I'll leave you with a snippet from his conclusion:
 
"These and more accounts certainly paint a far different picture of how things actually were than what we are often taught about how balanced and bountiful our forests and wilderness were before man arrived. Man certainly made his share of mistakes in being good stewards of the land but in time we figured out what we had to do to sustain game populations and to control the predators that destroyed them."

"With the presence of man, and bringing with him agriculture and the knowledge to plant and grow crops and tend the land, this began to create a better habitat that would support a heartier and healthier crop of game animals. We controlled the predators so people could harvest the game to feed their families and over time devised a pretty decent wildlife management plan that many around the world now envy."

What Stinks?

Here's a link to funny little piece by Jim Braaten over at The Sportsman's Blog called "Here's Why Being a Trapper Prepared Me for Fatherhood."  The gist of it is that the horrible smells of trapping lures gives you some amount of preparation for what awaits you when changing your baby's diaper.  As a father of five, I couldn't agree more.  Get some skunk essence on your hands and you are in the general ballpark of what a newborn's diapers smell like.  Anyway, the Sportsman's Blog has a lot of neat material to check out, most of it a bit more serious! 

Horse Sense

A recent editorial by Tom Purcell got me thinking about the practical nature of trappers.  Purcell bemoans the gradual loss of resourcefulness, practical skill and common sense in urban culture, and how this generation has an underdeveloped sense of how things work.  He points out how farmers and laborers, those "humbled by the unforgiving realities of nature," once provided the realistic and sensible mindset that made this country great.  Anyone who spends time on the land, doing real work with dirty hands, can't help but be practical, capable, and realistic.  I've seen this "horse sense" in a lot of trappers, who I think will also appreciate this article.

Read it here.     

How Not To Release a Bobcat

I came across this on YouTube.  The video says it all.  Mess with the cat, you get the claws....