Old School Muskrat Trapping

My friend Jeremiah Wood over at Trapping Today posted a link to this book, which I found informative and entertaining, so I thought I'd pass it along.  The Accomplished Muskrat Trapper was written in 1922 by A.E. Schmidt and is now freely available from Project Gutenberg because the copyright has expired.  I love these old trapping books.  They are still very informative and the writing style is intriguing.  This one is like a snapshot of trapping history with the literary flare of another age.

For example, the introductory sentence:

 In placing this booklet before the great fraternity of American trappers, the author does not propose to exercise any pedagogical influence upon the truly professional trapper, who, seasoned in the hard school of experience, knows the animals he is seeking, like a mother knows her child. It is his wish, however, to assist and guide the amateur to a greater success.

Enjoy this little slice of trapping history!

      

Fox Trapping by A.R. Harding

I always enjoy reading trapping books from "the good old days."  It's fascinating to see how methods have evolved, and just as interesting to see what techniques remain the same.  One of the things I like most is the style of writing from a century ago.  There's always a turn of phrase or memorable quote from these old timers.  I recently stumbled on this old fox trapping book by A.R. Harding from 1906.  It is available free online at this link.  Here's just one snippet from page 11 that I find very amusing (click "read the whole story" below).

The Fascinating History of Oneida Traps

Oneida traps were first produced by a religious commune in 1852.  Their traps were named after one of their best blacksmiths, Sewell Newhouse.  They began producing the "Victor" line of traps in 1886, and by 1910 they reported sales of seven million traps. The history of Oneida traps is documented in an exhibit organized by the Oneida Community Mansion House, Sherrill Manufacturing Inc., and trap collector Edward Knobloch. Nearly100 traps from Knobloch's collection are on display in the historic Sherrill factory complex where the traps were made. The exhibit is called "Oneida Game Traps, 1852-1925: The Edward J. Knobloch Collection."  The full story of Oneida traps, and more information on this remarkable exhibit, can be found here. 


 

A Lesson From Ancient Trappers

     Animal trapping has been going on as far back as we can peer into history, and the tools and techniques of ancient trappers are fascinating.  Take for example the recent discovery that networks of mysterious stone walls in the Near East, constructed about 2,400 years ago, were actually massive animal traps.




These low lying walls that crisscross the desert were first observed by British air force pilots in the early 20th century.  Researchers have confirmed that they are ancient animal traps.  Two walls were constructed at an angle, gradually converging to a narrow pinch point leading into a pit.  These large wall funnels would direct game animals into the pit at the end of the funnel.  There are places in Jordan where these structures, which researchers call "kites," form chains up to 40 miles long.

 The basic idea at work here is one familiar to any modern trapper.  We use "guiding" or "blocking" to narrow down an animal's travel route and force that animal into a trap.  We narrow down trails, place stepping sticks, and use backing and guiding objects at dirt holes.  These ancient trappers used blocking on a massive scale by narrowing down the wide open desert and forcing animals into one small area in the middle of nowhere.  I'm very curious how successful they were, but it must have worked to some extent.

In any case, it's neat to see how some of the basic principles of trapping have stayed the same throughout the centuries, and how trapping has always sparked a little ingenuity.

(link to original article)

The Mountain Men by George Laycock

review by CJ Williams

Trapping has a rich, nostalgic history that most modern trappers appreciate. I have become something of a trapping history buff, and I have found that a knowledge of trapping history gives me a greater sense of what I’m doing out on my trapline. I’m not just trapping animals; I’m standing within a long tradition that is literally intertwined with American history. I think all trappers should be aware of our past to some degree. It gives us a notion of our own place in history and the great legacy in which we stand. It gives us heroes to look up to (a rare thing in today’s world) and a sense of pride in what we do. Ultimately, I think, a historically informed trapper is a better trapper. That’s why I’ve taken to reading about the great “Mountain Men” of the early 19th century, who represent the apex of trapping history.

There’s no shortage of books on the Mountain Men. Some books paint them as heroes while others paint them as villains who began the American encroachment upon the Indian lands of the West. History is almost always interpreted through the political lens of the historian. Animal rights wackos and leftists will interpret this history in terms of “American Imperialism” and/or animal cruelty. What else would you expect? Leftists find nothing good in the past, and all good within themselves.

A more objective historian is George Laycock, whose book The Mountain Men I recently finished. Laycock does not over-idealize the Mountain Men, but he does present them as the tough, intrepid explorers that they were. He brings out the rightful claims of the Mountain Men and the fur industry as driving forces in American history, and gives a good sense of the rare skills of woodsmanship that the Mountain Men possessed.

What makes Laycock’s book stand out among many is how readable it is. Each short chapter focuses on one narrow topic or one particular person, and the historical details are not overly technical. It’s meant for a popular audience rather than research historians. Laycock covers some general topics of interest about the structure of the fur trade and the methods of trapping in the early 19th century, but the book gets really exciting when he gets to the stories of individual Mountain Men. The stories of Jim Bridger, Jed Smith, Tom Fitzpatrick, Bill Williams and others are told in concise, readable chapters. These men amaze me. They possessed such toughness and skill that are rarely seen almost two centuries later. Another interesting aspect of this book is the illustrated descriptions of the guns, traps and equipment of the Mountain Men. They did a lot with a little.

Even if you’re not much of a reader, this book is a breeze. And if you’ve always wanted to know a little about trapping history and the Mountain Men this book is a good place to start.

Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper by E. N. Woodcock

 Review by CJ Williams

     The modern trapper has a wealth of information at his disposal in the form of books and videos that detail the latest equipment and techniques.  Like everything else, technology has brought trapping a long way.  Against that background it can be truly refreshing and entertaining to take a step back in time and get a sense of what trapping used to be and how the old-timers did it.  E. N. Woodcock's book Fifty Years A Hunter and Trapper is a glimpse of the past that every trapper will appreciate. 
     Woodcock's trapping and hunting adventures took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mostly in the woods of northern Pennsylvania.  His general practice was to hike deep into the woods in the Fall, build a cabin, and spend the Winter and Spring in the pursuit of game and fur bearers.  His life is an amazing story of survival, woodsmanship, resourcefulness and true toughness, the likes of which is almost nonexistent in our modern culture.  This guy tracked wounded deer for days across two or three counties, and trapped a dozen or more Black Bears a year using deadfalls.  When you read his book prepare to feel like a total wimp.
     Between his stories of bear trapping, bee hunting and playing practical jokes on his trapping partners, Woodcock offers his advice on trapping equipment, making sets and constructing cabins.  I find it fascinating to read century-old advice on trapping, and it's amazing how much of it is still useful, or at least interesting, to the thoughtful modern trapper.  For instance:

     However, what I found most entertaining about this book is Woodcock's writing style.  Although "uneducated" by modern standards, his style is formal and proper, yet folksy, and he knows how to infuse suspense and humor into the tales of his adventures.  It is perhaps a sign of the times that in the late 1800's even an uneducated woodsman was an entertaining writer.  Just a small example:

 
     I think most trappers will truly enjoy this book, as I did.  I came away with a greater sense of the history and heritage behind the great sport of trapping, and a greater respect for the rare art of true woodsmanship.  The book is available from Amazon at the link at the top of this post, but it is also available online for free at Google Books.