Who is (was) a trapper ?

[Glenn W]

I didn't want to hijack Spencer's thread, but he and Marty got my curiosity up. Who all has trapping stories?
I trapped for one full year a part of a second.
During the summer going into my Sr year of High school I found 2 dozen large connibears and a dozen or so steel traps in the loft of my grandfather's barn.
Well, being a duck hunter, I knew where right many beaver and otter were so I took them home, cleaned them up and was ready for trapping season.
It took me most of the season to figure out how to consistently catch the beavers, but by the middle of the first winter I had it down pretty good (I'll explain my technique in a minute). The first year I caught about 25 beaver, a few coons, 2 otter, a mess of possum, and a skunk (I didn't even pelt these out).
The second year I was dirt ass poor (1st year in college), I scouted out the area near Williamsburg and found alot of beaver ponds--- damn, I was in the money.
Ok, this was my technique--- for a new pond, the first couple of days you break the dam in 2 or 3 places-- put a connibear on the upstream and downstram side of the breach--- guaranteed success. After a couple days of this-- put 2 more connibears in the channels leading into the lodge and steak around the sides--- Again, guaranteed beaver.
One day before it got real cold (early Dec.), I was working my line and The MAN appeared out of nowhere. He asked to see my trapping license and permission slip to be on this posted property. I showed him my hunting license.
He said, " no, I need to see your trapping license"

"Trapping license?--- whats that? I thought all I needed was a hunting license"

"Ok, where's your permission slip to be on this posted property?"

"sir, this property isn't posted"

"yes it is"

Well I walked in from this ways and it's not posted" (that part was true)

"But this is not the same landowner as on the road you walked in on and this landowner has his propery posted" (I knew that, but I had my story and was sticking to it).

"Ok son, you are in serious trouble. I can see that you have busted the dam and have traps set in the breach, I also saw you working traps over there at the beavers lodge, it is a violation to set traps within 50 feet of a dam or lodge. Go get me all your traps and I am confiscating them and writing you several citations"

I went out to the pond and brought him 6 connibears back.

"Are these all you have?"

"Yes Sir" ( I was sure he wasn't referring to the other 1 1/2 dozen I had further up the creek and in near by areas).

My court date was set for sometime in Jan. in James City County. Shit, I guess I was going to have to do jail time cause I sure didn't have the money to pay the fines.
Well, Christmas break was coming up and I had a full month to trap back at home where the Game Warden wasn't so persnickity

It got colder than a rats ass and stayed that way. While on Xmas break I was running lines back home (trespassing of course,because I had wiped out the beavers in unposted areas the year before). One day I was busting ice at the dam on a very large beaver pond and I fell in the water right by the channel--- way over my head. chestwaders on, backpack & shotgun strapped to shoulder. I was able to shed the waders and pack under water and somehow made it to land. It was well below freezing and I was a good mile back in the woods. Long story short---- that was the end of my trapping career. I left the traps where they were and never have been back to that pond since.
I went to court and stuck to my story on the trespassing charge. The judge dismissed that charge. I plead guilty to no trapping license, and gave the judge a sob story about me being a poor college kid and my grand dad gave me the traps to make some spending money, and I didn't know about the 50 foot rule ( lightning did not strike me). As I recall, the fines were about $150.
Might as well have been $15,000 but I got them paid off by the end of the school year.
I ain't ever worked so hard for so little money in all my life, but it sure was fun (until I feel through the ice)

[johnseafood]

Glenn awesome story, I started doing it with my dad eight year ago. We did it for all fun never really made money but never lost money. It kept him in shape as my dads not in the best of shape anymore and it gave me sometihng to do. I feel in love with walking across the meadow and just being outdoors.

As I got older I wanted to do more and set more traps instead of just being there. Two years ago is when he actually let me go and set my own runs and holes and we would see who could catch more. After the first time I beat him that was over and he let me do everything. Now I run all the traps and do everything. He comes along with me still just to be out there and get out of the store. I wouldn't have it anyother way with me and my dad

[WAHOONBOX]

GLENN I TRAPPED OUT OF NECESSITY IN 68...SCHOOL TUITION IT'S CALLED


I WENT TO SCHOL AY WESTERN CAROLINA IN THE MOUNTAINS...I LIVED ON A TROUT STREAM AS WELL.....I TRAPPED EVERY PIECE OF LAND I WAS NOT RUN OFF OF

I BROUGHT A BLACK MINK IN TO MY FUR BROKER ONE DAY....HE SAID AWESOME!! I THINK I WAS PAID 14 BUCKS FOR IT BUT I'M NOT SURE......THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN 3.60 A MUSKRAT PELT AND A 14 DOLLAR MINK

ABOUT A MONTH LATER I WENT OVER THE HILLSIDE TO YET ANOTHER PARCEL OF LAND EXPLORING A BIT........UNREAL.....MINKS EVERYWHERE

THEY WERE IN A FINE WIRE MESH FENCE AND WERE FED DAILY....THOUSANDS !!!!


WELL SHIT........I STARTED PUTTING A LITTLE CHOW DOWN ALONG THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE ....THEY CAME TO IT LIKE GUPPIES.

I ENJOYED FEEDING THEM THRU THE FENCE.....THEN I REMEBERED I HAD MY WIRE CUTTERS..........WELL WELL.................I PUT A LIVE TRAP THERE IN THE SMALL OPEING THAT THE WIRE CUTTERS MADE ...AND IN ONE NIGHT....I GOT NINE IN MY LIVE TRAP...... I HOPE YOUR WARDEN DOES NOT READ THIS

THEY BROUGHT NEXT MONTH$ RENT PLUS SOME SCHLITZ MONEY TO BOOT!!! WHILE I DID WIRE TIE THE SMALL OPENING IN THE FENCE BACK.........I NEVER WENT BACK FOR A SECOND HELPING

[Buckeye]

Back in the mid 70's we trapped beaver. Till the bottom fell out of the market. I trapped with my friend who now live's in Alaska. If I remember correctly we cought one tha weighed 74 pounds. I saw Kenny fall thru the ice and finish setting the line. Don't ask me how but he did it. Maybe that's why Alaska fits him so well. I even have one of the buggers mounted at home.

[matey1]

we used to trap muskrats every year. brother and i qwere taught by an old timer. mostly fresh water rats on the marsh where we duck hunted. this was in the 60's and 70's. used to get 5-7 bucks for a rat hide. firts part of the money paid for the taxes on the marsh we hunted. then the rest was ours to split. brother sold the meats. when he would put his muskrat meat sign out one guy would stop and pull the sign and come knocking on the door and say no sense in putting this sign back out asi will stop weekly for all the rats you got.