Howdy Ya'll, I have been buying a few new {used} traps, gardening, working in the old knife shop, simmering a few deer heads for friends, you know cleaning them up, and trying to get back in shape after my ordeal... The question about taking younger folks out on the trail and the trapline, was an appropriate one. Thank you Mr. Bog.
I had a girlfriend who had a kid, Gary. This was back 20 years ago.
He was like in elementary school and was just a kid. He would go with me in the morning and check my traps and hunt at night with my hounds. Come on Gary! Keep up! I remember him being a kid, just looking at everything and unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds.
Without even thinking about him learning anything, I just automatically told him how to watch trails in the late winter, when the trails are beat down and fairly used, but before the new spring grasses obscured the trails.
To be aware of where the critters moved.
We would talk about what hunters and trappers talk about, and enjoy the line. One day we were checking our sets at what now is the Lancaster golf course. {Texas} A big negro was fishing on the shore of a little pond, and I went up to pass the time with him us being done with the line for the day. Doing any good? I said. I don't remember what he said, but talk got around to trapping and I told Gary to "go get that thing we caught this morning." I visited with the guy who was an alright guy just devoid of woods knowledge, not his fault, I guess no one took him hunting when he was young?
Till finally... [Gary had wrestled the 50Lb Beaver out of the truck and drug and carried it over to show it off.]
I was talking to the guy and just kinda playing down the vibes so the Beaver would have the best effect. Gary came up to where we were and dropped the Beaver right at this guys feet! It rolled to a stop right at this guys feet. He stood up and I wish I had a picture of the look on his face! It was worth a barrel of whiskey!
He jumped to his feet with a look on his face that was pure shock!
"What is that thing?"
"Well, what do you think it is?" I looked at Gary and my expression said {don't tell him}
Aw come on you know what that is.
His head was going back and forth in a stunned and totally non comprending manner.
"What is that thing?"
I said , are you blind? Look at it!
The guy was totally weirded out, his eyes were locked on the Beaver.
His mouth was open and all he could think of was, what is that thing?
Come on dude! Where are you from?} FinallyI told him, O. K. It is a fresh water seal.
"What!!!"
Oh yeah they come up the trinity river every year this time to breed.
Gary was smiling.
The negros eyes were fixed on the Beave and never left it.
His mouth was hanging open and his head still shook back and forth trying to comprehend this strange sight.
Sure, that is why you have never seen one, they live out in the gulf and only come up stream in the winter.
See all that fat, that is how they can stand the cold in the fresh water shallow ponds.
Oh yeah we get several every winter.
Good eating they are.
I said well, we had beter git. and grabbed the Beaver and walked back to the truck.
As it turned out the big guy who we had been kidding is a sherriff's deputy, Ivan Jackson, and 15 years later ended up saving my life ... well.. sort of but that is another story.
Knife.
