Author Topic: TUESDAY-QUESTION OF THE DAY--EXPERIENCE__HOW MANY YEARS? (Read 12740 times)

Bogmaster · « **on:** June 22, 2004, 11:19:56 AM »

A lot of these questions I am now posting,are just to get an idea of what our members are all about.Please be patient,we will soon get into more nuts and bolts of this thing called--TRAPPING.
I have been trapping for about 40 years,the only year I missed,was 1991.
This was the Halloween snowstorm that dumped 39 inches of snow,just 3 days before I was to leave for northern Mn. and the opening of our water season.Needless to say,there was no open water season that year.
Now if you would,please give me an idea of how long you have trapped.
Tom

RdFx · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2004, 11:39:09 AM »

Ive been trapping for 52 years. First thing i ever trapped was a norway rat with a nbr one victor longspring i bought from hardware store for (now get this) 35 cents new!... Plus if Bog doesnt delete me for this i caught the rat right by the ahem PRIVATES! I woke up in middle of night hearing all this screaming and went out and saw what happened . I had to say mentally OUCH. I took care of him and reset trap and had another one in morning. From there i progressed to skunks, then muskrats and mink and coon. Next was fox and yotes .

Dave Lyons · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2004, 12:07:17 PM »

Lets see I am just young and ready to kick butt. But I guess I have been trapping 12-13 yrs and I am 25yrs old

Dave

trappenjoe · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2004, 02:40:58 PM »

I'VE BEEN ON A TRAPLINE SINCE I WAS POTTY BROKE WITH MY DAD .
STARTED ON MY OWN WHEN I WAS 15 THEN QUITE WHEN THE FUR
MARKET FELL, I THEN JUST DID PREDATOR CONTROLL FOR THERE BOUNTY . TRAPPING HAS BEEN A WAY OF MY LIFE , IT'S MY DREAM
JOB , AND PASSION . THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN WALKING UP TO HEAR A CHAIN RATTLE , OR THE SIGHT OF A TRAP CLOTH LAYING BESIDE A DRAG MARK ... LITTLE JOE

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2004, 03:17:01 PM »

:grin: I was born and raised on long predator bounty lines 62 years ago. My Dad had me sit on his shoulders while we walked back in places to set traps, day in and day out as my Dad was a professional trapper year around. Dad helped me set my own weasel lines when I was about 7 years old and then I checked them after school myself on a daily basis. Dad also bought me a motor bike when I was 12 so I could run my own coyote, fox and bobcat lines. Ace :grin: :grin: :grin:

Dave Lyons · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2004, 06:18:08 PM »

Okay Guys just tell me to go back to my CRIBE.

Man am to young to be in this group of guys?

?

Dave

Bogmaster · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2004, 06:25:31 PM »

Dave, no one is to young for this group.Believe it or not,we were all your age ,once.It has been a while ,but we can still remember.lol
Tom

jim-NE · « **Reply #7 on:** June 22, 2004, 06:34:42 PM »

I've got about 20 years in now.
I missed last season due to a promotion at work and just couldn't pull off the time needed to run a line.
Wow did I ever miss it. You have to feed your soul, I'm convinced of that.
jim-NE

Dave Lyons · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2004, 06:41:18 PM »

I know Tom

I just figured most of you all weren't that old. Not trying to be mean guys I just never would have thought you all where that old. I sure most of you have childern my age.

Good question of the day Boggy. It is interesting to learn this about other people.

Dave

Trapper Ryan · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2004, 06:46:50 PM »

I've been trapping 5 years, but trapped a little bit in 3 seasons and never got any thing. Finally are 4th season we knew what we were doing and trapped the whole season and got 8 muskrats, 1 mink, 1 possum, 1 skunk, 7 coons and 1 coyote. By the way I'm 14 years old, so.....Dave you can be quiet because I'm probably the youngest one here :grin:

Jacktheknife · « **Reply #10 on:** June 22, 2004, 06:55:04 PM »

Gentlemen, trappers, dudes, I was in the fourth grade, Mark Twain elementary school, Dallas Texas. Back in 1959, when a friend, Greg, came up to me in the hall between classes, and said. " Hack Hoonier!"
[Thats Jack Junior,] old Greg was always kinda snotty nosed.
"I know a guy who has three B.B. guns"
I was shocked! Three B.B. guns! We rode our bicycles over there after school and it was true! Old Randy has been my friend for 43 years! He taught me how to trap, cubbys were all we knew for years.
Shot my first bird with one of his old hand-me-down guns, a dove. I could see the BB as it went up, up, up, and hit the dove. It flopped down and Randy came over and pulled its head off! Yes, Randy was a different sort of guy from my other friends.
Caught my first possum in one of his old 1 1/2 's. 43 years ago.

RdFx · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2004, 07:23:11 PM »

Nothing like those first trapline memories...like when i tried to bring my firs skunk home . I had skunk trap on a pole as a drag and i picked up pole and carried him swinging back and forth home. When i got home i let him or her down on ground and dang thang sprayed LOL :evil:

Mallard · « **Reply #12 on:** June 23, 2004, 01:30:03 AM »

I started trapping a farm I worked for in 1992. I was 23 years old. I Didn't have a clue what I was doing, but was given 6 220's and 3 330's to work with and after some time ended up doing pretty good on the coons. I did this for 5 years before I ran into a guy trapping beaver in one of my duck holes. I don't exactly remember what I said to the guy, but it must have come off as me being opposed to him being there and taking out the creators of my duck spot. None the less this old fellow basically told me I might be a hunter, but until I try fur trapping I'm far short of being an outdoorsman. he went on to challange me to go out and try trapping a beaver or a mink and try to understand the game before tossing stones at him. I took it to heart and bought a fur harvesters license, grabbed the "farm" traps and set out to see for myself. At first I decided I would trap in the name of saving a few ducks, and still have that mentality when I trap the nesting areas. It was fall, I was away from the farm, but the trapping was pretty much the same. Set a 220 in a trail and hopefully catch a coon. Thinking about the old timer trapping the beaver, I bought a couple Dobbins books and thought I'd have the water game licked in no time. 37 days later, after catching absolutely nothing, had good fortune finally come my way. with 6 traps out I connected on 2 muskrats and suprisingly my first otter. I'd like to consider the otter my first catch, even though it was the last trap checked. That was it.......the trapping bug took over. 320 traps later its now pretty much all I think about, aside from the waterfowl hunting. I never ran into that fellow again, and at this point doubt I ever will. I never even knew his name, but he certainly changed my way of thinking and cost me a ton of money. lol.

lynx/cat-trapper · « **Reply #13 on:** June 23, 2004, 02:43:54 AM »

Hot dang!!! You dont have to YELL there trappnjoe!!! :roll: I've been trapping since the late 70's....25 years...I'm 45 now..
later
lynx

17HMR · « **Reply #14 on:** June 23, 2004, 06:23:23 AM »

14 years, 13 of them 70s & 80s, A friend of mine year before last gave me the bug again now I cant get enough. First thing I caught was a mink, with a half doz minnows and a 1 1/2 set close to them. Had only one trap that year , and that mink payed for a half doz more. Jeff

fishdaddy · « **Reply #15 on:** June 23, 2004, 12:57:27 PM »

i trapped 1 season when i was 14 my stepfather bought me 6 victor 1 1/2longsprings i caught a lot of possums and 1 gray fox i trapped a little after that year a few muskrats my step father has now passed away. i started back last year i am now 35.
fish.

skidway · « **Reply #16 on:** June 23, 2004, 03:09:33 PM »

I started around 1958 and kept at it off and on until I finished my apprenticeship in the early 80's. After 20 yrs or so on the road I now have the time so I'm back at it. And we have lots of coyote now that we didn't have before so that's a bonus. A new challenge for me.

yottey · « **Reply #17 on:** June 24, 2004, 02:26:54 AM »

33 years this season! never took a season off!

woodtick · « **Reply #18 on:** June 24, 2004, 04:22:50 AM »

I can't quite remember when I started, and allowing for a couple of years in my "terrible teens" when I was chasing girls, I have 15 to 20 yrs under of trapping my belt.

trappnman · « **Reply #19 on:** June 25, 2004, 04:04:12 AM »

Been trapping part time since late 1950s', went to seasonal full time 12-13 years ago and full time 5 years ago.

Coyotes, mink, coon are my money furs...plus rats, fox, badger,etc.

TrapperRay · « **Reply #20 on:** June 28, 2004, 07:58:09 AM »

Started at the age of 8, mostly rats. Didn't pop a coon till dang near 12. Believe it or not there wern't that many around then compared to today. Oh yea I'll be 49 when the season opens this fall. Later Ray

Mike Tucker · « **Reply #21 on:** June 28, 2004, 04:24:15 PM »

Almost 40 years, minus a couple missed seasons in high school due to sports & girls :-) Started trapping in 1965 when we moved to Minnesota from North Dakota. Began with skunks, gophers and squirrels then progressed up to all of the other species. Everyone our age has a few good stories about prices that were paid during the fur boom, but I do remember, vividly, purchasing my first ever 'new' vehicle - a 1977 Ford
F-150 pickup, with cash from from muskrats, mostly - granted, that vehicle was, at that time, only $3600 dollars off the lot. Fur prices back then were nice, but I do enjoy now the lesser competition, theft, hassle and everything else that went along with that time....fur trapping just seems more enjoyable nowadays, to me anyhow.....
Mike

coyotero · « **Reply #22 on:** June 28, 2004, 07:25:41 PM »

42 years.

Jacktheknife · « **Reply #23 on:** June 28, 2004, 08:04:21 PM »

Coyotero, That reminds me...
I walked into my favorite taxidermist's shop one day a long time ago.
Chris Cope was his name, I have lost track of him over the years. But there was a guy selling Coyotes, they were not even skinned. Two of them this guy had shot with some deer caliber gun. I just stared at them and was thinking to myself, { "I am suprised Chris is buying these"} Soon to be married, Chris was making a bed spread out of Coyote pelts. When Chris looked up and saw me and said "Here is the coyote man I was telling you about."
The guy turned and I didn't like him at first glance.
"So, you are the Coyote man?" he said to me, with a sneer.
"I prefer El Coyotero"
"Whats that mean?"
"It means Coyote man" I said with not the faintest trace of a smile.
Chris said "Jack, this guy shot two Coyotes!"
And looked at me over the guys shoulder with an inquisitive look, as if to say how many did you get?
I held up three fingers.
And was not going to mention it because the other guy was giving me real bad vibes.
Chris had other ideas and played it up big time, my three perfectly skinned, Yotes which were not shot by a 30.06 but were perfect furs.
I had to get them and the whole bit.

Come to find out the guy was some police type, who was trying to impress someone, somewhere, and had stayed out all night for a week in order to come up with his two pelts, mine had come from a footline within 2-3 miles of my door, and I never did know what it was all about. {???}
Knife

Dan Mich Trapper · « **Reply #24 on:** June 29, 2004, 01:32:43 AM »

Little late on the response here but ...

I been trapping for 18 yrs . I started out when I was 13 with a couple 1 1/2 coils a friend gave to me . I picked up a few at yard sales and flea markets . I did it all on foot every day and my line covered about 1 1/2 miles behind our house . I was mainly after rats in the few scattered ponds . Everything I learned was through trial and error or I read in FFG . I had noone to teach me .One thing I have learned through the years , and found to be very important is , dont be lazy . You must scout and take all the nessesary steps in trap preperation and also in trap setting .

wormbobskey · « **Reply #25 on:** July 05, 2004, 03:33:02 PM »

I've been trapping for about 30 years now, except for the 3 years in the Army. Worm

Varminteer · « **Reply #26 on:** July 05, 2004, 06:00:02 PM »

I'll be 48 in a couple of weeks. Started trapping when I was in my early twenties (seems like such a loooonnng time ago) Anyway, between marriages, kids, work, divorces, etc. I probably only have 10 years of trapping seasons under my belt. Now that I live in new place with a new woman that comes from a family that included trapping as a lifestyle I plan on making up for all those missed days on the line.

Bogmaster · « **Reply #27 on:** July 06, 2004, 04:07:25 AM »

Varminteer,glad you were able to join us. I hope you are able to enjoy ,many more years on the line.
Tom

oso45-70 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 06, 2004, 01:59:17 PM »

Bogmaster,
Let this youngster in on this, I may not be listed as a trapper on this forum
but i had a fairly early start at trapping. In 1946 i was looking for some thing to do to pass the time and make some money, So my father told me he would show me how to trap, So that is how it all started. But i have not kept it up in the last few years because of my knees,, It just hurts to bad to get down to make a set so i did the next best thing,, I introduced my young son to trapping when he was just a button. I read you guy's posts and it brings back lots of old memorries. OK i will shut up now and let you real trappers alone, Thanks Boggy for letting me blow off a little, You are doing a fine job and we need people like you that can put a forum togather
Because there are people that would like to shut us all up.Thank you.
.............Joe................

mntrapper32 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 08, 2004, 09:37:09 AM »

22 years and counting