Thinking about getting into trapping
 

OK, trappers extraordinaire!

I've been a LONGtime member of this forum (almost a decade now), and have probably only set foot in this particular section once or twice in all that time... I'm turning to you guys for help, now.

My wife and I home-school our boys for a variety of reasons, one of which is so we can pass along some traditions they wouldn't necessarily be exposed to in public schools. Another is so they WON'T learn things they would be exposed to in public schools, but that's another topic... ;)

I've been thinking here lately about getting into trapping and helping my oldest boy learn how to run a trapline... I'm thinking there's just a plethora of things that he can learn with this, aside from the actual trapping: the responsibility of it alone, the meticulousness of the sport, and the economics of selling the hides.

I guess what I'm looking for is a very preliminary nudge on where to start looking for information. I expect to find some good stuff in here, as I've learned asmuch as I've given over the years here. Where else should I begin looking? What other resources should I avail myself of?

Thanks in advance!

RE: Thinking about getting into trapping
 

Its good that you and your son r wanting to start...trapping is a great sport. U can start by seeing the kinds of animals that ur going to be trapping, (coons, foxes, yotes, etc.) After that go to ur local sportingoods store and get the rite kinda traps needed to do the job. That should be a good start for ya.

RE: Thinking about getting into trapping
 

go to an outdoor store and find a book that tells you all about trapping, skinning, and selling the furs.

it helped me when i first started.

also see if there is anyone that you know locally and see if they can show you a thing or 2

RE: Thinking about getting into trapping
 

Sign up as a member on swamp talk(http://www.swampstalker.proboards92.com/) They can awnser every question you have, and they have tutorials on the different types of sets and trap placement. Trapping is something that is just plain fun to do.:D

RE: Thinking about getting into trapping
 

go to www.trapperman.com and become a member. get on the forums and get to know everyone and ask questions. thats what i did. the people there are very helpful and some of Americas most famous trappers are on there every day answering questions.

RE: Thinking about getting into trapping
 

Greg, its me blood from the Bow section :DI have been in this forum about as many times as you :DI trapped for many years starting as a kid but i got out of it about 10 years ago. I belonged to fur takers of america chapter 7-C. Im not sure if there is a chapter around you but you might do a google on it. They have great seminars for adults as well as kids, its a family friendly atmosphere also. They also hold two fur auctions a year. About the time i got out of it, the fur buyers were leaning toward bringing in your game unskinned as people were not doing them right. I still fleshed and streatched all mine and they were ok with that,,,,i must have been doing it right :DI have many memories as a kid running the lines on a four wheeler before i had my licenese, i froze my but off and loved every second of it ;)Your right, its not just about trapping, its about having/learning responsability. I started with live traps at a very young age and moved to steel later. water trapping was my favorite. hope this helps. any questions, feel free to shoot me a pm.
http://www.furtakersofamerica.com/
http://www.furtakersofamerica.com/Missouri.htm

RE: Thinking about getting into trapping
 

Good to see you hereGreg! Trapping is a great thing to teach your son! I think you will end up as excited and learning as much as he. Well written books are a great resource to get you started. There are many videos availble as well if you think they would be more helpful. A good portion of your learning is going to be through trial and error once you get started.

Any idea of what you want to start with?Coon, and musktat are fairly easy to catch and the equipment is not real expensive. When you start getting into beaver and coyote the traps are quite a bit more expensive. I wouldn't try to cut your teeth on fox and coyote. They are smart and hard to catch, IMO best to get some experience before educating them.

I use Minnesota Trap Products for all my gear. The owners are great people and very helpful. If you call them one of the owners answers the phone. The will give all kinds of recommendations and advice, they also write a personal note on every invoice they send. I've included a couple links at the end fora couple booksand it is their web site. I would recommend using them as an information source, call and tell them what you are doing and they will take you through, traps, lures, and everything you need.

A couple of books you should get are Farmland Fur Trapping and Adjusment of Leg Hold Traps. Both great resources for a beginner. The Farmland book gives the basics for about anything you would want to catch. The Trap book will explain how to adjust your traps for optimal performance and gives a great overview of equipmnet needed.

Feel free to PM me if you wish. My brother and I do a lot of trapping and I'll help you any way I can.

http://www.minntrapprod.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=508_205_327&products_id =1267

http://www.minntrapprod.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=508_205_337&products_id =1292