Trapping -- A Lost Art, a New Hobby
“How was fishing?” my wife asks as I walk in the door.
“Fine, decent bite, my hands got freakin’ cold again though,” I reply.
“Well, didja wear the new gloves you got? They’re supposed to be pretty warm!” she asks. “Yup, sure did! I just can’t find anything warm enough.”
Insert a slow-motion, music added, montage of months’ long searching the internet for the warmest, best, keep-your-hands-warm-no-matter-what mittens I could find. And the result I kept coming back to? Fur. Fur mittens. Specifically, beaver fur.
Fur mittens on Etsy with quite a bit of ease. My issue with buying a pair of fur mittens? They are expensive. Some Etsy shops have them listed upwards of $250. And while there are plenty of synthetic options on the market that will cost you that much, I can’t produce synthetic materials in my basement.
I have a strong desire to continue to learn, and I have a strong passion for doing things myself. So, I set out to learn to trap. I started by taking the Wisconsin DNR Trapper’s Ed program, and from there joined a couple of
local Facebook groups for trappers in WI, found a mentor or two, and did everything I could to make a few catches. Once I was familiar and comfortable with the equipment, I needed locations. I called my local fisheries biologist, who gave me a couple spots and then I gained landowner permission.
So why take the time to trap? Why take the time to learn?
The best reason I can give for becoming a trapper might surprise you. It has to do with what it will do for you in the outdoors. Trapping has made me a better outdoorsman. Learning to trap will help you become a better sportsperson because it teaches you to read animal sign at much more detailed level.
Here’s the other big reason a person should start trapping. It is easy to do with your kids. Hunting, and even fishing, can feel like a huge production. Get them dressed, make sure they have stuff to do for a long day. Don’t get me wrong, a trap line can get over-complicated quick with kids. Most of the time, if you’re trapping along a fishing easement, the problem beaver will be very accessible from the bank. In most of the spots I trapped, I was able to drag my sled along, with a couple traps, and walk in, make a couple sets, and walk out. Twenty-five, thirty minutes max. Wait a couple days, and go back, and take the kids. Get them excited about the catch, and they will be hooked on the outdoors.
And the best kept secret in the outdoors? Beaver meat is easily the most like beef. Easily, by leaps and bounds, the most similar wild game meat to beef is beaver. My kids love it, my wife loves it, I’ve served it at multiple wild game feeds, and people are shocked by how good it is. It is mild, maybe a little sweet, and best of all, it has intra- muscular fat. That means that the meat cooks more like beef, too.
Trapping is a dying art, and that’s a shame. It’s a great way to get kids outside. It’s a great way to make yourself a better outdoorsperson. The tangible result, like fur mittens, hats, scarves, slippers etc. that can be made are the warmest and of the highest quality. Fur garments make
wonderful gifts and conversation pieces, and to be able to say that the fur on your head or on your hands is from your own efforts is something special. The meat is by far and away the best the wild has to offer. So, there you go – three great reasons to get out there and start a trap line this year.
