2013 Wisconsin Trapping Outlook
By Dave Hraychuck
It’s mid-September, leaves are starting to turn, traps are dyed, lure and bait is made or bought, and Wisconsin trappers eagerly wait for the opener! While coming back from a day of sturgeon fishing on Yellow Lake, I stopped and met with Greg Wade, owner of the Log Cabin Store, Eatery and Fur Shed, in Danbury, Wisconsin.
Greg and I had a good discussion about this year’s fur market. Greg keeps up on the fur market, and once the season opens, he buys fur six days a week. He believes that the 2013 fur season will follow the 2012 season, starting out strong and staying strong for the entire season.
Greg predicts that muskrat, raccoon, and red fox will be the most sought after furs because most of the fur warehouses have been completely emptied of available raw furs. Increased sales of muskrat hides to China have started a “muskrat gold rush” for the 2013-2014 season.
“Muskrat Gold Rush” or not, the “real trappers” trap every year, not just during the high fur money years. As trappers, it is important that we do our part to ensure that the Best Management Practices (BMP) are adhered to at all times, ensuring traps are legally and ethically set. Catching household pets and other non-target animals would set us back to the days of fighting for our rights to trap!
As trappers, it is imperative that we educate the non-trapping community to help them understand that trapping is an important part of our country’s heritage and that trapping
has supplemented many rural family incomes for generations. Trapping is also one of the
most important tools in the science of wildlife management for predator control.
The North American 2013 Fur Auction (NAFA) Results can be viewed at: http://trappingtoday.com/index.php/category/fur-prices/
Good trapping to all of you this 2013-2014 season!
Dave Hraychuck is a WI licensed guide and trapper. He can be contacted at hraychucks@centurytel.net or 715-553-0578.