Hobby
Trapper Dreams
Article from July
- August 1998 Buckeye Trapper
by Jerry
Warner
Tales of longlines, megacatches and big fur checks is pretty
heavy stuff to the everyday hobby trapper. The mere mention of
it stirs up the blood and the imagination enough to want to try
your hand at it, at least once. Personally, I have had all those
same feelings and even dabbled at my own "long line".
Normally, I run eight to ten trapps before work in the morning
and skin out my catch after work. Even a moderate catch keeps
me busy. I took a week off work and set what I considered a "long
line." consisting of approximately 50 sets for muskrat and
12 for raccoon. It generated considerably more fur and it felt
like double the work. I found out that it stopped being fun and
started being work.
My sets normally are made with an average amount of time and
I pay attention to the details that make a good set. On the "long
line," I found myself taking a lot less time making the sets
and felt a little sloppy, but I felt I didn't have much of a choice
if I wanted to rack up the "big numbers" I must admit,
the sets still produced the catches but the sets just lacked the
"sweet" look they had when I had more time.
I also noticed that while running this "long line,"
I wasn't seeing as much of the surroundings as I did when I only
had a few traps. I was so intent on running the line that I didn't
have time to follow that single mink track or figure out how that
raccoon fooled me this time. I covered a log of ground being a
"speed setter" but I didn't see much of it.
The fur check isn't here yet, so I won't know how I did in the
monetary department. After I figure in the extra gas it required,
the extra traps I purchased to fill the "long line,"
the tire I blew because I didn't pay attention to where I was
parking, and the time spent away from my family, it isn't going
to be as big as I would have hoped. It will be a bigger check
than I would have normally received though.
I have thought a lot about this "long line". I have
run and compared it to the small line I normally run and came
to some not so startling conclusions. The longliners, who do this
day in and day out and year after year, are to be commended for
their perseverance and stamina. It is work, pure and simple. It's
a job, not a hobby. They are doing this for a living and have
no choice but to find ways to speed things up and cut as many
corners as they can to be more efficient and cost effective. I
am sure it takes a toll on their physical and mental strength,
not to mention the strain it puts on their family life. My hat
is off to them!
I want to say that my "long line" was by no means in
comparison with the length that the professional trappers run.
It was long enough to convince me of one thing though. I think
I will be content to stay a hobby trapper . I enjoy making my
sets look "sweet" and natural. I like to blend and camouflage
them so they fit in with the surroundings. I get a kick out of
following that mink track to see where it goes and what it does.
I want to get anouther chance to trick that raccoon into stepping
into my trap instead of stepping around it. If I want to take
a detour to check on a deer trail or photograph a couple of frisky
squirrels, then I know I'll have that time. I like knowing I can
pull my line in an hour or so and not have to worry about needing
to check it the next day if something unexpected pops up. The
fur shed and it's chores will once again require an hour worth
of attention instead of an all night marathon.
I wrote this to let other hobby trappers know that there is at
least one other trapper out there that shared some of their dreams.
Not running the long linesor making the big cathes doesn't mean
we enjoy trapping any less, but possibly enjoy it more because
we have more time. I encourage you to take that time and use it
to the maximum. Get the most out of every set and just have some
good old-fashioned fun doing it
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