Trapping / Fur Harvesting

woodchopper said:
I'm an Alberta non-resident trapper... so no trap line, I do the odd nuisance job from time to time

got a nice fat XL beaver drying, just flipped it on the board Saturday.

but yes the whole fleshing the hides is something.... and I'm a little out of practice, but hey my sewing skills are improving too
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Why do you flip the beaver pelt? I always clean skinned them, and nailed them down to their size ring (using 3" finish nail) then simply raise the edges up the nail 3/4" for even drying.

I'd follow such a proposal as the OP mentioned though I haven't had trapped and sold furs in years. Trapped whatever was around this part of SE Ontario for years but the mainstay was beaver and the prices took a dive... my time is worth more than minimum wage and whatever expenses cut into that. I made more nuisance trapping for cottage owners, golf courses and other commercial entities. Now I just do what I must to ameliorate nuisances on my own property: either way the animal chauvinists still lose.
 
Dogleg said:
Funny thing about dams. Since the natural habitat of dams is in water and streams, and since both water and navigable streams are a hard thing to actually own; there’s one heck of a good chance that the dam is not on private land at all.

Jez sayin’��
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Careful with this, one cannot own the water, but one can certainly own the streambed.
 
I got my first trapping licence when I was 15. It was made from the same material that the hunting licences were. The ones you had to pin on your back.
 
84wankel said:
in ontario there is a course thats required to become a trapper. ive heard they are about a week long and actually very good even if you dont intend to trap full time. im thinking about taking one in 2021
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Course is 40 hours minimum. Covers biology of fur bearers, sets, and pelt handling. Lots of hands on.
 
YT trapper. Here's some fur I got back from the tannery a couple of months ago. Going after the "value added" market as fur prices are not the greatest....

3tsQqwe.jpg


RC
 
Just sold my coyotes to a buyer today, didnt go auction route...was paid $133 average. Not great but not bad considering Nafa is done. Big time market fears with the whole corona virus and China...Guys are even saying that there might not even be any auctions this year. Scary times.
 
I took the Ontario course and I have to say it was great. Instructors all had four decades experience and taught the class many little tricks. Very hands on including a day in the field setting traps and a full day skinning a pile of animals. Highly recommend if you can commit the time. Huge focus on doing everything humanely, ethics etc. I was very impressed as the instructors treat it like a craft.
 
Suther said:
Is trapping something anyone can get into? I've often wondered about it, but I don't know where to start and I don't know the details about trap lines (do you need one? How expensive are they? Etc) or anything else for that matter.
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In BC you'll need to take a trapper education course first... I think it's 2 days from what I remember, and very hands-on. Then you can buy a license, but that will let you trap on your own land, and other private land with permission, and on open/community traplines (must register with F&W branch) which there may or may not be any around. If you get serious, registered Crown land traplines (usually with a legal/registered cabin or two) are bought & sold in BC. You don't own the land, but have legal rights to be the sole trapper in the area. Some of which can be very large, and very remote. Seems like these days, trappers make more money getting 'compensation' from industry (forestry, oil & gas) than from selling fur.

For the problematic beaver dam, municipalities typically have the permits to remove nuisance animals and dams if they are causing flooding issues....
 
Tuffcity said:
YT trapper. Here's some fur I got back from the tannery a couple of months ago. Going after the "value added" market as fur prices are not the greatest....


RC
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nice pelts! and for sure, they will bring much more in the tourist market than in the fur auction. I've seen a few places in Alberta (country stores, tourism places) where guys have a bunch of tanned hides for sale. They're all stamped on the inside to indicate legal capture and royalties paid.. but could prove problematic to US tourists crossing the border with CITES species (lynx, wolf).

What does it cost to get a pelt tanned like that? cheaper in bulk?
 
Love the photos. Great to see some people are still doing it. From what I hear fur prices are not very good right now making it hard to be worth the time. Lots seem to be going to tanning route to make the product more marketable.
 
Im a Alberta trapper. I have a registered line and a resident line. As a trapper you will never get a wealth of money. On the good note your wife knows were to fined you at night!
 
I you are a rural person and have kids, or are yourself young, there is a trappers course available through 4H. I helped write the manual a couple years ago. Most of the writing was done by a biologist buddy of mine, he knows his stuff. It was a fun project and I hope it gets more new trappers out in the field. The 4H course concentrates on trapping nuisance animals and common farm forbearers rather than typical wilderness trapping, we thought there was a need for that.
 
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badgreenbird said:
nice pelts! What does it cost to get a pelt tanned like that? cheaper in bulk?
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Eastern tanneries seem to be about half the price of western ones. That batch cost me about $600 with shipping from Quebec to YT. I'm trying to source a closer tannery that comes a little closer in cost. I'm not adverse to paying a bit more but its not economical for me to pay twice as much.

RC
 
New Camper said:
Why do you flip the beaver pelt? I always clean skinned them, and nailed them down to their size ring (using 3" finish nail) then simply raise the edges up the nail 3/4" for even drying.

I'd follow such a proposal as the OP mentioned though I haven't had trapped and sold furs in years. Trapped whatever was around this part of SE Ontario for years but the mainstay was beaver and the prices took a dive... my time is worth more than minimum wage and whatever expenses cut into that. I made more nuisance trapping for cottage owners, golf courses and other commercial entities. Now I just do what I must to ameliorate nuisances on my own property: either way the animal chauvinists still lose.
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well I guess it was the way I was taught. Skin and flesh then nail it down to the board fur side down so the hide can dry for about a week, you still go all around the hide lifting it to the top of the nails. Having it skin side up makes it easy to see how the drying process is going. Then flip it over to let the fur air and dry, you have about an inch or so of gab between the hide and board so it stays nice and dry.

flipping the pelt might be extra work and I'm not saying its the only way to do it, but its just the way I do it.
 
yomomma said:
I am seriously thinking of getting my trapping license for Ontario. Is there any web site one can visit to see existing trap lines?
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This is a good question. Id be interested in the same thing for BC. Hell, anyone know how much they cost (ballpark figures would be fine)? Do you have to pay a yearly fee or is it a one time purchase or...?
 
yomomma said:
I am seriously thinking of getting my trapping license for Ontario. Is there any web site one can visit to see existing trap lines?
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You would have to visit the MNR to find out if there are any available in your area. You can also trap on private land with permission, or work as a "helper" to a licenced holder.
 
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