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Here is a story that was published in The Trapper magazine in the August, 1981 issue about Herb Lenon being in The Trapper's (magazine) Hall of Fame
Herb Lenon
Herb Lenon was born March 14, 1902 in Remus, a
small farming community in central Lower Michigan. His father, a
farmer,
had never set a trap. However, the hills were roamed by fox and the
farm
ponds and streams were inhabited by mink, muskrat, and raccoon. One of
Herb's uncles was a proficient part-time trapper. After continuous
pleading
from Herb, age 6, and his older brother and sister, the uncle finally
conceded
to show them how to make a muskrat set. Each one was given a small trap
nailed to a board for a float, smeared with uncle's "Special Lure," and
told to stake them back at the pond and not return until morning. Herb,
not being able to sleep all night, raced to the pond at the crack of
dawn.
There on his float he could see some brown fur. Charging through the
water
to the float, he couldn't believe his eyes. The anticipated muskrat was
a mink. Imagine the excitement of a 6-year-old, running to his uncle's
farm with this news. Herb described this incident many times throughout
his life, saying "I decided right then and there I was going to become
a professional trapper!"
The mink was sold, more traps were purchased, and the uncle had Herb on
his doorsteap every free moment after school requesting further
instructions.
The uncle told him, "You become a proficient mink trapper and I will
teach
you fox trapping when you are 12 years old. With this initiative in
mind,
Herb was a good, student. He listened carefully and was inquisitive
about
every detail. By age 12 Herb was one of the best mink trappers in the
two
county area. The uncle kept his word and the fox trapping instructions
began. At age 16 Herb was the best fox trapper around.
During this 10 year period, Herb was always
intrigued and inquisitive about these bottles of "Special Lures" the
uncle
had for each animal he trapped. The uncle explained that other trappers
in the area all used generally about the same type of bait and that by
adding simple essential oils to his bait he increased its appeal,
giving
him "one up" on the other trappers. This led Herb's inquisitive mind
into
further lure experimentation. It wasn't long and Herb had created
superior
complex lures of 12 and more ingredients of oils, tinctures, powders,
glands,
musks, and food. This continuous experimentation eventually led to
Herb's
success as one of America's leading animal lure makers.
Herb finished school at age 16. Trapping and lure
experimentation
was his only love, but times were hard so he worked at many odd jobs
and
trapped when he could. Scarcity of employment near home sent him to
Arkansas
and across the plain states to Montana. The traps went wherever he went
and valuable trapping and lure making experience was attained from
trappers
along the way. He learned to trap animals that were not native to Lower
Michigan.
Back home again in 1923 at the age of 21, he again out performed all
the
best mink and fox trappers in his area. Many trappers came to him
wanting
to buy some of the lure he used. He declined selling any, but gave free
samples to some of the better trappers of the area. When the Fall
trapping
season of 1924 was nearing, they were all back with other trappers
wanting
to buy some more lure. Realizing this was his opportunity for a "grub
stake"
to fulfill his dream of being a full time professional trapper, he made
large batches for sale to anyone who inquired. He trapped to November
15th,
sold his furs and lures, and bought more traps and equipment necessary
for the survival of a professional trapper in Michigan's rugged Upper
Peninsula.
He married his wife, Laura, on November 24, 1924 and they set out for
the
Upper Peninsula wilderness.
The next 8 years were spent trapping timber wolf,
coyote,
fox, bobcat, mink, muskrat, beaver, otter, and weasel from remote
wilderness
trappers' shacks in Chipewa county, coming out only on occasion to the
post office, fur buyer, and general store. Word spread quickly from the
fur buyer of this successful trapper. Each visit to the post office
found
more orders for lure from Lower Michigan and inquiries from Upper
Peninsula
trappers requesting lures and trapping instructions. More batches of
lure
were made for sale and occasional students were taken for instruction.
Herb was forced to return to civilization in 1933. A son, Edward, born
in 1025 was now past school age and couldn't be kept out any longer. A
move near the small village of Gulliver was made that year. Being
closer
to a post office also enabled him to service his ever increasing demand
for lures and instructions. He continued trapping professionally,
giving
instructions, and experimenting with new lure ideas. Corresponding
often
with Walter Arnold, they shared their trapline experiences. Realizing
that
professional lures were of little value to the trapper without
know-how,
Herb wrote his first booklet, Professional Trupline Secrets, in 1933.
Michigan instituted a high paying bounty system
on coyote and timber wolf in 1936. This brought depression starved
trappers
out by the droves. Herb's notoriety spread rapidly through the old
American
Trappers when he bountied 48% of all coyotes and timber wolves from his
district. Soon trappers from all over the Midwest were requesting
lures, booklets, and personal trapping instruction.
The bounty system was discontinued in 1937 to be
replaced
by a state trapper system through the Department of Conservation. Herb
was promptly contacted by the Department and asked to train other state
trappers and farmers to handle their own predation of livestock by
wolves
and coyote. He accepted, and was soon made, supervisor of the
Department.
The bounty system was reinstituted in 1939 and Herb was asked to stay
in
the state employ as a conservation officer.
A son, Herb Jr., was born in 1940 and another
son, Asa, in 1942. Herb wanted to return to full time professional
trapping,
trapping instruction, and expand his lure business so he could raise
his
latest two sons in the trapping profession and art of lure making. He
gave
his resignation to the Department of Conservation in 1942. He
promptly
began to write a complete library of trapping books he felt would
instruct
anyone who would study them seriously. Completed in 1944, 15,000 copies
were sold throughout the years. They were The Secrets of Successful
Trapping
(Wolf, Coyote, Fox & Bobcat), Mink & Muskrat Trapping, Beaver
&
Otter Trapping, Raccoon - Skunk & Weasel Trapping, Bounty Den
Hunting,
and 25 Professional Lure Formulas. None were reprinted after the first
editions were sold out.
Herb's reputation as a trapper, animal lure maker, and expert trapping
instructor was now growing by leaps and bounds. Orders and requests for
lures, books, trapping supplies, and personal trapping instructions
flooded
in from every State, Canadian Province, Alaska, and several foreign
countries.
This did not phase his first love, trapping. He continued to operate
long
professional traplines each and every year, and continued to experiment
with new animal lure ideas, saying "No trapper will ever live long
enough
to have learned all there is to know."
Herb loved the outdoors, nature, and the animals.
He always maintained that no trapper would be very successful who did
not
respect wildlife and live in harmony with nature. He generally kept
wild
animals in pens for experimentation and urine collection, and some were
tamed as house pets. He would sometimes talk to the animals for long
periods
of time and could generally tame the wildest ones this way. He
especially
had a fondness for the coyote which he termed "almost human."
Herb also had a special feeling for the trapper, always
referring to trappers as "the salt of the earth" and "the world's best,
most honest group of people." He believed the trappers closeness to
nature
was responsible for such "good people." For this reason, Herb took a
particular
interest in the young trapper. He once retorted to an anti-trapper who
was giving him hell for teaching her young nephew to trap. "Lady, I
would
much rather see every young man leaning on an oak tree with a trap in
his
hand, than on an oak bar, drunk, with a beer in his hand." Herb never
refused
to help or answer questions for the young trapper. Even after long hard
days on the trapline and long hours in the lure shed in the busiest
season,
the typewriter cracked hours into the night, night after night, answering
trapping questions asked by what he called "his young trapper friends."
Herb wrote countless helpful trapping instruction articles for such
trapping
publications as Fur-Fish-Come, The Trappers World, and The National
Trappers
Digest. He also wrote the question & answer column for The Trappers
World. Herb never shirked his responsibility to perpetuate
trapping for future generations. Lots of time, effort, and money
were spent throughout his life to fight the anti-movements. Having once
worked for the Department of Conservation gave credence to his
testimony
before Michigan legislators and conservation officials and his opinions
were sought and respected.
Herb's 52 year trapping career ended in 1960 when he
suffered a disabling stroke which left him speech impaired and
paralyzed
on one side of his body. Herb never lost his keen interest in trapping,
trappers, or the continuation of his animal lure business throughout
the
remaining years of his life. He passed away August 11, 1979 at the age
of 77. His loyal wife, Laura, an expert trapper herself who tread
thousands
of miles with him on the trapline, passed away a short time later. The
animal lure business is being carried on by their son, Asa.
Upon knowledge of Herb's passing, a touching
amount of letters and sympathy cards arrived from trappers everywhere.
One trapper and 30 year lure customer from the State of Washington who
had never met Herb personally, summed it up in one short paragraph, "I
was very saddened to hear about the passing of the grand old trapper,
Herb
Lenon. He leaves an empty spot in our hearts."