we all got into trapping for one reason or another. Mine was to be like my late grandpa that was a really good trapper in his day. Unfortunately, He had passed and wasn't able to pass on any of his secrets to me.
So, who helped you out the most when you first started out. For me it was a fella named Bill Goughenour, He sold trapping supplies. He gave me a lot of pointers when I first started. Then after a few years, he moved to a new area (alum bank) and I never saw him again. If I did, I would surely say thank you.

granpa all the way.he worked second shift and always made sure i got to do everything he did.dad also but he always worked 2 jobs.i was lucky that way for sure.

I started on my own at 12 yrs. old. Dad hunted but never trapped. FFG helped a lot. Back in the 70's there was no internet, youtube,etc. School of hard knocks for me.

Brad

Reddawg from this site helped me the most. He really showed me that there is more than one correct way to go about trapping. He showed me how he does things but that I should not be afraid to go and put out sets and find what works best for me. He really helped shorten the learning curve for me, I can’t thank him enough. He also taught me to observe how the animals respond to my sets because they are the best teachers. He also has a really cool fur shed and taught me how to skin my first fox, which gave me that first hand experience that I think is very helpful.

Dad showed me some he was mostly a houndsman, but trapped some fox and coon he loved fox, my pap was a minker back in the 40s 50s also hunted them with dogs, but he never got to show me how he died when I was 6 but dad showed me how pap did it, the rest I learned on my own FFG and Hawbaker books,there was videos when I was young but they might as well have been on the moon! We didn't have money and people in this country didn't use to believe in that kinda stuff! My mom's dad mink and rat trapped back in the 50s and 60s he told me some stuff, I didnt meet another trapper till I was 18 and right know there's only one other person in this co. Who traps seriously!and he don't actually live in this county! So yeah I whent from walking a possum skunk and coon line to running nearly 100 mile longline pretty much on my own! It was TUFF! WISH I could've had a mentor to learn from!

My stepdad pointed me in the right direction to get started but just like imissed pretty much learned as i went.no internet or youtube.read everybook i could get my hands on and attended local trappers association meetings and picked the brains of all of the old timers.just finished my 42nd year trapping and still love it as much today as i did when i started at age 8.i help teach trapping school when asked to and teach as many youngsters as possible.

My grandpa started me when I was abt ten years old. That was around 1970..
He had fur fish game magazines ,I Wud read them over and over.

Paul Dobbins, Claudie Taylor, Jimmy Pierce, Hal Sullivan. other instructors at our free trappers ed classes, for trapping

Oscar Cronk, Asa Lenon, Carroll Black for lure/bait making.

I started on my own about 35 years ago, I had no one to teach me so I bought some traps and went out and made a ton of awful sets, even looked up one time while setting a trap and seen a red fox about 30'yards away in the brush watching me. I never caught a fox back then

About ten years ago my son wanted me to teach him to trap, it wasn't real good but we caught some coons I had figured out how to do that But he wanted fox and coyotes and beaver so then I decided we needed some real teaching and we started attending trapping conventions and as they say "the rest is history"

S. Stanley Hawbaker. Best book ever. I read it when I was 9 and re read it almost every year since then. Spectacular for dreaming kids.

My Grandfather who passed in 1978...He was a deadly blind set man for fox, coon, and mink... He never used lure even one day in his life...Next would be Major Boddicker, Tom Miranda, and Dan DeZarn.

My grandad helped me out early on with rats and mink then I took two days of instructions for fox and coyote back in 1962 from bill nelson and haven't ever looked back

I started trying to trap birds at 4 1/2 yrs old ...then on to Squirrels, all kid stuff. My Grandpa Cruger let me help him in the late 60's and 70's catch rabbits in his Wisconsin garden. I really didn't have anyone ever in my Family who was a trapper. In'86' I started on my own, I read FFG magazines, Trapping books etc. I really went Wild after meeting Merlin Ladd the fall of 86. Merlin showed me in his fur shed the first 330's I'd ever seen, He told me how to look for and make two different Beaver sets ...Three days later on my own I caught my first 3 Beaver. All is a Blurr since then 32 years of fun in the Minnesota and Wisconsin woods and Swamps. That's the furside the ADC learnin' came later in 2010 from LT Gray. Amazing men who showed their craft.

Got my love for the outdoors from my Dad. My little brother talked me in to trapping. Spent 4 hours at Red O'hearns house talking coon trapping and I was hooked. Never forget it.
B

A man that I call my grandpa but he really isn't and he calls me the son he never had. His name is Earl Gipson and his wife is Velma Anne. They took me under their wings when I was about twelve. Thank God they did. I sure got tired of check g empty traps.

This site, books, YouTube, and school of hard knocks. Still learning and enjoying every minute.

Daddy and Pawpaw took us hunting and fishing from as far back as I can remember. They taught me to love the woods. Daddy didn't trap and Pawpaw trapped, but passed when I was eight. I started trapping with his traps when I was 12, but didn't catch much until I started hanging out in a neighbor's, Mr. Robert Walters, fur shed. He took me along on his line in the Turkey Creek Brake and showed me how to catch nutria, coon, and mink on the cypress logs. I trapped with him until the rheumatism in his hands forced him to stop just a couple of years later. After that I would take my catch by his house to show him until his death. When I started high school my ag teacher, Butch Calhoun, introduced me to coon hunting. For the next 8 years we trapped, fished, and hunted for just about every thing Louisiana had to offer. He moved to Florida and I moved to Alaska and then Wyoming and we did not see each other for 25 years, though we kept in touch through his daughter. Thru total coincidence his family and mine both separately made plans to be in Nashville after Christmas this year. We got together and now have plans to go hunting next year. I can't wait.

Ogorman, bill Austin

An old biker called "magoo". Also wish I could give credit to the dude on here that simplified bedding for me..man what a difference that made. Three years later and I'm in Alaska, time to learn all over again...

I join the PTA in 1982 . In those days you got the old Trapper and Predator magazine . Until than I had never heard of Charlie Dobbins ,Carroll Black ,Willis Kent and on a more local level Russ Carman and Kermit Sterns .And there where many others that wrote articles for the magazine at that time. Just the ads in that magazine open my eyes to a whole other world about trapping .It was still the school of hard knocks but it changed the learning curve . Best money I ever spent on trapping was to join the PTA

Dad showed me the outdoors, spent a lot of time playing in woods or riding in the log skidder while he worked logging. Then when he took a job as a cop I have to credit my uncle Fred for teaching me trapping. Fred was and still is my coyote and coon guru.
Kenny kreshel taught me a lot about coyotes and cats too. Dennis vicars I have to credit for beaver and rats.
And for many years now, 1crazytrapper has kept me focused and back to roots on coyote and coon work. Same with Cougarw. Both on here from time to time.
God bless all of them and their patience with me, I know I haven't been the best pupil. I hope I can pass this all down to my boys too.
Jim

school of hard knock back then people made money they did not want to show you anything it was part of there yearly income [a major part]

great thread

I started out by finding 3 old traps in my dad's shed that he bought in a box of stuff at a household auction. I suppose I was about 9 or 10 years old. There was a #1 a #2 and a #3 Victor LS. I bet I set/set off those traps a million times before I convinced my dad to haul me out in the country to set them. He knew nothing about trapping. I made some pretty stupid sets and caught a couple rats and a coon the first year (a couple of weekends) I trapped. The second season, I was prepared! I bought the book "Trapping North American Fur-Bearers" by Hawbaker and a dozen #1 Victor Longsprings. I convinced my folks to let me ride my bike to a creek on the North side of town. I suspect that a 10 year old out by themselves on a bike would be unheard of now..? Anyway, I went through a lot of trial and error and every time I sold fur to my locol buyer (who lived just 2 blocks from me) I asked a ton of questions about what I was doing right/wrong. He helped me a lot. I ended up finishing fur for him in high school for a little extra cash. Mostly, the trapping part I learned through trial and error and reading books and Fur-Fish-Game magazine.

Not really sure how I got so addicted to this crazy sport. Parents divorced when I was 9 and no one in my family was a trapper. FFG was read from cover to cover numerous times, couldn't wait for the new issue to be put on the rack at the drug store. All my free time was spent either in the river or the timber along it. Still remember my first catch, a huge grinner that is still the largest one I have ever caught. Buyer gave me 4 dollars for it. Trapped into my 20's, then life got to busy with kids and all. Two years ago at the age of 56 i started back up. More obsessed than ever. I'm having a blast trapping coyotes, learning something new everyday.

Pretty much self taught. Picked up my fox trapping from a book called Space Age Fox Trapping, the book simplified everything. I received lot of good info from Art Scott on trapping and Lester Fitzgerald on fur handeling. No one in my family trapped.

how many guy's snuck a ear a corn and a couple 1 longs and snuck off into the woods to become the greatest chipmunk trapper to come through since Ian Woodcock???

Spent a bunch of time in principals office for being late(and other things) after checking our chipmunk traps.Trapper and Predator caller was all about "how to" years ago. Watched Kermit Stearns demos,had Charlie Dobbins give me several of his pans for my #4 double longs,and checked a bunch of empty traps-wouldn't trade it for the world! Our kids would go with me after work to check a section of a water line when my wife was at work. Years later my daughter would shock people in the DC/Balt area social work job she had when she would say that she carried muskrats and shot a gun. Thanks to all those "teachers"

This thread took me back to 1982,that winter is still very vivid in my mind.The year I took up interest in trapping,rushing to the school library each morning to see if the new Trapper and Predator Calling magazine was in and check out the old issues,buying my first 2 traps,Victor 1 1/2 long springs and stumbling around not knowing anything.The time when Ray Milligan lived just outside of town and hearing about his success.I was just a teenager with a passion to be a trapper but each year there after was a learning curve.I can still remember the articles in Fur Fish and Game and the pictures in those magazines.

Beaverman on here showed me how to trap beaver, I ran with him (carried his beaver) for a week and learned a lot in that time well worth the time spent!

My grandpa was a lumberjack/hunting guide from International Falls; he also happened to be one of the biggest poachers in Koochiching county at the time (had to put food on the table). After WWII he got a job with the state as a game warden. He loved hunting, fishing and trapping. He always had traps but other than some nuisance animal sets, and some poaching sets, he never taught me much about trapping.

My dad, as a kid, trapped muskrats primarily with some incidental mink and coon. Again, never really taught me much about trapping other than some rat sets.

I've been around traps my whole life, but other than nuisance animals (I never utilized the poaching sets) I never did much tapping until this past fall. The itch has always been there and I've always wanted to trap but I just never got going until this year. Now it's way more than an itch, I've got the full on fever.

Bob curtis an adc trapper and biologist in south dakota helped me the most on beaver snaring and my thinking on the topic. many yrs ago. He gave me the ability to make immediate profit on them. Who helped me the most? hmmmm. Been so many

My mother and father. There have been others, but My mother and father taught me a strong work ethic and were always supportive no matter what. They were the biggest factor in all that I have done and paramount in my children as well as my sisters children.

I'm with most of you my mother and father for bringing me up doing outdoor stuff gardening, hunting, fishing and of course trapping. Mr. Lenon from the time I asked him if he could make me a coyote trapper many years ago has always helped me in business and life. Those folks have and continue leave me grateful for the values they have taught me.

My Uncle Wayne when I was growing up(dad was away too much). Taught me to fish, garden. Went everywhere with him. he wasn't perfect(fought with the bottle for years and eventually beat it, only to die from brain cancer at the age of 48). Very gentle man except when he gave me Noogies (I hated them). He never married.Had his heart broken when a young lady backed out of marriage (started drinking thereafter) and he never tried to marry again. Man we used to surf fish all the time. When he passed, I put my sergeant strips on his chest, he was so proud of me. Rest in peace Uncle Wayne. Your nephew Dale (Sarge)

X2

Mousey trapper

College buddy got me started in '73... he quit in a few years and I've trapped every year since. I did take instruction from Dan Kroll from PA about 1980 for fox...

Fur fish game.

Grew up in a waterfowling family,that did not trap. Two of my cousins trapped. Got the bug from them. Set my first few traps at 8 years old and caught a couple coons before freeze up that year. Was hooked. Back in those days (mid 70's), I learned the most from publications that came out of Sutton Ne. Trapper and Predator caller and other paper back books. Over the years trial and error and the animals themselves have taught me how to be more efficient. What a wonderful sport...Every time I run my line, I feel like a young kid on Christmas morning.

My Dad had us hunting and trapping very young. First memory is getting is getting yelled at for knocking his hat down in his face.. I got tuckered and was ridin home on his shoulders. Good times

A high school friend named Roger and a trapper named Tom. Roger got me started trapping rats and Tom gave me fox trapping advice when I met him on a property we both had permission to trap. It was my first year trapping fox and he let me have that farm to myself.

I've always thought trapping would be something that I would want to get into, the thought of out smarting a critter and convincing them to step on a Copenhagen sized spot was something that really appealed to me. I never tried it when I was younger because I didn't have anyone to show me the ropes. So 2016 I finally decided to heck with it and I bought my self a half dozen traps and watched some videos and gave it a whirl. I caught a badger and a skunk and was hooked. I have since acquired a "few" more traps and a few more "lessons learned" but still think that this is something that I was born to do. Still wish I had had someone to show me some tricks, but ill figure this out one way or another.

I guess you can call me a YouTube trapper. I've played with box traps since I was a kid,but not until the last couple years have I turned a full out Crackhead trapper.Big Thanks to Stu from CoonCreek for fur handling has a Great Channel. And Big thanks to 330 MaNiaC on Beaver Trapping. Snaring was more less a learn as I go.

A guy named Chet Kelly got me started. Jim Kidd taught me about putting up fur. Jim Eyer taught me more than I could ever repay. I learned more about coyotes in 3 days with Slim Pedersen than I did in all the years prior. Bernie Barringer's Farmland Trapping book really propelled my learning curve when I moved to Kansas. I read the covers off that book. I learned tons talking on the phone and at conventions with JC Conner. I still fondly remember my visit to his house. There are hundreds of others I've picked up knowledge from throughout the years.