Every instructor provides one thing, and that is confidence, but you need something besides location, location, location, as that is what trapping is, with hard work, good equipment and lures which animals will respond to. That thing is something which is mentioned in combat in it just seems some guys have a sense in knowing where the enemy is and not getting others killed.
My brother has a knack for finding game, whether hunting, fishing or trapping. That is how you put up big numbers in the longliners read country and find the pockets of fur. I remember Ray Milligan once saying that he took in a huge catch in New Mexico before a storm front, but that he preferred his 'three coyotes a day'. In the 80's it was 150 miles a day, 100 traps, 3 minutes to a set, and 12 hours later you were in your sleeping bag after Dinty Moore. Rotating 10 to 20 percent of the traps out in shifting the line to new ground is why it is a young man's game. Set a goal of 3 animals a day and in a month you will have 100 animals for a big catch after a great deal of work.
Just understand no matter who you pick for your instruction, that you will be conditioned that trapper's methods and you will always reflect that teacher. I remember watching Carrol Black. I think Johnny Thorpe influenced him. Mr. Black was an artist in making sets. They were as perfect as a Martha Stewart cake. He put up numbers with his creations, but so do people whose sets that look like disasters.
Last point, in you have to do the numbers too, the fur price. Would it make more sense to catch 5 15 dollar coyotes or 2 50 dollar coyotes? It is like when Wayne Negus wintered in Arizona and was catching 500 dollar cats in their high prices. He was setting on quality fur and the numbers to make retirement pay.
Hope some of that helps.
