have you people thought about what is going to happen to your trapping stuff when you leave this world . we have had guys leave there stuff to our organization . I talk to a guy from down south a few years back maybe 5 years ago .and a guys left everything to there trapper group ,6 figures lots of money ,guess his kids were mad but guy said kids didn't come around . I wish I could get life insurance I would buy a plan an put the trapper on it ,to late now . I hope before I leave this world I will have a grand child that I no will use my traps and not sell them !

I have thought about this also .As I get older I have acquired trapping items that no longer get used . Our Trappers association sometimes has auctions where a portion of the amount goes to the seller and a portion goes to the Association .So I have sold some things that way. I get something ,the Association gets something and things I no longer use are not cluttering up some corner of the house . One of my rules is I am not giving something to someone just based on the fact they are related to me .I have spent to much time and effort into getting things I enjoy to just hand them out like that So I do not leave a mess for someone else to deal with I try to have a minimum amount of clutter piled up My goal is to leave whatever is left to those that understand how important it was to me

I think about it every day. Guess I need to plan for it more earnestly.

Someday- If pass away between October-December... good luck finding them.

^^^Excellent point!!

This is really a thought process.As most have spoken, not a lot of family really want this FINE collection of mine or yours most likely.
i told my wife to sell and make some money, but a green horn selling a lot of traps could loose a boat load to a greedy person.

I fear my wife selling my stuff for what I told her I paid for it.

I remember when I was in High School getting almost a dozen #11’s this way. The older man had died kinda unexpectedly and his wife told me if I could find them on the creek behind their house I could have them.
Almost found all of them but not quite

Have a journal with crude maps and location in case of being laid up or croaked. Took wife a few times so she knows where traps are.

Would like a deserving young person to get my trapping stuff.

Good subject and I hope it provides food for thought for many who have not thought about crossing that bridge yet. If my kids would use them, it would be a no brainer but so far there is no inclination that that might happen. We have always hunted together and still do but when I took up trapping late in life, the kids have not been bit by the trapping bug even though they enjoy hearing about and seeing the results of my exploits.

Working and raising a family is a priority for them at this stage in their life and I understand that. When I was their age, that was my focus as well.

So, unless their interests change, I have instructed them that my trapping gear be donated to the state trappers association when the time comes. I am just and average Joe trapper so my name on a trap tag will not make it valuable but just the trap value should add a nice chunk of change to the association treasury and someone will get some use out of it.

I've talked to a friend and young trapper about this very thing! I've always said, my wife has no idea what my traps are worth, and ask my friend to help her peddle my trapping stuff in order to get what they are worth. If he doesn't do it right....I'll come back and haunt him!

All of you guys, SHUT YOUR MOUTHS! Don't you know that trappers live forever?
On a serious note, this is a very good subject that many might not think about (myself included). I'm only 33 years old, but the Lord can call you home at any time. My sons don't have any interest in trapping and my wife would not know how much to sell my stuff for. I guess I should get a game plan. Thank you Roy, for bringing this up.

Also only 33 years old here, with 2 small boys, hoping to add a few more boys before it is said and done. Sure hope that at least one if nor more take to trapping the same way I have. Breaks my heart to think I wouldn't be able to pass down something I love so much (my traps and gear) to my boys.

I wont give a rip what happens after I'm dead.

i'm takin mine with me

most wont see the value of my stuff as I do,i would rather have someone use it other then someone tryin to make a buck on it.

A little OT - I read a really interesting little paragraph next to a photo in a back issue of Alaska Trapper magazine, two sisters had given a collection of broken traps to a 14-year-old boy. Not only did he repair them he put them in use on his trapline. To me that is Golden, I think any kid that is smart enough to do the needed trap repairs for use again is well on his way to being successful.
How many of us have piles of "need to be repaired" traps? I think a demo of repair and maintenance of traps at conventions for our upcoming trappers would be very beneficial.

I will leave most, if not all, of my collection of trapping gear to my All Purpose Boy. He is soon to have a second son, and I hope those two grandsons use those traps like I did when I was a pup. My son did a little trapping when he was a kid, and a bit more until recently when life got in the way. If I am lucky enough to get another decade under my belt I will absolutely have those grandbabies out there trapping, and I hope they both catch the trapping bug from their grandpaw.
As for the Oct-Dec thing......I have, for many years, kept a notebook of every trap set. I do it when I get back to the truck and use a little drawing to point the way for my son to be sure to find those traps if I croak. A long-trapping neighbor of ours had a bad stroke about 8-10 years back, and it was during season. Several family and friends scoured the countryside and gathered up a good many traps, but they didn't find them all. Unfortunately, the guy never made it back out onto the trapline.

I'll come back and haunt EVERYBODY if my scumbag brother get his money grubbing mitts on my stuff, tools, guns etc. I had arrangements for the old "T4K program that went bust.

I got bad news for most of you... When you tip over, most of your "stuff" is going to end up in a dumpster