Every so often, I think about trappers and people who used to be in the various trapping publications. They were pretty decent writers and they generally fell off the face of the earth. I’m sure some died. Others just got out of trapping. Here’s a couple that come to mind.

Don Hoyt. I think he was the NTA president back in the 1980s...I think. I don’t recall much about him other than he was the NTA president

Jim Helfrich. He used to write good articles. He and Carroll Black were partners for awhile and they put out a couple books together. He had a trapper supply business and produced good lures but that went broke and he may have gotten himself in legal trouble somewhere along the line. I believe he’s still alive and still traps somewhere out west.

Tex Isbell. As I recall, he was a chemist who developed a synthetic skunk essence as a cover scent and call lure back in the 1980s

Gerry Blair. He used to write very colorful articles for a number of publications. My wife and I used to enjoy reading about his adventures with a 10 gauge shotgun called something unprintable on Tman. I’ve heard he died. Has any organization put his old articles in print?

Bob Gilsvik. He used to write a monthly article for FFG. As I recall he published a couple trapping books. The last I heard he retired from FFG but then he was gone. Is he still alive? Does he still trap?

Any information on these people would be appreciated.