I remember reading in a book or catalog written by one of the most respected trappers, trapping writers, and unquestionably one of the best lure makers ever to be born, a very interesting remark or observation. This gentleman is still alive, and still makes lure products but due to his age he no longer traps hard.

I remember reading this very interesting topic. He stated he never had any pictures of huge seasonal catches, and until very late in his career, did he even have large pictures of even one species. Yet he made enough money from the fur he caught to support and raise a family, and pay his bills. Until his lure business really took off he did other work in the off season.

He stated he simply was a true professional trapper and therefore had to sell fur as he went along to buy food and pay bills.
That to me sounds like a real, needing the money to live, professional trapper.
I am willing to bet a lot of real, truly professional trappers that actually depended on fur for a living, probably followed this same business model.
Or at the very least sold right after their season ended.

It seems today that many that choose to say they derive a large portion of their income from the trapline, may be a bit better off and different than the old professional trappers.

Not saying that is bad or good. It is simply an observation.

But today you will see arguments going back and forth between "professional trappers" and not professional trappers concerning how to market fur, who to sell to, how to make the most and be the brightest and the best. Often involved in these arguments are folks that hold their fur for a long time after they are done trapping.

I guess it is just plain interesting to me to compare the professional trappers of the past that trapped because they actually needed money to survive, to the "professional trappers" of today that treat furs like a stock in the market, and only sell at the so called smartest time to sell, and then tell every one else how stupid they are.

Are they the same kind of professional?
No, I would have to offer they are not.
This has been a phenomenon I have witnessed over the years. I think back to some big names showing barn shots or furs hung by the rafters or piled in a truck. It still goes on today.

Just an observation from being in the game for over 50 years. And yes at one time, when I took time to trap, I was selling fur soon after it was harvested and handled to buy beans and pay bills.

Thanks for reading

Mac

It's an interesting term for discussion certainly, especially since it has so many definitions.

You can take it as a measure of skill, or it's ones job, or if you make a significant portion of your income during the time your trapping. The latter two classifications are the easiest to achieve. The former is hardest, a lot of professionals in all kind of industries that suck at their jobs and still get paid.

You have some good points. Thanks for sharing

You can tell by this that Mac is/was not an Internet Trapper! ! ! Reading, interpreting, and then trying is a lot different than seeing and copying.... Thanks Mac from all of us who started in the 60's (finding all the dead ends) and are still at it...... the mike

Fella that taught me to trap was a full timer in the fur boom. Sold fur every 2 or 3 days on the carcass. Figured he could make more running hard and focusing on setting more/new traps every day than if he was stopping and skinning into the wee hours of the night. He was the type of guy that for opening day of trapping season, at 1159pm he'd be at his first location waiting to start setting.

Guess it all depends on the definition of a trapper and professional. Most professional trappers down here don’t make their money on furs sold but on critters caught. And these guys pay their bills that way.

You used to be able to find a local buyer to sell as needed. Not so many options anymore

do we need labels??

No business is the same as they were 40 years ago. Even the "professional " trappers of 40 years ago are quite different than ones 150 years ago.

Im a professional in my own mind, and wouldn't hold a candle to some/most of you guys. But, I always had my bill money beforehand before I trapped professionally for 1-2-3 months at a time. I think a pro would also consider maximizing their profits, which would be other avenues other than the local furbuyer every day/week/month. Who knows, everybody rolls differently

I can state for a fact...I will NEVER be referred to as a professional!! Lol

Fur handling can also be looked at as a part of time management. (As you mentioned).

When doing contract beaver work, there’s often times a lot of time spent driving. There are some that’ll get home at 7-8 pm with anywhere from 2 to 10+ beavers knowing that they have to load up and do it all over again the next day. Having a wife and small kids at home that haven’t been seen all day, suddenly $15 worth of beavers aren’t quite as valuable compared to time spent with them.

When it’s 0 degrees, it’s not a big deal. When it’s 70 degrees, the clock is ticking. Not wanting to waste the animals, selling whole animals on larger catch days are a blessing.

Selling whole animals works for these types of people. When time permits or when buyers aren’t available, they don’t mind pelting some.


It works out very well for these people when there’s a buyer that lives down the road from them and can be worked into the day’s driving routes. These days with GPS navigation, it’s as easy as plugging in different cities and destinations to find the best ways to get from A to C with B being the buyer.

If said trapper had the time and the setup to further process furs, I’m quite certain he would. However, limited freezer space and other work obligations prevents him from being able to do everything that he could to maximize profit.

Time mangement is a struggle whether professional or other wise.
Prior Planning is key to not having a pee poor performance.

O'Gorman had/has a lot of barn photos. Pretty hard to argue him anything other than a "professional". Not sure I understand how the definition of a pro trapper label has to do with whether you need to sell fur the moment you catch it. Zagger, in my mind, is a professional trapper, but not a man that will miss a meal if he doesn't sell his fur that week. Guess I just don't get it....

Mac,

You're always thinking brother. Always thinking.
Good question.

Could it be that as in any vocation, and that's how I view trapping = a vocation. Not a sport. Not a hobby. It could be those, but like plumbing, carpentry, (vocations) etc. there are levels of expertise and achievement of higher levels can lead to more fur, and more profitability and so forth. So, it's not quite like deer hunting or duck hunting where you just get better at bringing more deer or ducks home. The vocation of trapping is a skilled learning, so as people gain experience, training, spend time honing skill sets, and all that vocations do....
perhaps the title professional fits.
Time + results + other factors such as major source of income (not so easy these days however) = pro

Food for thought.

Mark

Great responses on this interesting topic...good job Mac!

That is an interesting way to define a professional. So if you have your finances in order enough that you don't need instant cash to put food on the table you are less of a professional?

That's the way I'm reading the OP, your not a true professional trapper unless you are in a financial position that you need money right away or very soon after your done trapping. I'm confused why one's financial situation would determine if they are a professional or not. I've got an idea about the real motivate for the OP but its speculation so I'll keep it to myself. Maybe Mac could explain his point a bit more.

I'd say you can be a professional at more than one thing at a time. Take Phil Brown for example, most would consider him a professional trapper, but he's also a master at concrete, and maybe more things than that...

Zagger's the same