great thread but its a thinker.

Professional per Webster's dictionary
1. adjective: relating to or connected with a profession

2. noun: a person engaged or qualified in a profession.

I am a Professional Trapper and many others are as well - according to the English language definition of the word.

When some read the word, perhaps they assume professional is a word of rank or status, but that's not what this word means. Every time someone asks me why I call myself a Pro Trapper, are they thinking, A. I'm arrogant? B. I'm ranking myself as better?
Nothing of the sort. Professional means, per the dictionary, to conduct oneself in a business like manner = I do
Professional means being engaged or qualified in a profession = Yep
There's no ranking terminology in this word.

Now if you use terms like; best, better, above, over, never beaten, on top, = these are ranking terms in English.
Professional is not a member of that category.

Besides, weather is the criteria above all others! When it's nice weather = you do well. When it's crummy weather = you don't.

MJ

MJ, you ARE considered a professional. Someone that can consistently catch critters is a professional.

Thanks Wanna Be. Humbling comment.
I, like many, love the great outdoors, and love being out in it. It's about that simple. I bet you do as well!

I loved raising my 5 children, and now our 11 grandchildren, to respect and marvel at all that God has made and gives us. Even when our hipboots leak, and the rat traps are empty!

I'd wager what little I own on the fact that MANY here on TMan are of that same frame of mind.

Blessed

This ^ ^^ may be the best analogy I've ever seen of the subject.

Expert;
adjective: having or involving authoritative knowledge
noun: a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area

We'd have to further define and put into context, authoritative, but the word expert would seem to define more rank than the term professional, true?

At least in the grammatical sense of the English language.

Well done Mark.

The English language is confusing, complicated, and inconsistent. I truly feel for anyone who has learned it as a second or third language!

Profession seems to focus on the equity. Promotion builds equity.

Expert interests are strictly craft driven.

Of the trappings 1%ers there are 2 groups with exact opposite intentions. The One will jump in the spot light and the other covers their tracks to stay in the dark.

Today that ship has sailed.

The ones that stayed in the dark lived by the "Why advertise if you have nothing to sell" philosophy

Ya the “experts” LOL

Lol

Ah, at last, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is alive, well and finally showed up.
What would the place be without him? LOL

Mac

Interesting dialog to say the least.
If one farmer harvest his grain crop and transports it to the local grain elevator to sell. Is he a more professional farmer than the one who stores his grain waiting to sell on hopefully a better market?
I see no need to put labels or titles on ourselves no matter what volume of fur we catch or how we choose to or need to market it.
Trap, continue to learn and enjoy our craft.
Don't worry be happy.

I say that if a person makes or has made the majority of his income for several years by trapping he is, or at least was, a professional trapper. Labels are for marketing purposes and may backfire if not earned.

With all that has been said

I trap fur when it is in season. And I think I can made a pay check."think" is the key word.State hopping to make pay checks.
Turtles made up my spring and summer income .Trapping them, buying and selling them.State hoipping here too.That is till the market droped out,and the state closed the water or over reglated it.Turtles now have gone by the way of the market gunner.
Worked on and off for 25 years as a Predator Control Trapper for the USF&WLS . USDA ended that.
Buliding, selling,snares ,trapping supplies filled in afer mid summer and early fall.
Building and repairing commercail fishing boats .Filled all the gaps

Now,Im a dinosore,Out lived my time. But what a time I'v had.
Too old to put up the riggers of state hopping fur, and turtles.Even if there was a good market.
Turtle market my as will be dead.
Building and selling snares,and trapping supplies. Make my pay checks today.
Fall ,winter,spring I dabble in commercail fishing.
Slowed down with the boat building and repair.
On line snaring instuction and our Trapping school.Fills in the gap that Social Scourity does not fill.

I lived a wonderful live.
Did things ,been places .People with "neal jobs" only deam about.
GOD is a big part of my life now. I'm content. Altho those bill keep comming in. I now know GOD will never give me more than I can handle.


Problems ? NO. I give them to GOD

Very well said Newt.

X2

Excellent Newt. Thank you for sharing.

I think a professional can be blind folded and dropped off in the middle of nowhere with some traps and they will find, and catch the animals PLUS put up fur to high standards. Some guys are good at catching some are good at skinning but to be a true professional I think requires proficiency in every aspect of trapping. A true professional should be called so by others. Professional status shouldn't be self proclaimed.

That is spot on .
Like being called a wolfer
Not a self description it's one given by others about someone