Wolfer... How many folks who either call themselves wolfer or others call a wolfer have even trapped wolves? And how many wolves does one need to have trapped? Maybe labels are just made up to make ourselves or others feel better about ourselves or others.

All you need to do to be a professional here in my neck of the woods is go down to the State office of Professional licensing and pay the fee and get your license that says you're a professional.

You may need to provide education and training documents though.

Read with an

I just like catching critters.
I like the highs and lows of trapping.
I don’t have to earn a living doing it, just make a little fun money to buy more trapping stuff.
It seems the lows outnumber the highs sometimes, but it’s that morning check where all the stars aligned that makes all the days of no catch not matter anymore.
I like reading of others success and methods.
I like trying them to see if they work for me.
I like seeing those with a high number of critters (Coyotes) to catch.
I like seeing those who struggle, because of a low density, make a catch and hear the jubilation just by reading their post.
I like the professionals and the wannabe’s, they all teach whether they realize it or not.
I like winning, but I really enjoy the learning.
Heck, I just like trapping...period.
Whether anyone’s a professional or a wannabe, we’re all still trappers.

I have never seen a wolf in the wild.

Was up in in ND though about 96 or 7 trapping coyotes. Had a partner. We went into a bar in the little town of Harvey one night. I heard somebody say, "Dats dem Kansas wolfers". So one of them comes up and asks me if we didnt have coyotes in KS. I had had a couple snorts by then and said "me and Mike killed them all". Guy gave me a funny look for a bit and finally started laughing. They wouldn't let us buy any more drinks and we found out those boys drank with a hollow leg. Next day was LOOOOOOOOONG. They had no clue how many coyotes we had killed. I don't think "wolfer" is always some kind of a label associated with hero worship. Apparently in Harvey ND its just a coyote trapper.

Its better not to spend a lot of time worrying about what someone else did. Acknowledging someones hardwork skill and knowledge is one thing, but listening to a grown man hero worship about who to call a professional and who not to gets old fast.

I heard a story once about a guy that gave a bobcat trapping demo at the NTA one year who had never trapped a bobcat. I suspect that story is true.

I appreciate the turn this post appears to have taken.

Maybe a wolfer is like a minker or ratter,someone who only has the skills to trap one species,never learned how to trap all species in numbers.

Or they are really good at that one species

So what do you call someone that catches a little bit of everything but really not that good at that?

A wannabe?

friend comes to mind. my favorite people outside of family have always been trappers

I think FRIEND is the right choice!

Good answer.

Canadian

I busted out laughing at that one!

I catch a little bit of everything and not a whole lot of anything.

Great thread Mac, ya got em thinking. Your really good at that bud. My 2 pennies. words like Skill , conduct, integrity , and humility have a bunch to the definition a professional, In any endeavor. MJ, MZ have it. We are all still learning, The best trappers are thinkers and know how to manage time to a science and no their targets inside and out. They all use the best gear they can afford weather its ADC or fur.

I would hope at least all trappers conduct themselves in a professional manner if not a title means nothing.