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Bernie's Book #7166315
02/02/21 02:47 PM
02/02/21 02:47 PM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,207
Missouri
H
HayDay Offline OP
trapper
HayDay  Offline OP
trapper
H

Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,207
Missouri
Bernie Barringer's Farmland Fur Trapping

Going through this......finding it very helpful. No mention of DP's, despite 2005 Copyright, so predates those.

Couple questions....

Is Bernie still active and perhaps on T-man?

He mentions Fish on a Stick a couple times, which was new to me. Whatever happened to that set?

He liked Montgomery 1 1/2 CS a lot. Didn't like BMI 1 1/2 at all but didn't elaborate. Why was that? I have a few and they seem OK to me.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166324
02/02/21 02:52 PM
02/02/21 02:52 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,032
PA
M
marathonman Offline
trapper
marathonman  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,032
PA
he is on here all the time

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166387
02/02/21 03:35 PM
02/02/21 03:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,593
KY
A
AnthonyT Offline
trapper
AnthonyT  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,593
KY
Fish stick set is still used by many trappers. Mike Sells has an entire video devoted to that one set.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166388
02/02/21 03:36 PM
02/02/21 03:36 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,593
KY
A
AnthonyT Offline
trapper
AnthonyT  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,593
KY
Fish stick set is still used by many trappers. Mike Sells has an entire video devoted to that one set.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166413
02/02/21 03:54 PM
02/02/21 03:54 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
BernieB. Offline
trapper
BernieB.  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
Never heard of him.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: BernieB.] #7166433
02/02/21 04:09 PM
02/02/21 04:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,893
new york
M
mike mason Offline
trapper
mike mason  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,893
new york
He's the guy with the beard chasing bears wink

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166440
02/02/21 04:20 PM
02/02/21 04:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
BernieB. Offline
trapper
BernieB.  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
Glad you are enjoying the book. It was actually written in 1996 and reprinted in 2005. I sold the rights to all 4 of my trapping books to Keith Winkler in 2001.

In 1996, the dog-proof trap was not even a twinkle in anyone's eye. It has seriously changed the game for a lot of people for sure.

I first wrote about the fish stick set in my Space Age Coon Trapping book which came out about 1991 I believe. I had learned about the set when on a two week trapping trip to southern Iowa a few years previously. I believe Mike Sells was the primary inventor of the set. Tom Monroe and George Scalf were trapping together at that time and they were using the set and acted as if it was a big secret, which in a way it was at that time. They reluctantly showed it to me; and at the time I was a pro trapper and did not have any inkling about writing about the set or writing about anything I was doing for that matter. I was keeping things close to the vest.

By 1991, I had made some minor modifications to the set, learned a lot more about it. Because the fur markets had crashed I went to college and got a degree in journalism, and started selling magazine articles to all kinds of hunting, fishing and of course trapping magazines. When I wrote my first book, I felt that enough time had passed that it would be okay to publish the fish stick set and the way I was then using it. I covered the set in my book. Big mistake.

I lost those friends over that deal and George Scalf never talked to me again. They really felt betrayed. Publishing that set without consulting with Mike, Tom and George was one of my biggest regrets in my life. At a trappers convention a couple years later, I met a guy who had read about the set in my book and had made a significant improvement to it. I believe his name was Scott Sauers or something similar. I used his modifications and it really improved the set. In fact I think I had 150 of them made up and caught a pile of coon and mink in them.

By the time 1996 rolled around, I wrote the Farmland Fur trapping book and I toned it down a lot on the Fish Stick set. I had gotten burned 5 years earlier and I didn't want to do any more damage, so there is not a lot of info in that particular book about the set.

Another interesting aside to this story is that after I sold the rights to my books to Keith, I told him I had been considering doing a book just on the strategies of long-line trapping. It would not be a book about sets and species, but just about how to be efficient and really make huge catches. I had records of catching 50-60 coons in a day and 300 in a week, and many of these concepts could relate to any species of long-lining. Keith told me to write the book and we agreed on a flat payment he would give me for writing it and he would publish it. Incredibly, I had to write that book TWICE. The book originally had lots of photos of me with big catches, and was very upbeat and motivational. The book was nearly complete and almost ready to be submitted to the printer when on November 8, 2000 my office burned down in a fire. I lost everything, 14,000 photos, magazines, books, not a scrap of paper was saved. At the time I was the editor of Wildlife Control Technology, The Fur Taker and a couple other small magazines. I lost all of the photos and stories that had been sent in for future editions of the magazines. I hated that people sent me their treasured photos and they were destroyed while in my possession.

So I just packed up and moved to Minnesota as I was more involved in the fishing business all the time and this was a good place to be. Frankly there was a lot of emotional pain from that fire and the loss that I had a hard time getting over. I was shell-shocked from what had happened and I had to sit down and write the Numbers Game book all over again from memory. All the photos were lost and the book didn't turn out as well the second time around. The book has no photos in it.

So yes I'm still kicking and I'm glad people are still getting enjoyment and information from all the things I wrote those years ago.

Last edited by BernieB.; 02/02/21 04:24 PM.
Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166457
02/02/21 04:41 PM
02/02/21 04:41 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,063
Marion Kansas
Y
Yes sir Offline
"Callie's little brother"
Yes sir  Offline
"Callie's little brother"
Y

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,063
Marion Kansas
You still trapping?

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: Yes sir] #7166498
02/02/21 05:18 PM
02/02/21 05:18 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
BernieB. Offline
trapper
BernieB.  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
Originally Posted by Yes sir
You still trapping?


A little. I stay pretty close to home and try to snare a coyote or two and try to get my two fisher most years. I have a grandson who's showing some interest so I may be doing a little more.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166501
02/02/21 05:21 PM
02/02/21 05:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,817
central arkansas
T
the Blak Spot Offline
trapper
the Blak Spot  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,817
central arkansas
"Farmland trapping," one of the books i wont sell.


the just shall live by faith

member FTA, ATA, EAFT
1776 - the year we told a tyrant we weren't to be under a dictator
Caveat ater macula
Re: Bernie's Book [Re: the Blak Spot] #7166515
02/02/21 05:34 PM
02/02/21 05:34 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
BernieB. Offline
trapper
BernieB.  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
Originally Posted by the Blak Spot
"Farmland trapping," one of the books i wont sell.


Ha I think I've given you enough money for now!

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7166562
02/02/21 06:25 PM
02/02/21 06:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,207
Missouri
H
HayDay Offline OP
trapper
HayDay  Offline OP
trapper
H

Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,207
Missouri
OK, that BernieB.

Always though the guy in those videos had some talent. Never made the connection.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: BernieB.] #7166631
02/02/21 07:32 PM
02/02/21 07:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,770
N.W. Iowa
T
Tactical.20 Offline
trapper
Tactical.20  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,770
N.W. Iowa
Originally Posted by BernieB.
Never heard of him.

Ya he quit trapping to fish n hunt bear , jk lol

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7167278
02/03/21 10:12 AM
02/03/21 10:12 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 761
minnesota
G
gman Offline
trapper
gman  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 761
minnesota
I lost those friends over that deal and George Scalf never talked to me again., I felt that enough time had passed that it would be okay to publish the fish stick set and the way I was then using it. I covered the set in my book. Big mistake.


Sorry for being critical Bernie-but that was a rotten thing to do. I understand the hard feelings it caused.They shoulda been consulted first.Water under the bridge now...

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7167361
02/03/21 11:25 AM
02/03/21 11:25 AM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,207
Missouri
H
HayDay Offline OP
trapper
HayDay  Offline OP
trapper
H

Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,207
Missouri
This issue with the fish sticks has opened my eyes to another world. I have known a few people who had traps and used them, but have never met a professional trapper per se. Most of the folks I know or knew were more or less hobby guys, or those working to eliminate nuisance animals. Recently found out the guy who tried to teach me how to trap coyotes over 50 years ago was one of the best coyote trappers in the area where I grew up. But even he was only interested in whacking coyotes to protect his sheep. I doubt he ever set a trap more than 2 miles from home. Recently met a young Amish lad who traps, and considering he only traps a few miles from home......to get 40 or 50 coon and 20 to 30 coyotes a year is pretty good. But even he is doing it to protect livestock and crops...and because he enjoys doing it. He would also be happy with the fur check if there was one.

The notion of going into rural or public use areas and seeing competition is just a strange concept to me. Must be like protecting the best fishing holes on a public lake or if neighbors are all after the same trophy buck. If trapping a limited resource for money, I can see it now, but for guys to get worked up over something like a trap set seems weird. For the most part, I'm seeing guys seem more willing to share new information than keep it to themselves. Again, just never saw it from the competition point of view.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7167379
02/03/21 11:46 AM
02/03/21 11:46 AM
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 793
Norborne MO
B
BBarnes Offline
trapper
BBarnes  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 793
Norborne MO

“A little. I stay pretty close to home and try to snare a coyote or two and try to get my two fisher most years. I have a grandson who's showing some interest so I may be doing a little more.”

As we get older, Grandchildren can sure change our priorities can’t they!!!

B

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: Tactical.20] #7167416
02/03/21 12:08 PM
02/03/21 12:08 PM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,241
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
"HOSS"
Leftlane  Offline
"HOSS"

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,241
The Hill Country of Texas
Originally Posted by Tactical.20
Originally Posted by BernieB.
Never heard of him.

Ya he quit trapping to fish n hunt bear , jk lol



Don't forget baggin So TX bucks by the dozen! I say the guy lives a charmed life! whistle


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


Re: Bernie's Book [Re: gman] #7167529
02/03/21 01:57 PM
02/03/21 01:57 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
BernieB. Offline
trapper
BernieB.  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,152
Northern Minnesota
Originally Posted by gman
I lost those friends over that deal and George Scalf never talked to me again., I felt that enough time had passed that it would be okay to publish the fish stick set and the way I was then using it. I covered the set in my book. Big mistake.


Sorry for being critical Bernie-but that was a rotten thing to do. I understand the hard feelings it caused.They shoulda been consulted first.Water under the bridge now...


I forgive you.

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7167596
02/03/21 03:01 PM
02/03/21 03:01 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 131
PA
4
41cal Offline
trapper
41cal  Offline
trapper
4

Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 131
PA
Bernie made the fish stick set famous, Just like EJ Dailey made the dirthole famous grin grin

Bernie, would you share what the significant improvement was?

Re: Bernie's Book [Re: HayDay] #7167662
02/03/21 03:57 PM
02/03/21 03:57 PM
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,521
Kentucky
ky_coyote_hunter Offline
trapper
ky_coyote_hunter  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,521
Kentucky
First I'll say I like Bernie's books, and have picked up some good info from his efforts....

Now, about this fish stick thing....Nobody owns a set....J. Curtis Grigg and Donald Bierman both touted the hidden bait set, with a vertical wooden stick, with a head or catch carved into the top to keep the fish from being pulled off,
then some grass wrapped around the fish to hide the bait from thieves....2 traps were set on opposite sides of the stick.

Sometimes just a grass ball was wired to a stick with fish oil squirted in the grass.....I have also seen exposed bait fish sticks back in the 70's.

So while the set in Bernie's book detailed a more durable stake, and a better method of attaching the bait, the set concept is by no means revolutionary or secret.

J. Curtis Grigg made these bait sticks up by the hundreds in the off season, the only difference I see is maybe a higher catch rate with improved fish sticks, and the wood stakes are considered disposable.

Last edited by ky_coyote_hunter; 02/03/21 04:17 PM.

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