That is good to see government supporting trappers and trapping.

And have the government miss a chance at wasting money not a chance.

Subsidized competition. Using our own money against us. Tax dollars and license fees

Most on here don't understand the USDA. I have a few friends who work for the USDA, so I have a good understanding of how they work. They get payed an hourly wage (about $15 per hour), so there's no way it's costing 400.00 per beaver. It costs way more to higher a private trapper because they have a lot of other costs to cover to make a living at it. Understandably so. The program helps those who don't have a lot of money to deal with problems. The companies or landowners with money will hire private trappers. It's up to who owns or manages the land to decide who they want to take care of the problem.

A state or county doesn't even have to contract with or use the USDA but they generally do because it's a cheaper route to go for landowners who don't have the funds. The program really helps when fur is worth no money because numbers get out of hand and not many trap for fur then.

These jobs are open all the time. So if you're one of the jealous ones, put an application in so you can make the big money trapping.

They appear to be jumping for $10 to $20 beaver?

No way it's costing $400 per beaver?

Lay the math out for us!

Most on here don't understand the USDA. I have a few friends who work for the USDA, so I have a good understanding of how they work. They get payed an hourly wage (about $15 per hour), so there's no way it's costing 400.00 per beaver. It costs way more to higher a private trapper because they have a lot of other costs to cover to make a living at it. Understandably so. The program helps those who don't have a lot of money to deal with problems. The companies or landowners with money will hire private trappers. It's up to who owns or manages the land to decide who they want to take care of the problem.

A state or county doesn't even have to contract with or use the USDA but they generally do because it's a cheaper route to go for landowners who don't have the funds. The program really helps when fur is worth no money because numbers get out of hand and not many trap for fur then.

These jobs are open all the time. So if you're one of the jealous ones, put an application in so you can make the big money trapping. [/quote]




The trapper may only be getting paid $15.00 an hour. But USDA like any other construction co they are bidding on these jobs and they aren't just charging for labor. No one would stay In business very long If they bid a job on labor alone. There Is no profit In that equation.

Where’s Marshrat? I believe he dug up that publication that disclosed the amount per beaver and yes it was in the $400 range if memory serves.

I cannot imagine that private guys couldn’t work within those parameters. Geez keets is doing it for free.

$15 x 8 hours = $120. So if the worker only caught 1 beaver the whole day it only cost that much for the beaver not 400. If you want to get technical and double the amount for the other things provided for the USDA trapper the cost would be $240 for the one beaver not $400. If they're are trapping multiple places they are catching more than one beaver a day.

I agree some of these USDA trappers may not be worth a hoot but there are some out there that are underestimated. I also understand the private sector thinks work is being taken from them. I really don't think that's the case. I see plenty of private guys going out there and getting the work. Most of those places USDA is working isn't probably worth the headache.

If you want the math and decisions made laid out more clearly for you go to whoever hires the USDA. It's either your state or county that contracts with them. It's public knowledge.

USDA has over head. It has to insure each trapper It has to insure the truck he drives + take care of maintenance on that vehicle and pay for gas.
And I bet the trapper Is getting paid from the time he leaves home and when he gets back to the house. He might spend 5 hours setting up that beaver job and another 5 hours checking traps. That comes out to $150.00 and he may not have even caught any beaver yet.
Like I said these jobs aren't bid on just the cost of labor.


$15.00 X 8 hours = $120.00

Give me a chance to trap one beaver and charge $120.00 to catch It.

The trapper may only be getting paid $15.00 an hour. But USDA like any other construction co they are bidding on these jobs and they aren't just charging for labor. No one would stay In business very long If they bid a job on labor alone. There Is no profit In that equation.
[/quote]

Keep in mind USDA is non profit. They just need enough money to cover expenses to meet the budget they have not make a profit.

How many hours of paperwork are done with each beaver.

Non-profit does not mean you don't make profit. Difference of for-profit and non is where the profits go.

A good friend of mine is the chairman in a small township up north. He has stated they pay $800 per year to one trapper for beaver control no matter if he traps zero or more than one. He asked me if I felt that was a fair price. My reply was would you rather pay him by the hour?

I must say you are missing the point. This is not about what the bottom of the totem pole worker is making, it is about all of the bureaucracy up the chain above him and all of their expenses that get thrown in. Non profit has to be one of the most misunderstood terms around. It just means when the end of the fiscal year is over your money in the coffers show $0. No strings to where or how much someone somewhere gets. If in the end your always without money, that means you need more the following year correct?

It seems like some of you aren't happy no matter what unless the money is in your hands. Just be happy for someone having work and don't play the victim that the USDA is taking something from you. Get out there and get the work people are willing to pay if you want to be in the private sector. No different than competing with any of the private sectors.

I tried but their insistence on liability insurance and handling of dynamite prohibited me from even going farther. See USDA only needs one guy to be licensed for dynamite plus very easy for a Federal government agency funded by taxpayers $$$ to get any kind of insurance(again a Agency wide policy). But the worst part of this issues is they will never let out bids to the public when they can easily just use another fellow government agency.

If the government is paying, I don't believe that is private sector employment? We hate socialism! Unfortunately, we don't know what it is.

Totally bogus information. The airports and businesses can let out bids to the public(private) sector. It's their decision to make. Whether they decide to or not is up to them. It's not USDA's fault the company didn't open it up to the public.