Its basic economics. We need more people to wear fur. We would be wise to market to urban liberals the green and renewable, sustainable aspect of wearing fur. This is especially true for Canadian cities and northern tier US cities.

Im 36. The more I see the changing political landscape, I think us and our kids may be the last generation of hunter/trappers. Might be some pest control type around.

The difference between fishing/hunting and trapping is you can't just go out and trap for two hours randomly when you want. Takes two days minimum. People that love to trap will do it. People on the fringe need cash incentive.

Many of our youth, not all, are lazy, spoon fed individuals with too many other entertainments that are less challenging and don't require much effort or venturing outdoors

. Many kids I have seen act out and seem interested for a short while but are only that way for a limited time. Those that truly find interest or a glimmer of interest may go on to learn and participate to some degree. If the parent or guardian of the child doesn't want to take the time to involve the child it most likely won't work out for the kid. Not to mention the monetary expense of buying equipment etc.

For some kids it is too early to get up, too cold out, I want to go hang out with friends today or go to my room and play on my phone etc. Their interest is mainly fueled by smart phone stimuli addiction and living in an entertainment fantasy world. Trapping is loosing many young people due to societal influences, media and teaching practices.

All the entitlements given away and the lack of motivation of the younger generation is what is killing our sport and other outdoor activities.

I work with as many young folks as I can yearly and encourage those at our hosted trapping schools to come with me on the line. Some jump at the opportunity and many times it means a tagging along parent. That can be a bad idea due to the adults distracting the student just as a result of their presence. I prefer a one on one or to take two at a time if that works out.

The drifting away from many of the outdoor sports has been coming for many years. However the technological age has been the largest negative influence in my opinion. We all need to contribute to this effort and not focus so much on our own personal goals and our own self serving interests. We all need to make an individual effort to give back or it will or may be too late now.

Yep

if you have mice in your house or garage are you going to quit trapping them if know buddy wants them for bait took 2 batchs of grand kids fishing last week 2 seperate times they had a great time maybe kids just need a chance to go

Got to remember too that lot of kids can't just run down to the near by creek, check couple traps before school. Unless their trapping pigeons in central park.. I'm sure that is not legal..Even a 16 year old if they have a car probably got drive few miles to get to where can set a trap. If someone will let them on their property to do that..
Were I grew up is all built over now and is an industrial park. Shoot there now like we did when was kid you hit a building.. Farm where I caught my first red fox has a large branch clinic with a parking ramp in that spot. The big oak tree on edge of hay field I shot a fork buck from with my first compound bow. Is now in the back yard of someone large home. What used to be a creek 1/2 mile from me now where I know some kids used to catch a few rats 40 years ago. It's now big concrete flood control channel. See few rats in there but their just lost trying find place to go up stream..
Every time another person moves to their homestead 40 acres in the wild. It changes that area for someone else who's wild 200 acres it used to be.
So anyway we all complain about how things used to be and there is no going back. We can't stop the changes and I doubt I will see the total demise of things in rest of my life time.
Way I see it the human race is the parasite on the planet. Unless something comes along and zero's population growth. Bathes the planet in some cleaning insecticide. The human parasite like most parasite will usually, eventually kill the host.

Won't matter what party in in power or what the price of fur is.

Mac

Kids will have great knowledge of everything outdoors but fear going outside in the future.

I for one don't want another fur boom. The so called trappers came out of the woodwork and ethics were thrown out the window. Most of the new regulations were because of this. It also brought the thieves out in force. Be careful what you wish for as you may well get it.

Yes

This has been said about every current generation by the previous generation for generations......

If you live in California, trapping is extinct. If you live in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, New Mexico, etc. it is now half extinct. It’s on its way out. Trap mfg companies and supply dealers will lose customers the more ground we lose and will have no incentive to manufacture and sell since profit will decrease. Possibly ADC will exist but where will they get their supplies?

Bob pretty well nailed it. Another factor I harp on is that Facebook and YouTube has changed what kids think trapping really is and should be about. It’s purely a “ look at me, I did something real” reward and then they’re done with trapping. Again, most not all. We’ve tried to get kids started here in Kentucky for going on 20 years and very, very few stay with it. I’ve seen some poor stuff out of them before they quit. Don’t know what the answer is or if there is one. I surely don’t want trapping to become something altogether different than what it is. If you want a shock look up some of these kids with trapping as their supposed purpose with a million views on YouTube that are terrible. Other kids emulate this outlandish behavior. They reach more than we do.

It’s always been that 12 people try it and maybe only 1-2 stick with it at least you educated the other 10 or 11 about trapping. It’s the old I took karate lessons guy that really signed up for 10 lessons and went three times but he’s still talking positive about it. Every time you help someone out with trapping your presenting it in a better light then before to them.

Trapping as with many industries or enterprises has been evolving for centuries and will continue to do so, as have retail, to big box stores and virtual shopping, restaurant chains, large scale farming, airline mergers, convenience store franchises and on and on. We are already seeing the rapid increase in franchised ADC firms that hirer, train and license trappers. Not unlikely that those trends will increase, especially during poor market cycles, many animals, more suburban expansion into more open environments and those firms having more sway with local and state agencies and politicians as formally trained and administered. After all we have had government trappers for many decades already. Also a lot of damage or interaction with human activities happens during the time period when seasons are off and values are at their lowest point.

I don't think we have to worry too much about falling on our own sword as a community of trappers. Trappers have never really acted in a strong unified voice and over time as we become even a much smaller percentage of the population why would we think that would change? Last year I had a retired farmer get permission on one of my lines. He started day one and caught 21 coons on a 3/4 mile stretch of a small stream and through everyone away. He started trapping just to catch coyotes and has not caught one yet.

Bryce

Maybe the fact that the things taught in school are so far from earth that people just don't have a reverence for the dirt or the natural resources from which makes nations rich. They don't understand that sunlight, water and hard work makes something you can live from. A lot of what is taught is about moving money from one sector to another. Gambling for example produces jobs but really it is just shifting money from one hand to another with no real gain, just bigger buildings, more light and more concrete.

We need more Hollywoods and Disney Worlds.

Deep dark depression, excessive misery, doom despair and perfect agony.

Even my son, when he was a teenager would only trap, when prices were lucrative. I charged him to put up his fur. When I was in high school, many of the kids trapped. Nobody had to encourage them. Rumours of $60 coon and averages of $30 was all it took. Trapping is work. Fishing is fun and so is hunting in the lower 48. Even back then in the 70's and 80's you had to take half the work out of trapping to get people to do it. Sell in the round or green. Good luck recruiting people into your new sport.

Maybe I am goofy, but I enjoy the work. I like seeing what I did with my own two hands. It's like construction, or cutting wood. Good wholesome work that produces something tangible.

I question everything I do not know to be fact but I am vilified for that. LLL

One thing that keeps getting overlooked here is trappers against trappers. In the grand scheme of things we need to work together. The bickering and finger pointing amongst ourselves is every bit as bad as not having fresh blood. I'm not perfect either....but I am willing to be better.