First off I am not trying to rattle anyone's cage I just have a question that Jerry and I ha e been discussing.

Why is it that when trapping is involved it seems that people are quick to point out that if you figure in your mileage you didn't make this or you didn't make that because it costs 55 to 65 cents a mile(what we are usually told) and that when you factor that cost in its..to most people not e economically feasible to trap?

But yet when I see threads on here about elk hunting or duck hunting or turkey hunting trips no one ever mentioned mileage as an expense?

I dont feel its because we are trying to make money at trapping. If its an income based argument then wouldn't the same mileage costs apply to someones 9 to 5 job? I know alot of people who travel well over an hour each way to work.

Wouldn't it cost the same amount to have a more "tradition al" form of income?

And why when we decide to deliver our castor and beaver pelts does the mileage come up again?ive actually received messages I. The past about how we arent making what qe think qe arw because of out rape se I. Deliver g out fur.

Do y'all figure mileage ..and how much it costs you when you go on vacation to the beach or one of your hunting trips that you get zero return on?

To us delivering our fur is our vacation. And there is a return in it for us.

We don't go to the beach or any vacation destinations. our annual trips are to the fur buyer are our vacation.

And neither of us drink or smoke so we. Aren't Burning or literally peeing away our money.

Jerry was a bit aggravated about the mileage argument and wanted me to post this and see how you guys look at the mileage issue over all.

Is it a selective expense or do you factor the expense in across the board regardless of your reason for travel?

I hope some of y'all will respond and give us you're .02 worth.

I keep up with my mileage due to taxes. It makes a huge difference.

I am not in it for the money it is a hobby for me but if I was in it for the money I would certainly have to be a consideration

no expense is to not be considered when work or business is your trapping a hobby , a business or some where in between a hobby business that you can make no money at but write off expenses

if you consider it a business even if you make only 1 dollar every year it is certainly a tax write off.

supplies , mileage , fuel , repairs

I absolutely consider the cost of driving to work and the time when I was younger I didn't mind driving , I lived 45 minutes from work much because it put me far enough away from a county I didn't want to live in.

having worked from home for 13 years now , 45 minutes each way and longer with any weather is a big no thankyou. your auto expense in a job absolutly needs to be a consideration

my son was looking at jobs 30 minutes away that payed an extra dollar even at 20mpg he would use about 2.5 gallons a day x5 is 12.5 gallons at todays price of 3.35 is 41.88 at 18 dollars an hour even just rough figuring after taxes that is 3 hours a week just to pay for gas better figure in another 4 for car payment tires and maintenance now you work 1 day a week for the privilege of going to work 30 miles away not to mention your time.

I don't personally but in my case what is the price of happiness which is what I ultimately get out of trapping.

Don't even look at it.

I view trapping as a hobby, like I would elk or deer hunting so no I don't worry about mileage. Since we don't trap much these days, I just plan to lose money on trapping the same as I would plan to lose money on an out of state hunt.

If you're looking at trapping as a business venture to make money on then yes of course you would need to look at mileage. Of course I consider mileage when deciding where to work. It's not worth an extra dollar or two an hour if you have to drive another 100+ miles a day to get there. If I'm going to do a long commute then the pay would need to be significantly more.

So basically... if you're doing something fun (trapping as a hobby, going to a hunt, going on a vacation) then mileage isn't very important. If you're doing something with the intent to make money, or at least break even, then yes, mileage matters.

I think with trapping you have two schools of people... hobbyists like me, and those who do it with income in mind. The comments made about mileage come from those who expect to make a profit at trapping.

I’m not a CPA, but even I can tell you that mileage is huge when it comes to taxes. If you’re putting thousands of miles on your vehicle without claiming your mileage, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.


As for regular jobs, it’s my understanding that mileage going to a permanent office or workplace isn’t deductible, but mileage for other locations or errands are in fact deductible.


These are questions best answered by your CPA, but, yes, mileage is huge, even I know that

...your mileage comes up when you’re delivering your castor because your business is apparently trapping/animal related, and delivering your castor/furs/whatever is no different than delivering your product if you were in any other industry.


Mileage across the board. Setting traps, selling fur, driving to the post office to mail Castor, and even driving to a location to scout. It’s all mileage that has to do with how you’re making your income. Mileage adds up fast, but, again, these are all questions that you need to discuss with your CPA

Yep. Talk to a CPA.

I claim all miles spent, catching, delivering, selling going after supplies. But trapping is my main business. Drive a fairly efficient vehicle that's paid for and you can make/save money.
In your case I'd deduct mileage/expenses when you "vacation" to sell fur or castor, business trip to my accountant.

So I think you need to break this down a little bit. If your not claiming you trapping as a business to begin with who cares about milage the price of equipment ECT.
But....
But! If you are claiming it as a business for tax purposes and anybody who does any amount of trapping should be just for the deductions... Especially if you have a really good paying day job. It is so much more than milage. It just happens that milage is easier for some people to keep track of. Technically you could deduct your whole pickup and repairs and gas if it's only for your business. Since most people can't justify this that's why they use state rate in milage. And it's so much more than milage you can depreciate equipment deductible motel rooms shipping costs ECT. And it doesn't have to be just trapping you could buy and sell used traps sell lures do taxidermy ECT to make it work out tax wise.
It totally amazes me how some people have absolutely no clue about tax laws and deduction... How do you even live day to day! Lol
Also if you think the company you work for isn't doing everyone of these things you need to wake up. Every time you jump in company car need a hotel room send you to a training you name it they are writing it off!! That's how businesses work.

When reporting 10 to 12k or more in trapping income you better figure your mileage. Have to say lately it has not been issue.

Hobby/management trapper here. The way I look at it is I’d be burning that fuel regardless of whether I was trapping or not. I don’t pay too much attention to “costs” except for traps and supplies. Now maybe if I was burning a tank a day or every other day it might factor in, but all my properties I trap are 10-15min away before I’m hitting my first set. I do keep track of my mileage for tax purposes though.

Hello Cathryn,

I think that the key difference between trapping and say vacation or hunting any adventure is trappers receive compensation from the sale of fur or processed fur goods and those $$$ must be reported as income. Thus allowed expenses can be deducted, mileage from a place of business being one such expense. Many people combine business and vacations as a legal means to right off a portion of the vacation as a business expense, travel costs a major one. It's what is allowed in our tax laws.

Most individuals going on vacations, hunting or fishing adventures aren't receiving compensation and therefore can not deduct expenses.

Most of us (or our accountants) have been told to take every deduction allowable to minimize our tax liabilities.

While most of us trap for the personal enjoyment, it doesn't mean the we can't love our jobs too. With the current state of the fur markets it's tough for trappers to come out ahead without adding value to fur.

maybe the easiest way to think of it is IF you have any Trapping income you should keep track of expenses and deduct them so you don't pay twice for the pleasure of trapping

I have a pickup dedicated to hunting, fishing and trapping because that's how I make my living. This year I put 35,000 miles on that truck.

35,000 X $.58.5 = $20,475 tax deduction.

If you are selling furs or doing ADC and getting any income on it, you should be deducting your mileage. I'm not an accountant and take this free advice for what it's worth, but it's hard for me to see any reason why you wouldn't be.

For many trapping is still considered a commercial and business venture where hunting is not unless you are an outfitter, guide etc. Trapping is considered a business and thus business deductions are allowed even if during times like these for most of us making a profit is very unlikely. I take the standard mileage rate for my trapping expenses, and expense out my supplies, equipment, fees etc. I also am able to depreciate long term assets I use in the business of trapping. I just calculate the percentage of use for trapping and then depreciate the purchase price minus the non business usage over the allocated time.
I don't see why there is something to be upset about or concerned about. There are hunters near me that have purchased far more equipment plus land to hunt for a bigger buck and they write off non of that.
Bryce

Good comments above, but let us also not forget the people who just can’t help themselves but to be a downer.

Trapper: “I made out pretty well on my fur
Downers: “Yeah, but if you figure mileage….”

I’ve noticed it lately, some people just love to be the downer. Makes no sense.

I have no idea what mileage I accumulate unless I’m being paid to trap, which is fairly often. But if I’m fur trapping, I don’t even know what my fuel and mileage costs are. They’re the same whether I look at them or not.

2X. The age old question of figuring mileage for hunting and fishing?
Semper Fi

I remember when Dave Pluegger told me he does not consider his time driving in Iowa trapping work. I thought " True ! Iowa is quite scenic".