Well first off if you haven't watched the 4 seasons of "The Last Alaskans" on Prime you are really missing out. It is the only show I've ever watched on TV that actually shows trapping for what it is, honestly one of my favorite shows.

With that said, after living and trapping in Alaska for a good portion of my life I have a pretty good understanding of just how expensive it really is... Do you think with today's furs prices a person could actually make enough money to survive? In one of the episodes, they said they need to make at least 10K a year trapping, and with today's fur prices of $68 average lynx and $50 average marten, that is a lot of marten and cats. Then add in gas prices and everything else hitting record highs... I love seeing people living the subsistence lifestyle but it really feels like this way of life is dying in more than one way. Even if you have someone who wants to do it, can they really make it work anymore? Anyways I woke up at 3 this morning thinking about it so I figured I'd ask the experts.

Not an expert. I've made over 10k this year gross, but it's sewing, not trapping. Real tough to make 10K gross with $50 marten or $68 lynx unless you have awesome marten country, or both species in decent numbers, in one area. The big problem is anything else I can do for work, is less risky, less work, and pays better, so why bother?

Not to get too far off track, but I'll bet there are lots of antis sitting in their urban heck hole just gloating over the fact that bush and rural lifestyles are disappearing.
I think these folks are just envious and desire everyone else be just as miserable and desperate as they are. They truly are sick.

This isn't a recent phenomenon. In the old days there were at least 5 families making a living off maybe half my turf. This lack of trapping in the bush is old news. That started in the late 80's early 90's. There is a reason my kids aren't trappers. Actually there are anti's trappers out here that tolerated me, because they knew this was about me earning a living. I always made an effort to keep a low profile.

Why do you think that trapping needs to support them? Up to half the year can be spent earning wages or other sorts of money making activities.
All the people on that show leave the trapline for part of the year.

And of coarse they are getting paid for doing the show. And I bet It's more then 10 grand.