Recently I saw a short video that featured trapper Robert Waddell trapping in, believe, Kansas. ( Part 1 and 2 )
It was titled- The Management Advantage, It is shown on : YouTube.
When you're sidelined, you have a lot of time to stare at the ceiling, four walls , or at times, even the internet.

I 've never met Robert Waddell, but I do know people who do know him, have trapped with him, etc.
When you've been around this industry for a good while, you either know most of the 'who's who' or know someone who does.

The videos were well-made and straight forward covering many of the things I personally believe in and have used over the years.
Many of the shots appeared to be done with a Drone. Which gave you a better sense of the overall area and why he chose a certain location.
Well done, IMO.

One of the things he discussed was human scent control.
Robert who set all his coyote traps, bare-handed, dismissed human scent control as 'hogwash'. ( not the term he used verbatim )
I agree. Anyone who believes otherwise is showing you where he is at in his coyote education .
Good trappers can get away with more and do more with less.
The one thing I did note, was how beat up his hands were. . .which gloves perhaps may have prevented.

Secondly, he doesn't skin all his coyotes and that is something I stopped doing long ago.
He points out (and shows) many of the coyotes, the flaws in their pelts stating they aren't worth skinning for that reason.
The grade of the coyotes is extremely important.
Some of which have very little value in today's market.
I concur.

Most of the coyotes I kill, I never skin.
I never even put them in the truck.
Many trappers who come out to run with me will tell you I have piles of the rotting carcass', regardless of the time of year.
Many trappers I know, do exactly the same.
Damage control, after all, isn't fur trapping.

I'm not so much a 'fur trapper' anymore as I am a 'gun for hire'.
I trap for money, or I don't do it.
The fur market is shot by comparison to what it once was.

Many of the coyote trappers I know, many of which travel out of state, do so for money paid.
Especially when the target animal is coyotes.
I know trappers that do beaver control, and only cut out the castors.
They are paid to kill beavers year-round when a beaver has little value.
All in the name of 'control'.
Some of them, never skin a single one.

When you see a man, ( who traps professionally ) with a barn side covered in pelts, he most likely has something to sell you. ( imo)
( * this doesn't apply to part-timers)
Many of the coyotes I see trappers skin aren't the money to skin and put up, much less process one at the tannery.
That's done for show.
Looks more impressive to see a hundred coyotes hanging, than it does fifty, even though the fifty were the only ones worth skinning. ( J S )

Many of the best trappers are not in print ( or in this day and age, film )

LT G

Right on

Secondly he doesn't skin all his coyotes and that is something I stopped doing long ago.
He points out (and shows) on many of the coyote's, the flaws in their pelts stating they aren't worth skinning for that reason.
The grade of the coyotes are extremely important.
Some of which have very little value in todays market. I concur.


When you see a man, ( who traps professionally ) with a barn side covered in pelts , he most likely has something to sell you.
Many of the best trappers are not in print ( or in this day and age, film )

LT G

[/quote]
high lighted the most important part of this post
in today's changing market

I caught 36 a couple years back, skinned twenty and should have skinned seven or eight. Sorry, sorry coyotes here.

If you live east of the Mississippi River and skin 70 percent of the coyotes you catch , you are either a lucky individual or are not looking close enough at your fur. In this market if you are skinning 50 percent of your coyotes you may be skinning to many.

I talked to him once about the FTA Adventure Auctions and felt he was straight up kind of man. His work ethic towards piling up numbers is incredible.

I skinned 1 coyote last year out of the 5 I caught off of my 45ac place
Wife wanted a tanned one from our place, it had a decent coat and it was 44# which is on the XL scale around here
Rest go to the bone pile

Doubt I could get $20 for the best one you could catch here

My main goal is to help the prey critters out. Fawns, rabbits etc

I felt fortunate to skin 70 percent last season. At my age there's more than monetary value to trappin'. I have a lot of respect for Robert, he's one hard working trapper.

If you get the chance to see Robert do a demo at one of the conventions, pay attention . After being on the line with him I can tell you he does not hold back any information. What he shows in a demo is what he does on the line. What you can’t get out of a demo is how hard he works and how efficient he is with everything he does. He is hard on equipment and carries two or more of everything, lol yes he is hard on his hands and does not wear gloves “ until it gets cold “ . I don’t know how cold that is , it snowed the second day I was with him and he still didn’t wear gloves. I think he is afraid they may slow him down by a second or two while putting in a set.
I don’t want to give the impression that you can’t learn any more from him if you go with him on the line, you will. I could have went and rode with anyone in the country, I chose Robert because he was willing to take me on setup day as I’ve never put more than 40 traps in the ground in a season. I wanted to see what it takes to put in 60 or more traps in a day ( he didn’t slow down any the second day ) and why he set one location over another. I’ve been trapping the same ground for over 30 years and it’s all farm land, never been in big country like that .

Golf Ball, that's quite a testimonial
Not sure if he's at the NTA this summer or not.

There are a lot of good trappers that don't sit on the internet in the middle of the afternoon bragging themselves up. Some believe silence is golden.

Yup

Mac

I doubt he will be at the NTA. He hasn't been very fond of that organization. He's scheduled to demos at the FTA convention - http://www.furtakersofamerica.com/convention.html

Imagine trapping around the internet sensation MR WONDERFUL. No other trapper has put his hands on my traps as much as MR WONDERFUL. The Scotland county game wardens own words (HE WEARS ME OUT ratting out and crying to him.) I love it when a chance comes up to tell you all another story of MR WONDERFUL my neighbor.

Proof or it didn't happen.

Uh oh. Can't delete it now.

The Wolf , does not concern himself with the opinions of the Sheep. LOL!

Thanks for the heads up on those videos. Good stuff.