I might be a tad biased I guess,, but “ Trapping North American fur bearers “ by Stanley Hawbaker is probably the best. Although some of the sets are outdated and downright illegal now,, some sets are still pretty darn good today. His “ pen” set for beaver is one I still use today. I remember when I first got it and read it cover to cover 30 times before season came in when I was a kid. I was devastated when I loaned it out to a buddy and it got lost when he moved away. Of course I got another copy. To be young and excited like that again!!! That’s why I’m always willing to help out a kid who’s really excited about it…. I was once that hungry kid.

I agree a good read. Go there for new-old ideas usually every season. We can learn from the old trappers.

I'll have to check that book out. My favorite would have to be "A Modern Trapline" by Bob Gilsvik.

"To be young and excited" Exacatly! I remember when I used to sneak pocket-sized trapping catalogs to church and study them during service! Ha Ha!!

My favorite book. As a kid from the 70s I wore it out from reading it from cover to cover over and over again

How many used the: buried-up-to-the-neck "Dead Chicken Set" ?

Didn't have a dead chicken so I used a road killed pheasant.

It worked for both coon and red fox !!!!

That set would be a no-no in New York State today.

w

That old book was all i had when i first started, cousin had bought it and gave up on trapping so what little he had was all i had to work with. Id set a rock on it to keep the page open so i could copy whatever goofy set it was i was trying to make, worked great on possums, lol. Trapping was 'magical' back then, i too miss those days.

Never buried a chicken, but used the chicken coop set to catch a gray fox that was preying on my parents chickens.

Hawbakers TNAFB was my first trapping book (1974)....Probably the most circulated trapping book of all time, and a true classic.

Was my first trapping book as well. I plumb wore it out... cover falling off, pages torn and stained. Must have read it 100 times back then.

My first also back in the early 70s.mine also looks like it been well used. Have to say the person that said he had trap-line north. Very good read. Thanks

Tom Miranda in his book Master Trappers states that S. Stanley Hawbaker was the king of the cottage industry trappers .And he says the book he wrote Trapping North American Furbearers was published in nearly 20 editions.

Alaska Wolfman

Mine too. I have mine Autographed from the 8th Grade.

Charles Dobbins' Land Sets & Trapping Techniques remains the most informative book in my collection.

For me, The School Boy Trapper by Pat Sedlick written in 1960. It was directed for ages 8-20 but a good read for everybody. The only problem I had with the book he had a chapter on airplane and helicopter trapping. I don’t think young people could afford renting these machines for trapping or scouting.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Cronk’s Scientific Muskrat Trapping”

For muskrats and mink the reversible book written by Austin Passonate (sp?) I lent it out years ago and it is gone but I followed his plan well......jk

Charlies Dobbins books are the most insightful books I even read as far as learning the science of trapping. By reading and studying his books he showed me how to be creative with my equipment and the best methods to use it

"Trapping north american furbearers" by Hawbaker is great reading for sure.

But the video "Eastern style professional fox trapping" by Bob Jameson is what i still loan out to new trappers

Too many for me to list as I had no family history regarding trapping so I learned from books, videos and the hundreds of demo I have watched over the years.
I am pretty practical and cater to books written by authors who write about species and regions similar to where I trap. Gilsvick's books were the first I read when young.
There are also not real specific trapping books but trapping related stories in books that I read when in HS that triggered my interest in the outdoors and hunting and trapping. Jack London books, Kjelgaard books, Those Calloways etc. were all books I read when younger.

Bryce