…. Did yall have a report button lol

It was "word of mouth". Outlaws can't shut up!

For a lot of us it is just a hobby. In all reality that's what it is for me. Same as fishing, hunting etc. Now, that being said It's my first year, only caught a few animals and am still trying to get putting up the fur right. Spoiled a couple raccoons, got help with my otter etc.

Just depends on who it is if it's a hobby or not, right? Woodworking is a hobby for most people, as most don't do it professionally. There may be many reasons why that person is a woodworker, but if it's not a professional level that is the majority of ones income, I would say it's a hobby, whether or not it's also a way of life etc is another matter.

I know I could never do it for money. I've heard guys brag about about putting up a couple hundred raccoons and I mean, I couldn't imagine. but what's a raccoon even worth (honest question, greenhorn here) 10 or 20 bucks? Say that's 300 coons at 20$, so that's 6K before taxes. Here in Canada for a basic business like a sole proprietor business tax is 30% so kiss about 2K away, then factor in time, gas, maintenance, (I know, tax breaks but still) trap cost, baits, supplies etc the numbers just don't add up to make an argument for money. Staying up until all hours to get sore hands skinning coyotes or cats, I mean, I would say love it, cherish it, keep the tradition going but I don't think anyone is truly making any kind of a dime off of it, just surviving really. That being said, if they're happy to do that power to them, full send. I just think at the end of the day it's really just a hobby for most people.

Hmm, kind of rambled on there for awhile, hope that doesn't come across as condescending at all.

Carpenter

If you trap things more valuable than raccoons you can make money. Marten are the big one around here. They’re easy to trap in numbers (usually), and really fast and easy to put up, and they’re $50 on the low end

We don't have many marten around here, our big thing is cats. I think they're going for 2-300 CAD. something like that with I believe a limit of 5. I could see that being worth some money. Coyotes here are worthless since Canada goose stopped using their fur because of PETA, before that they were worth really good money. Otters are worth I think anywhere from 25-65 CAD I think.

For me personally with the cost of gas alone, It's an enjoyable hobby to pass down and if I can pay for my gear, gas, maintenance then I'll be a happy camper! I just can't see it being worth money at all as a profession, only as a passion and really fulfilling life most only dream about, right?

If a person is going to be self employed with a tax number and trap professionally it just doesn't have the ability to touch another profession I guess is all I'm saying, I run just about the smallest carpentry business you could imagine, and what I can clear in a month could squash a year of trapping for a fraction of the work of skinning & fleshing, which to me would mean it's a hobby to most everyone out there, which I don't think is a bad thing. If it weren't for hobbies many traditions would have gone the way of the dinosaur and with hobbyists combined with the professional trappers to learn from we'll have a great network and lobbying group to protect trapping for future generations.

You explained why the income defense of trapping is fading. I'm not sure it will survive as a hobby. Many of the related hobbies like fishing and hunting are big revenue generators for State government, Guiding and services, and Equipment manufacturers. Hobby trapping does not do this. When defending the other two activities these revenue generators are important reasons to allow them.

You are correct in most cases, put pencil and paper to most peoples' claims of income and the numbers are going to be laughable compared to what other options are available.

Reality sucks.

Correct ^^^^^^^

Hobby or recreational trapping has been fading away. It's been gone in the southern US for quite some time. Trapping has completed its shift to entirely ADC down here. And from what I see, its shifting in the Midwest and most of the NE US too.

I don't trap or bother skinning out for fur anymore. I never learned to finish and get good at putin fur up. I'm very limited on time and not spending 35 mins fleshing out a $2 coon have one look hood then the next fur falls out of.. It's not worth my time messing with at this time even though it's a skill I really want to learn. I skinned and froze everything for years throwing it out from time to time with the idea I would find some to pay that would put it up for me and maybe take the time to teach the boys how to do it right. I thought with low fur price complaining guys would Like geting paid more to flesh and board alone than selling their finished catch. Well I gave up finding anyone to pay.

So now I trap to reduce predators and keep population healthy and toss them in the ditch. We'll except beaver that's I skin and eat.

I have a fantasy someday I will not only put up fur but tan and make things out of it. But I also have the same unlikely fantasy of finding and cuting my own wood for bow and arrows and finishing them and successfully hunting with it. If I'm honest with myself neither is likely to happen for over a decade at least and probably never at all. So off th the dead pit they go. Sure was nice when I could get a few bucks green or even in the round and 100 on live coyote i didn't feel like i was wasting it then. Buyers don't even want them now a lot of time on coon anyway unless thing change the last few years.

Our small line is limited to our farm and friends that want predators gone. don't take big #s under 10 k9 3 fox 30 coon 10 beaver, opossum#? and a mink, few skunks and bobcat would be typical slightly on the high side for the 200 acres max on 2 tracks we trap on. Then 5 to 10 ground hogs and another several opossum and coon nuisance on the farm after season.

Edit Swamp the best Game wardens are/were also the the best poachers. Sure are some that give the rest a bad name though. Young girl 18 maybe? shot a nice buck with her bow wardens thought her dad or brother shot it and she tagged it. well he couldn't prove it( because she shot it) but he keep digging. Found out she didn't have the right tag. It was her first time buying her tags herself instead of dad doing it for her on line and checked the wrong box. Honest mistak and easy to see time sdates on buying the wrong tag. instead of understanding and cutting her a break he took her deer and gave her a ticket. Heck ok give her a ticked but let her keep her deer. But no Barney took her deer. I think her first bow kill buck and a very nice buck.

Results youn girl got rid of her equipment and will.never hunt again. Congratulations Game wardens mission accomplished.

Twice I contacted you about putting your fur up. And offered to help you learn. You said it was to far to travel. So please don't say nobody offered.

I don't clearly recall that honestly but seem vaguely familiar. More likely it was not distance but having time to cover that distance and plan ahead enough if it was more than an hour and half from home. Hard to fit in with 97 hr work weeks and 127 mile drives to work I had been knocking down the last several years especially when the ot is only planed day of or within 24hrs at most ahead of time.

But you are correct you did offer I should have stated that was not able to get lined out. So again your corect it was distance because of the added time required to cover it and quordinte. Traveling and driving is not ever an issue for me I actually enjoy trips. Time is someone I was short on. Many weeke if I made it home it was for 14 to 19 hours that week and never planed or known what .if or when I was going to make it. So hard to plan multiple hours of driving having fur thawed last minute.

I'm really noticed cognitive issues the las few weeks. Today and yesterday had a few more highted on t man. forgetting about your offer and the truck issue thread problem and my complete forgetting about the mechanical fuel pump on my 91 250. Try as I may. I have not been working any ot the last 3 weeks so geting more sleep but am more tired. had a.few.other.mild issues. Made me wonder if I messed my body up that bad on so little the last few years, if it's mid 40s and testosterone getting lower, several severe head injuries catching up, or a mild warning I'm going to have to break down and go back to the neurologists And admit to myself I really may have MS and let him do a spinal tap.

I must have removed your pm at some point. time go time I go through them and if I see it I would have remembered I would think. Says central indiana is that south of I 64 tords Ferdinand state forest or In central Indiana meaning middle of the state. If South of 64 that's likely only an hour and half or so if that guessing and just my poor memory. When I looked up central IN just now I was expecting something north of indy a little not down there not 30 mins or less off route on my drive to work if that's where your at. Could even be on tha way to or from hunting in Ferdinand state forest or Hoosier.

A lot of it depends on how and where you live your life too. I know a few people whose only cash income is furs and their PFD. But they’re also not spending money on anything other than fuel and the occasional box of ammo. No property taxes, no monthly bills of any kind, so if they put up $10,000 worth of fur they’re having a decent year. And the fuel is going to be an expense of going out to forage, fish, or hunt for food anyways, so why not set some traps along the way? People living that way are becoming few and far between, but they’re around.

PFD?

Personal floatation device

Permanent fund dividend. Its residents share of oil revenue. The one that makes idiots think you “get paid” to live in AK. It’s usually around $1,000 to $1,500. Not enough to even cover the difference I spend on groceries in a fiscal quarter compared to someone down there.

It used to be a lot more than that didn't it?

Google it. Geez! It only becomes big money when parents spend their 5 or more kids worth.

No. It’s always been pretty small. That’s why I said idiots think you get paid to live in Alaska. The most I’ve ever got was like $3,200. Just the one time. Otherwise $1,200-$1,800 is pretty standard.

LOL…. Anyone who lives in Alaska solely for the PFD payout is a loser. Doubt there are many who do.

Maybe on the streets and alleyways in Anchorage…in tents lol. And half of them freeze to death every winter