Jerry, I don’t know if you have ever been asked this,, so my apologies in advance if it has,, but how did you get to be lucky enough to hang out with tom Miranda? Bob gilsvik, etc

Tom and I moved to the UP the same year to trap I had access to the family deer cabin that I was part owner in. I worked in the auto dealership parts dept and the economy was terrible so the married guys needed income and I was single so I volunteered to be laid off. Tom lived about 10 miles from my place we worked on some projects together often. Tom was hired by SD for ADC work I was hired later for a summer fill in to relieve the full time trappers.

I helped Tom with his lure business in the off season after that and that allowed me to trap full time during the season. I made snares as SD was the first place I could legally use them I was fascinated with them. I made snares for me and some other dealers to pay the bills and hauled M&M Furs inventory or went with Melvin to conventions in the summer.

I’d trap SD in the fall then head to Arizona for a few months then back to SD for rats and beaver trapping. The area I lived in was flooded so the mink and rats were everywhere catching them in numbers when the prices were very good allowed me to trap full time for about 10 years.

The FFG videos came about I did the snaring parts and ran a camera for the videos also then I did camera and lure work for Tom when he started making his own videos. Met Bob when we made the videos he was a great down to earth guy we clicked right off and got along well we were more laid back. During the off time we talked a lot about everything. When the crew went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras we just stayed back and went out for a good meal you get tired of road food after a while.

Being on the road for weeks and months at a time it grows old after a while. I ended up going to work at the youth academy then to the Sheriffs Office after that. Tom was good to me heck I’m in SD because of him I’ll never forget that and all he’s done for me. We never trapped together but helped each other out when needed he ran his lines I had my routes I’m sure some folks wonder about that.

Well I’ve got a skunk to go get my buyers coming next week I better get to it.

That is a cool story.

Very cool story Jerry

Ever meet a man from NC named Sandy Brady? He worked for Tom awhile. Had a drug problem but no longer does. Good hunter.

Yes met him years back when he was in this area did not spend much time around him. I’m glad he's got it together now good to hear.

Sandy was into crow hunting....Wasn't Pat Foy Brady his father?

Great story Jerry! Who was the guy from Montana that was on the FFG videos?

Remember a guy named Jeff Smith....If that's him, he taught me how to howl coyotes in 1985.

Yep that's him. Wonder what happened to him?

He went into the business world (radio communications?) and made some serious $$, last I heard.

Dragged him all over W. Kentucky one night, Lol....He being from Montana knew coyote language, and that was a real eye opener for me at the time.

Jeff was originally from VA then moved to MT the last I heard he had something to do with a radio station in Missoula MT.

Thanks Jerry,,, pretty darn cool.
By the way, I did learn quite a bit about snaring beaver from you in that Ffg video on beaver.