But this is gonna be the year.

Markets are locked in..negotiations are done and the market panned out just like i knew it would. I told him we were gonna hold selling till the sales were pretty much done.

Hes not much of a gambler cause hes afraid the market might fold...(im the price seller for the most part cause he just loves doing it so high prices are nice but hed sell for a lot less if i wasnt involved(he'll tell you that) and 7m.not gonna let any buyer take advantage of his hard work..aint gonna happen...

Unlike jerry, get a thrill out of waitin the market out and coming out on top.

Im so proud of him because almost everyone said he was nuts for going at it full force all season..for trapping animals hard when everyone but me and one buyer was telling him he was stupid for putting the miles on the truck, the days on the line and the hours in the fur shed he kept h qis head down and pushed on and it paid off in a big way for him.

God has truly blessed his hard work.

He is a great example of what hard work and perseverence can achieve.

I know some of yall get tired of me singin his praises...(he doesnt like it either) but im proud of him and dont care
Who knows it and im not gonna stop bragging on him..

I see the first hand the hard work and sacrifices he makes to do what he truly loves to do and im just proud as all get out that hes stuck with it and been rewarded.

Ill continue to tell anyone thatll listen what a hard working dedicated man i have and how hard he works for what he wants and we need .

Hes one of the good ones for sure.

We make a pretty good team.

Amen to that last sentence of your post Cathryn. Tell him congrats from me on a great season!


....(and get back to diggin' mistah)!

Awesome Cathryn!!

I hope the reward matches the effort. It looks like it will.

Nice !

Bang up job as usual you two!

The recent big auction numbers look good. Glad the market timing is working for you two. Will be an uptick in trappers hitting the water and woods this spring and next fall/winter! Trappers conventions will see some new blood too.

Chris

You two are always doing the job of keep on trucking!
Awesome couple in my opinion!

End up getting the truck back on the road?

Pretty good...but Is that before, or after expenses...?

I enjoy you guys.
Keep on doing what your doing

Ol' Jerry is likely to have some competion this fall in Wyoming...

I was wondering the same thing the other day.

Really enjoy your posts glad the money is keeping you guys in the game!!

Its Nice to see Husband wife teamwork

Good for you two! I enjoy your posts.

Very nice!

I imagine somebody in a W. Virginia IRS office has the same comment!

that is great what a team

"He is a great example of what hard work and perseverance can achieve" that goes for both of you guys!!!! Truck repair covered by the warrantee I hope. What are his Plans for the upcoming convention season?.......jk

I'm in. The season starts 40 days before mine. Want to partner up? Even I can make money on $200 marten travelling to Wyoming.

It's great to see hard workin' folks like you and Jerry succeed. Congrats on a great season!

That is quite an accomplishment and congratulations. Please ignore the idiots who post on here trying to belittle your accomplishments. Small minds and men just rattle their gums at the accomplishments of people who do things they cannot. Thanks again for sharing your all's journey. I enjoy reading about them very much.

These post always make my day. Glad to get to read about your endeavors. Every man should strive to have a woman that looks at them the way you do Jerry.

What a great team.

subtract his expenses and let us know how that worked out.

Does anyone do there with turkey or deer hunting? How about golf or fishing?

I suspect jerry will make more return on his trapping by far doing what most dream they could but never will. Heck I would do it for free if I could afford to spend the time doing it. But I can't and am not dedicated or motivated enough to try. That man makes it happen and not only covers his expenses but clears a profit.

Its all in dedication and motivation. Catherine and Jerry make life happen their way on their terms. Myself im envious. What a team.

no or maybe so, however, trapping is much more time consuming than the others you mentioned, Food, gas, vehicle wear and tear, lodging, lures, baits and all other assundries. trapping nowadays is for the love of the game, not about making a living. the overhead is far higher than the fur caught and sold. In the long run it is for the love of the sport and not sustainable for a source of income.

If you held a good paying job near home, and then, look at expenses due to travel, and meals while at work, you will find. Its much more cost effective to work your full time job with insurance and other benefits than to travel mulitple states trapping and paying for all of the listed and unlisted expenditures.

I make decent income every year I trap. I record my income and expense and do a schedule C on my taxes. Don't claim to be getting rich, but I pay my bills during the off months from my regular annual source of income.

And why few will ever get to live the life they dream of. Including myself. Im to big a chicken to gamble and like the illusion of security that job gives me.

But at the end of the day im spending my life in a plant I hate with people I dont care to see for a good income and benefits.

At the end of my life I won't be able to say I lived my life my way on my terms like Jerry and Catherine will be able to. Now I wasted my best years for some day I will...... well guess what now im 45 and have a debilitating progressive disease. Now I cant back pack in deep and hunt all the things I have always dreamed about. I dont trust my body to hold up. Now I wish I had taken more chances and did what I wanted to do when I could.

Basically to me they are living life with freedom few will ever experience. Not tied down to anyone else's schedule .

True, but how much do you love your job?

I get by on a lot less income than a lot of people, but I haven't hit a lick on a regular job since I was in my late 20s, and I get to spend a lot more time doing what I like to do.

Shoot Providence, it might be said that for some of us that have not "retired well economically" that we wish we could go back, do some things differently, and have a nice retirement pension package to count on in our sunset years.

I have enjoyed trapping for over 50 years... but sometimes the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper come to mind.

Very Nice

That is great

Shhhhhh no tax no furs, or was that tips?

You can either do what you want to do or do what you have to do. It's much easier if you choose early in your life

I get it.i have 20 years into a pension, nice 401k, 401 roth, ira and roth ira, close to debt free, no cc debt no house payment, no car payment ect... paid off house and farm. But it has a cost often over looked is all im saying. I hear it must be nice often. When anyone could be in the same place or better. They just made different choices. Often I think those choices were better than mine. Maybe its the grass is greener thing or human nature never being satisfied?

Either way im blessed and enjoy and look up to Catherine and Jerry knocking it out of the park. Enough that I had my wife read Catherine first post and point out how lucky they are to have such a great relationship. I honestly wides they were my closest neighbors not states away. I cant imagen how wonderful it would be if we would be so blessed as to have great t man neighbors like them and Keith along with many other great folks are members here. Just a testament to Paul and how he has kept a place that attracts so much and wide
variety talented individuals from all walks of life.

Its a privilege to be involved with my adding little to nothing to the group.

Your humble last sentence belies your value here my friend.

That’s Awesome!!

Boo f’n hoo to the “taxes expenses Blaaa blaa blaa crowd, it’s trapping man.

This is true for many of us. Good for you guys. I know I wouldn't have the guts to do it. I'm a worrier as it is and my attention span isn't long enough to do what Jerry does. Also I hope the truck repair wasn't too bad.

I think its awesome to be honest. For the "expenses" crowd, I would ask what is the lifestyle that Jerry and Cathryn get to live worth? considering I just spent 32.5 years staring at a computer screen, I am pretty sure jerry has had a much more enjoyable time than i. We each make our choice and its just not in me to question a team like these two courageous, hard-working folks who make a great team. I sure didn't have the guts or focus to do it. So congrats to Jerry and Cathryn!

Just the first post???

When was the last time that he had a $20,000 fur check?

Congratulations!!!!!!!

If you like something you do. Go for it.!!!!!! The harder you work the more you succeed!!!!! Never give up!!!!

Jerry and Cathryn are an example of that. It takes courage and dedication. Believing in oneself and ignoring the negative and down falls.

Who cares? Why do we feel compelled to talk about it?

Why would anybody talk about how much money they make outside of close friends

When you post about whats going on in your life and get what can be taken as negative responces from jealous people that wish they could travel around the country and trap and you turn out successful its nice to let them know they are wrong.

Then there is the being extremely proud of your partner and wanting to say so. What
Better place than one with people you like and respect and actually know the effort and work involved.

Its not about the money thats only a measure of success. No different than posting about your kids and grand kids being the best wrestler in their division In the state or any other great achievement your loved ones have accomplished and wanting to share and show your proud.

Im glad she post and allows me to live vicariously through them and their life and awesome projects.

Infact Catherine have you ever thought about making videos and posting them on tube or other platform you can monetize. Believe it or not many people will love watching you and jerry doing your boring to you daily task. Its something I have been thinking about geting back into again myself.

Yep, I did interrupt and pause the show she was watching at the time. Technically I was watching it with her but clearly I was reading T Man and just sitting on the couch with her. ( im not into TV much but will spend time with her on the couch in the evenings while she is winding down watching something)

Because this is a trapping website.....and this is about trapping.

Is jealousy rearing it's ugly head?

I'm not so sure about that Beaver, he sets an example for us all to aspire to live up to. 16hr work days with a 2 hour drive both ways, and raising boys that kill wild turkeys with a Walmart fiberglass children's bow- while wearing blaze orange- at 8 years old

Close. The bow was from Academy I believe and I think he was actually 7 when he did that. One lucky shot considering he would barely keep the arrow in a bow target At the 12 yards he shot that turkey at at the time. What was more shocking was he sliped up that close to them using the terrain. Also he did it by himself in was at work.
And I do work a lot of 16 hr days 4 of my last 5 days I worked and have a long drive but I dont make the drive both ways since I stay close (12 miles) to work during the week. Only my first day and last day of the week do I have the long drive and it only one way. It also comes with a negative cost to my body especially with MS. So much so I missed my last 3 night shifts after geting run down and having a flair up.. clearly my cutting back has not been cutting back near enough.
Found a picture

Never get tired of hearing from you about Jerry. You are a great team for sure. Thanks for all the posts!

Probably as push back for all on here that say you can't make any money on wild fur.

[quoteI make decent income every year I trap. I record my income and expense and do a schedule C on my taxes. Don't claim to be getting rich, but I pay my bills during the off months from my regular annual source of income.][/quote]

Hobby "jobs" that generate more than just a little income are best to be treated as "businesses" on tax returns. The standard mileage value in 2025 for my big garden- produce selling and ebay selling ended up saving me some federal taxes (we have no state income tax here) as I transitioned from my far, far larger $$ job that I had at various salary amounts (the last few years being the highest) over the years.

I don't know at what self-employment level of income that one starts having to pay the full 13% of Social Security or the little bit of Medicare tax on earned money but the IRS has never questioned me about those issue with my little side gigs.

Swamp wolf, to answer your question for nimzy or I, the answer is no

Roger, firstly to pay social security and Medicare taxes on self employment there has to be a net profit. Then I think it starts at $400.

I tell my close friends how bad off I am so they dont get any ideas to borrow money from me .

That's one way to do it.

He may not have made any money (net). Only him, his wife and accountant know.

Been a few years. Id have ti ask him the specific year and he aint here rigut now

Thanks Steven 49er! That's what I was thinking was needed (making a profit) later on when I thought about it more.

I guess a owe those two taxes (a little bit) for a a couple of years. Good to know if I hit it "big time" in the future.

I think for 2025, documented mileage for a business was something like 85 cents a mile. I'm sure Jerry's travels from WV out to the Rockies and around and about there and back home again (to catch his marten) gave him thousands in business expenses to put against the income from that $20k fur check.

P.S. And no, I'll never have a $20,000 fur check from around where I live but perhaps my youngest kid will if he gets a management job in a northern Rocky Mountain state that has both marten and bobcats. I hope I live to see it if it happens

Been a few years. 5 or 6 years


Exactly. He did what most all yall have been saying Cant be done he trapped in a down year and the game.paid off..and its trapping related and beat thebheck out of all the stupid poiltics threads that on here. Imo.

So tell me this
..why is that yall dont jump anyone elses (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) when they post how much they sold their fur for?

Get over it..ya dont like the title. Dont read the thread..or better yet just block me then ya dont have to get overwrought when i make TRAPPING RELATED posts.

Jerry did great!!! Better then 95% of all trappers.

Probably you're being generous to us other trappers there Snowy.... I'd say 99%

This



Losers should take note !

the original sin was pride

Followed by jealousy and envy. .God forgive me, I have sinned.

I don’t think he’s doing it for the money. The money is merely a byproduct of his efforts. Personally tell me your best adventure as I’ll probably be impressed. $20k nah:)

Seems likw there would be economical reasons for Jerry to stick around WY. after marten trapping and find a bobcat area. Could be a 30 thou check next year.

Nothing wrong with a little pride. And it ain't bragging if you can actually do it.

Never is a long time hoss. Get a 10 dollar rat market again and the rest is up to you.

Cathryn. I digress. Congratulations to Jerry on a season well done. The marten market has been exciting

Jerry is a good egg. I enjoyed the few days he was here trapping. He definitely has one gear.

Jerry is clearly a hard charger/go getter and a 20k fur cheque is awesome!!

But it has probably the same buying power of a kid working at McDonalds for a couple months in 1971

Jerry is doing something he enjoys and that’s all that really matters

Gotta have the rats too. Only takes 90 marten to get a $20,000 fur check this year. Bet a lot of marten trappers did this or better this year. However, you may have worked just as hard to get a $3,000 fur check 4 years ago.