Nusiance vs. Fur Trapping

bblwi posted on another thread about advising a young guy in his 20s to look into ADC work. I agree but wouldn't exclude trappers in their 20s. But even in the good ADC markets there is only enough room for so many nuisance trappers. And ADC work isn't for everyone everywhere either.

Markets have always been cyclical but I've never seen the supply and demand equation this bad! The best way to get out of a hole is to quit digging but trappers by definition gotta dig (trap)! "Its so bad everyone else will quit producing fur except me" strategy has serious flaws! lol

Nuisance work is an option for some to continue the sport and remain profitable. Anyone else de-emphasizing fur and getting more into ADC work. Is it a good idea?

My fur trapping has always been basically nuisance trapping for fur.

The thing people need to realize when getting into nuisance work is very little if it is about Trapping, most of it is dealing people which goes against most of our grains and running a business to make money.

Sniper has it. The point of the fur trapper or atleast what the point should be. Is to be a resource that thins the population to prevent bad events from happening. Diesease outbreaks. Animal attacks for want of food and shelter. Helping deer populations thrive. Preventing erosion by water critters. The list goes on. At least that's how I (in my own little way) try to plan my line layout. The only big difference in actual operation is the nuisance trapper has to get the last one.


Jmho.

ADC trapping Is about 200% more profitable then fur trapping.

Two entirely different animals.

None of the armadillos I'm now trapping has any fur. My largest account and a third of my income is ostensibly for snakes but also includes coyote, beaver, muskrat, turtles, geese, consulting for deer, general wildlife security consulting.
Traps are just one of many tools a nuisance guy uses and most of us do our best to make them a min or one at that.

At the least...

200% is undercharging unless you're out west catching chicken killing bobcats.

I just set 2 locations today...5 traps total ... will add more as I go. Set up fees....and 75.00 per head...makes for some good Beaver Bucks on my lunch hour. I only trap and get paid nowadays ....chasing fur is OVAH.

When beavers are this low...... wait for the nuisance calls. Last winter/spring $6300 for 23 beavers way better than what a fur check would have been for 23 beavers even with castor

But.... I still target coyotes for fur and take whatever else gets in the canine sets

The point of fur trapping is earning a living. ADC trapping results from poor fur prices.

I think fur trapping is more "free" where ADC trapping has more liability and pressure to it but like said it pays way better for less work.

I haven't seen the less work part. Been doing beavers 9 months a year, 5 days a week for 28 years travelling 250 - 300 miles a day running beaver traps.

I was talking squirrels and grinners Paul you know City trapper stuff!

You must be leaving the right amount of seed......to keep that gravy train going. Job security,right there !

You're welcome to ride my line with me. Ladders on and off the truck for squirrels and bats. Maybe setting up a couple hundred feet or so of drift fencing for armadillos on the next stop. Punching in coyote sets on the next.

Fur would be a vacation for this city trapper.

Don't forget all this city stuff also has to be done on schedule, in traffic while being available to take calls for new work.

What are you implying?

Like I said a different game it was tongue in cheek ya know, I did ADC work in IL for many years so I know what your saying!

For all the modern terms of Animal Damage Control, I always liked trapping fur and still do when I can, to get away from everything. I remember Carroll Black demonstrating the crafting of a raccoon set. He was pure artist in making sets. Whether it is blind sets for mink or flat sets for predators, the affinity is the reward. As for ADC, I have never had the luxury of getting away from it, as I live on a continental divide, and one of the finger runs off of this, and for all of my life it has been a battle with vermin in this natural flow, in trying to keep my livestock safe and not be overrun. I can wipe the slate clean and in 6 weeks the problem flow appears again. The worst of it is the ADC people who dump their Born Free vermin at the river, having educated them, but pampering clients, and they show up here, and I have to deal with that issue too. There is not a day I am not doing damage control work, not being paid, due to ADC work.
I would love to trap again, but I can not afford it and do not have the time. Trapping is a luxury for people with money. ADC is just work when it comes to predators and educated vermin.

around here you cant make a living adc work ,people are to cheap ,country folk an city try to get 20 a skunk ,an they say know we will just shoot it , an put up with smell , its about 50-50 now on people that will pay , even logging company's don't pay for beaver work ,county an city only pay 25 for beaver an know mileage ,I try to break even ,I do some mostly all for public relations, to show we need trapper !!!!

Might as well get into nuisance work, every one else is. Just be sure to pick up your pest control license as that's the direction it's headed.

The same in my area. The new one is, I do not want the opossums killed they eat ticks, ya right.

Just make sure you get good climbing gear and a tall ladders. Along with the insurance and liability insurance. There are many more thing you will need that you did not need trapping fur. JMO

THAT'S exactly why ya must charge well, to cover all that expense and hassle

I earned a good living doing ADC work for nearly 7 years. Beaver removal was over 50% of the jobs.

Picked up 3 beaver on my lunch break today...225.00 not counting set up fees.....tomorrow is another day...Getting paid to have fun...what a country !