I've got sweet corn farmers counting on me to kill coons. I've got other farmers counting on reduction in coyotes, one place has beaver issues.
I worked hard for decades to get on these places and have developed very good relationships. I dont want to lose them by taking a year off.
jabNE- I admire your dedication to trapping and if this the way you enjoy the outdoors and wild critters, that's great. But if your first stated rationale is that you've built this landowner network and the services you provide them to keep you with land to trap, there is an assumption that trapping will be profitable for you sometime in the future. What is that is no longer true, what if there truly has been a threshold change, and wild fur, at least in most of the U.S., never returns to a profitable status...? I plan to be out this season for one last "hurrah" before I go get a hourly 2nd job for my "allowance" money. I lost money this year at my "farmers" market gig, mostly because of the drought we've been enduring, I might as well lose money having some outdoor activity. But after the 20/21 season, fur will have to shine bright again before I put much effort into it. I have no landowner network to protect, none of these people are expecting to do anything for them.
I hope you and your son have a great season in the outdoors among wild critters!