•••Book by Richard Gritski•••?

Anyone read his booked called, "so you want to be a longliner"? Saw it listed in a book list on the back of an old TP& C

Anyone?

If I remember right, he was a young fella from SD that I met many years ago at a convention. He dropped off the charts a few years after he wrote the book, and have never seen him again. That was prolly in the seventys. I think his wife sold essential oils and smelly stuff that wimmen like, and was into the healing with herbs thing. That's about all I remember!

I've got it,somewhere

Thx for the info. May have to get a copy from somewhere. If he's from around that area, maybe Montgomery fur has a copy.

South Dakota sounds right.I believe he had his own line of lures too.I remember him writing a few articles for The Trapper about his adventures.Like other long liners of that time when the prices started to fall he disappeared.

Check Amazon for the book and eBay as well.

I don't remember the book being anything special, but that was a long time ago! He showed me the book and I paged through it, but didn't buy it. Wonder what happened to him!

Montgomery Trap and Supply Company (https://montgomeryfur.com/index.php?content=trapping-books ) has it listed a little over half way down the page.

I don't remember the book being anything special, but that was a long time ago! He showed me the book and I paged through it, but didn't buy it. Wonder what happened to him![/quote]
I wonder that about a lot of big timers from those days.You're still in the game,but so many others literally disapperared.Ray.Milligans a hunting guide in New Mexico,O 'Gormans still in the game of course,the rest?Who knows?

Buck, we're all getting old! Ray followed the money! Sure ain't nothing to be made trapping anymore. Talked with Ron Leggetts in Va at the FTA a couple years ago,nand he adc traps, was hoping to see Russ Carmen again, but he didn't show up, had a bad back. There are many more, but most quit when they get old. Gary Mathers aka the beav, is one of the only ones in their eightys that still trap some, it is just hard to run many traps when you have a Drs appointment everyother day for something! I hate old age, but it's better than the alternative!

Met him in Gaylord Michigan at a National (maybe the one you are referring to Lee)... bought a 4 oz. bottle of his long call, skunk and lanolin if I recall. Last I heard from him.

Didn't mean to disrespect Beav by not mentioning him,my memory isn't what it's used to be,my age is showing.Hopefully what's happening now mirrors what happen in the last fur boom.Wasn't too much interest in trapping after the fur boom ended after WW2.Then after decades of low prices things picked up in the early 70's and interest exploded.I know there's good and bad connected with high fur prices,the good is a lot of people are exposed to trapping in a positive way.It used to be said people still trapping have grey hair,that hair has now turned white.We need that recruitment higher prices bring.

The NTA convention in Gaylord was held '81(?).That's the right time period Gritzki was around.

Yes, that's one of them I saw him at....and prolly the last one. I think one may have been the Fur Takers in Bismark ND along the same time. My memory sucks too! Tom Krause rode up with me and my son together to Bismark. One of the smallest conventions I ever went to, but those are always a good time, cause you have more time to talk to people! I don't remember Gritski at the Ks NTA in 83, but he could have been there. I was a bit busy at that one, was the convention chairman for that one. I should have taken notes as I was going through life, but I would have forgotten where I left them!

I'm not sure, but I think Rutland Vt was in 81 and Gaylord was in 82.....I think!

Yep... '82. Was O'Gorman there?
I remember picking up a NAAWP card off a table, or somewhere on the grounds anyway... haven't seen one since.
Gritski wrote an article, or a few maybe? about long lining for The Trapper...

When was Cooksville, Tennessee?

1984, NTA....Cookeville, TN.

Can't remember, Coop. Had the whole family along at Gaylord, and didn't get to spend as much time there as I liked! In 84, I was working in Berlin NH, and took a week off to go to the convention. Drove down to Russ Carmin's place, jumped in with him and drove down to Maryland, spent the day with Pete Leggett, then caravanned down the interstate to Cookville. That was a great week, Pete and Ron and Russ and I roomed together, we all had a good time. I sure do miss ol Pete. He was one of a kind!

I have some '82-83 trapper mags coming. I'll see if he has any articles in there. His book was still advertised in '89 trapper mag by central Connecticut trappers supply

Should be Robert not Richard

Yes, his name was Robert Gritski. The coon lure he sold was called Crazy Eyes and was an excellent lure. After he disappeared from the conventions I bought up what I could find from various dealers. Even contacted him for his formula but he wanted too much at the time. I still have a few bottles stashed away for when the coon market rebounds. It is getting pretty old.