Period appropriate traps

[Leifer]

Ok, so, admittedly I haven't spent a bunch of time searching for the answer to this. I decided to consult the....expects out there Where can a guy find/procure period appropriate traps? I'm trying my hand at some trapping this winter, will have a small trapline to just see how it goes, and would like to try a couple period traps if I could find some. Any suggestions you gentlemen (or gentlewomen as the case may be....) as far as where I could find some traps or appropriate reading material on period trapping would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any help.

Leifer

[Rod]

What size of traps are you looking for? Beaver, muskrat? Allen Harrison makes a decent trap, I can PM you with his email address.

As far as books go, there's an excellent chapter in the Book of Buckskinning VIII by Shawn Webster.

www.amazon.com/Book-Buckskinning-VIII-William-Scurlock/dp/1880655098

I've linked to Amazon, but those prices are startlingly high---I've got a copy, and can make copies for you.

Also, the UMO Handbook by the Upper Missouri Outfit of the AMM has some very good information on trapping, too---in fact, the whole book is packed with great info, I highly recommend it, and their Cayuse Handbook if you've an interest in horses as well.

lg-usa.com/UMO/UMO.html

Rod

[Rod]

I should have mentioned it, but Isaac Walters' blog for January of this year is a good read on period beaver trapping---and he uses Allen's traps, too.

frenchinwisconsin.yolasite.com/my-blog/page/2

Rod

[Leifer]

Hoky Dino! You're not a kidding on the price! I'm guessing that volume is no longer being published. Seems to be the way it goes....oh well. That'd be great if I could get some copies....I've even got access to a copier

My primary focus is going to be coons and muskrat in the area I've got access to. I was hoping for some beaver, but the...irrigation project crew...apparently really thinned down what was in that area....so we'll see. I'll probably only run 20 total traps, minus any snares that I put up, something that will hopefully be on the manageable side for a guy just starting.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'd forgot about that article that Isaac had written, so thanks for reminding me. Thanks also for Allen Harrison's email. I'll have to drop him a line.

Leifer

[Leifer]

Well, by mid-July/August I should have a period muskrat trap arriving at my door. Allen said he'd be happy to take on the project. In the email he included the documentation and pictures of what it would like as well. Good stuff.

Leifer

[Leifer]

A good friend of mine gave me permission to try my hand at trapping this year on his farm. He then got excited and said he'd like to try it with me, so now I've got access to his place, his dad's, his uncle's....you get the idea. So he calls me up and said he had a beaver that was taking out a number of his sugar beets and was wondering if I wanted to try to trap it. I only had two beaver traps, a #330 conibear and #4 coil spring set up as a drowning set. (Unfortunately I don't have a period beaver trap yet...next year) So I went and checked the two traps today and found this guy on the drowner set. I was pretty stoked to have this is my first catch. Set up some coon traps today as well for my uncle who has his sweet corn being enjoyed by the coons.

Leifer

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[Rod]

Alright!!! Now comes the hard part, skinning it.

Coons have been bad this year, the mild winter meant no die-off. They took one of my mother's geese and one duck. I've done in 5 of them so far. When the sweetcorn ripens, they'll be back--and I'll be waiting for them....

Rod

[Leifer]

So, I learned a couple of things.

1. Skinning a beaver that has become bloated and is emanating curious aromas can be a bit of a white-knuckle affair.
2. Skinning said type of beaver takes a long time if you've never done it before and are concerned of what might happen if perchance you go too deep.
3. Sharpening stone....I should really use one often...instead of not at all...
4. Don't start this project at 11pm after the kids have gone down for the night. In your exhausted state, 5 hours later, you'll realize that after you've deposited the "non-pelt" part of the beaver into the dumpster in the alley that you neglected to remove the castors and oil glands.

The pelt is in the freezer, awaiting fleshing and for the beaver hoops to come in.

Leifer

[Chuck Burrows]

You have been initiated into the wonderful world of skinning beaver
I sometimes wonder how many were skinned right away by the trappers or were taken back to camp and given over to the helpers......there is simply NO easy way to skin such critters, but yep a SHARP knife and a lot of patience sure helps.....

[Cody]

Liefer Ive been doing it for over 40 years and I have found its always better to run traps daily of corse and skin stuff while its still warm if possible the skin comes off much easier and smells much better hehe although Ive always had trouble passing up a prime road kill and sometimes they can get gamey heck you cant smell like a real trapper without at least a little decomp on you

[Leifer]

Cody, That's what I'm hoping to do next time. Unfortunately I only had time to check the traps on the way to an event, so I wasn't able to get him until the next afternoon. So he sat overnight in a tarp in my garage...what became a warm garage...which is probably part of the reason why he was starting to look "baloonish" by the time I got to him I cased out a coon yesterday, and I agree, it's easier when they are fresh and warm.

Leifer

[Cody]

There used to be a beaver skinning contest at our state convention but its in april and most of the beaver have the green belly so I always decided I didnt want to smell like that for 3 hours driveing home so I pass .

[Leifer]

Still a bit smelly, but got it hanging up.

[Leifer]

Huh, the pic didn't attach to the last post.

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[Cody]

nice one put up good too