TRAPPING LESSONS – TAKE NOTES

Twelve expectant faces gazed inquisitively at me from the outdoor amphitheater steps. After presenting to groups about trapping many times in the past, I didn’t think I would still get nervous. I was wrong.

I live in North Dakota, a very rural state. If a person doesn’t hunt or fish, they know someone that does. Even so, trapping is an art that is often misunderstood. Visions of giant leg-hold traps with vicious teeth holding a poor, defenseless animal spring to mind. The anti-trapping movement of the 1990s, when I was an impressionable kid, cast a dark shadow over the pursuit. Thankfully, education and discussion of ethics can often change perceptions.

While the trapping community has worked to recruit and retain new trappers around the country, getting accurate numbers on new trappers is often difficult. According to Rick Tischaefer, the president of the North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association, their voluntary Fur Harvester Education Program touches more than 250 new trappers each year.

This past autumn I was