opening morning

[bigjohn]

Here it is opening day of trapping season and zero activity about it on the board this year. Where are all those folks that over the years said prices didn't matter ?

Me, I'm going to wait till Thanksgiving as our fur (coon) aren't generally prime until then. Later I'll chase some beaver and otter then cats.

[ozarkmountainman]

I always wait for the deer hunters to vacate. Well, that would mean freakin' JANUARY, but you know what I mean. I never trapped early except for 'coon in the barns.

And it's true. Look, something we agree on. Wow. It's a sad state of affairs. I have been seeing some trapping stuff come across my YouTube feed with trapping seasons as they open North to South. There's still interest.

For me, I'm mostly back to my roots. If it wasn't for this little bit of public participation I'd be the ultimate Lone Wolf. I don't even write articles for the Trappers Post, and they pay me really good money to do that. I do the rare YT video. The whole MTA thing, with me fighting management, and ultimately my own trappin' friends, kind of ruined the whole thing for me. I pretty much do this by myself, and that's pretty much okay.

Good luck to everybody. All 8-10 of you.

Dale

[trapperw3]

Dale I agree with you a lot of the places I trap have deer hunters and don't want you in there and I don't want to be in there so I wait like John till Thanksgiving to start I know you and I disagree on some things in the pass but it is buried and for got about as for as I'm concern we need to get together and have a cup of coffee and a good visit

[ozarkmountainman]

Tell me when and where, old man...

Dale

[trapperw3]

when is you restaurant open

[ozarkmountainman]

Thursday, 5-8 PM, Friday and Saturday, 5- 8:30 PM, and Sundays 11- 2. Let me know when you can come in- I'll let you in early on a Sunday (before I have to go to work). Yes, I have to work. I am a dishwasher. For real.

Dale

[trapperw3]

ok i will give you a holler

[krank]

I usually set up on Black Friday. A whole day of daylight. Yeah John I thought about that too as there doesn’t seem to be a lot of enthusiasm. Our record for users at one time was the night before trapping season.

[walkadog]

I'm not going to lie I'm waiting on the prices this year. I got to at least make my gas money back . I'll trap otters a little later but as far as coon's go I'll wait and see i only got 5 all of last year.

[bigjohn]

dog I threw every coon I caught last year into the brush. Darn things clogged up beaver, cat, and otter sets. This year I'll skin the bigger ones.

Was going to wait on beaver til later but got a call this morning "these#$@%^ beaver gotta go like yesterday" lol
Good thing is the damage control pays better than the fur plus you get to double dip during the season.

[walkadog]

I hope the coon's will be worth it to go after. Well not hard but if I catch a few it would be worth putting up. man I would love to get back to calling them. Does anyone remember what they gave last year for them

[bigjohn]

Good put up 2xx and better avg around $8.31 at the MTA auction. The prices shown on the website doesn't show the true avg of those size as it doesn't break down sizes.

[ozarkmountainman]

I'll do my 40 mile round trip for beaver again (third time since the middle of September) tomorrow. New beaver keep moving in from the main creek. And I know, but I don't charge them a thing. It's reckon it's good for my soul.

Dale

[walkadog]

I never charge to do any kind of trapping if they let me do other stuff on there property and if it's already season. It's kinda hard to get permission on a lot of places due to being leased out for deer season

[walkadog]

If it's during season I wouldn't charge. I'd do it just to have somewhere to trap. Especially if they already let me do other stuff on them. a lot of places are leased and can't get permission to trap

[bigjohn]

Each to his own I guess. I've never had a landowner offer anything of value when doing them the favor of removing excess and often problem animals off their land. I have in the past given gifts to some in the form of gift certificates, summer sausage, rabbit sausage, and fish.

Gas prices, tires, general wear and tear on your vehicle, equipment, and supplies aren't cheap.


I have plenty of ground I could trap and don't get all of it set most years. Miles and miles of public right of way if a person chooses that. Miles of access to the Mo. or Miss. river if you chose that.

[krank]

20 years ago, I had a real estate guy pay me $50 a beaver. He was pi$$ed.

[bigjohn]

Those farmers that complain about being charged to remove problem animals are the same ones getting farm subsides which is payed with my tax dollars.

[krank]

All farmers take farm subsidies whether they want to pay you or not. That government $ may be the difference between having a farmer for a neighbor or a sub-division.

[tjm]

I doubt that anyone's and everyone's taxes pay for the tax collection and enforcement of tax laws, never mind any subsidies.
The government pays the subsidies the same way they pay for everything else, they print and borrow more money. Our entire economy is a Ponzi scheme that depends on inflation and increasing population for success. Fake/Fiat currency.
Everything from construction to banking is subsidized in some respect.