How to Trap Fur Bearing Animals
Fur trapping has been a way of life in North America since before the first Europeans arrived on the continent. The early settlers learned the ways of the Native Americans, at first copying, later improving on the established trapping methods. The early trading posts were primarily set up for the exchange of goods by these fur hunters. A lot has changed since those days, but the trapping of animals for their pelts still continues throughout the world. With competition from fur farms, rising costs of materials and cheaper prices paid for the furs, it is not the career choice of many as it is difficult to earn a decent salary. Most modern trappers are hobbyists, following in the footsteps of their ancestors.
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Instructions
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Identify the animals you are hoping to trap. You should be able to identify the target animal by paw print, habitat markers and scat. You should be as familiar as possible with the animal you're hoping to catch. Know its preferred diet, favored surroundings and general size. You are required by law to humanely use the correct size of trap for the animal you are hunting.
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Choose the type of trap best suited to catching your chosen prey. Foot-hold or leg-hold traps are constructed with two massive jaws and a central spring-loaded plate. When stepped on, the jaws spring shut, trapping the animal. This type of trap is available in many sizes and has been used to catch everything from bears to weasels.
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Position holding traps by placing them in a concealed area just off a well-marked trail, near areas that exhibit signs of being frequented by your desired prey. Holding traps can also be situated near water or even secured among the rocks in shallow ponds or streams.
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Use a snare to entrap your quarry, if holding traps do not appeal to you. Snares capture the intended prey by restricting movement by way of a thin wire. When set off, the snare wraps around the animal's leg, foot, head or neck. This type of trap is considered inappropriate by many anti-hunting groups as it could catch other species as well as the intended target animals.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to obtain any necessary permits or hunting licenses prior to setting out traps.
Many states or territories in Canada require fur trappers to visit their traps at least once every three days in order to remove any trapped animals and to alleviate unnecessary suffering. Failure to visit your traps on a regular basis is punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail. Since 1986, steel tooth leg-hold traps, while still being manufactured and sold in the United States, have been banned from many of the traditional hunting areas of rural Canada. A number of states have banned the use of foot-hold traps; as a result, some species have seen a threefold increase in population. While this is good news in some respects, in other ways it is unfortunate. For example, coyote attacks on humans have risen by almost 60 percent in California since the foot-hold trap ban went into effect. Submarine traps are positioned below the water's surface and used to trap swimming mammals. This method is generally considered inhumane as the captured animal is trapped inside the mechanism and drowns.
