Successful Trapping Methods

Science of Trapping. Hunting and Trapping Guide. Includes sections on; The Trapper's Art; The Skunk; The Mink; The Weasel; The Marten; The Fisher; The Otter; The Beaver; The Muskrat; The Fox; The Wolf; The Bear; The Raccoon; The Badger; The Opossum; The Lynx; The Bay Lynx or Wild Cat; The Cougar; The Wolverine; Describes the fur bearing animals, their nature, habits and distribution, with practical methods for their capture. Among the many outdoor occupations, trapping the furbearing animals is perhaps the most pleasant and in many instances is also very profitable. Although trapping was one of the earliest industries of this country, the occupation has not passed away, along with the vanishing wilderness, for there is more trapping done today than at any time during the past. Scattered all over North America, in both the thickly settled portions and the more remote districts are thousands of trappers who are each season deriving both pleasure and profit from this unique calling. Trapping in itself is an art. Many of the wild creatures are exceedingly wary and the trapper must match his reason against the instinct, the natural wariness and the acquired knowledge of the animals. This wariness alone has saved some species of animals from extinction, and although man is superior to all brute life, such intelligent animals as the fox and the wolf frequently prove a match for the most expert of trappers. In order to be successful, one must know the wild animals as a mother knows her child. He must also know and use the most practical methods of trapping, and it is my object to give in this work, the most successful trapping methods known. These modes of trapping the furbearing animals have for the most part been learned from actual experience in various parts of the country, but I also give the methods of other successful trappers, knowing them to be as good as my own. I am personally acquainted with some of the most expert trappers in North America and have also followed the Indians over their trap lines and in this way have learned many things which to the white man are not generally known.

• Complete guide to trapping raccoon, muskrat, mink, otter, beaver, and a variety of other species • Authoritative advice on matching the right trap--whether leg-hold, body gripper, or snare--to each furbearer • Species-specific instructions for making sets that deliver and tips for preparing and marketing pelts to maximize profits Trapping has become somewhat of a lost art, but interest in the sport is as strong as ever thanks to a stable fur market and a growing need to control mammal populations or remove nuisance animals. In Guide to Trapping, Jim Spencer covers strategies for successfully harvesting popular species such as raccoon, muskrat, mink, otter, beaver, coyote, gray fox, red fox, bobcat, skunk, and opossum. His entertaining and informative writing will appeal to trappers of all levels. Spencer discusses trap styles and the basics of establishing and working a trapline, including techniques for fastening and adjusting traps and a species-by-species review of trapping tactics for the country's most pursued furbearers. The field-tested techniques, carefully explained and illustrated, will help trappers make sets that deliver maximum results.

A classic of wood lore, this guide provides well-illustrated directions for constructing traps for large, small, and feathered game. Additional information covers animal habitats, camping, building simple shelters and canoes, and recipes.

A Classic Comprehensive Guide for Hunting and Trapping Animals Whether or not a hunting expedition is in the plans this year, W. Hamilton Gibson’s guide to camping and trapping will give you a lesson in self-sufficiency and living simply. Building camp shelters and log huts, woodland bedding, and birch canoes are just some of the skills you can learn by reading this classic wilderness manual. Learn some of the old tried and true tricks for bait and trapping, such as creating portable snares or coop traps. These simple techniques make catching animals such as beavers, partridge, raccoons, and rabbits on your next camping trip a cinch. While the book includes numerous effective traps, it promotes a conservationist hunting style by encouraging readers to respect animals and to never pursue trap-making out of cruelty. The guide also includes information on how to make the most out of your catch, with recipes for making venison jerky, gutting fish, and instructions on curing and tanning fur skins. ​Charming sketches throughout the book lend to the nostalgia of this timeless guide and depict many of the traps used when Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping was first published in 1882. This book is a perfect gift for the outdoorsman interested in learning new camping techniques, and the historian who will delight in the author’s details about life as a trapper in the late nineteenth century.

A standard text in a variety of courses, the Techniques Manual, as it is commonly called, covers every aspect of modern wildlife management and provides practical information for applying the hundreds of methods described in its pages. To effectively incorporate the explosion of new information in the wildlife profession, this latest edition is logically organized into a two-volume set: Volume 1 is devoted to research techniques and Volume 2 focuses on management methodologies.

“Trapping in itself is an art.” —Elmer Harry Kreps In recent years, the fur trade has experienced a rebirth as nations such as Russia and China demand more and more of these fine pelts. Answering this demand is a growing contingent of modern-day trappers, poised to reap the rewards of this economic boom. While many have the niftiest gadgets and tools at their disposal when capturing animals, others still use time-tested trapping techniques. Such techniques originated and were perfected in the woods of North America. Counted among this previous generation of trappers is Elmer Harry Kreps, a man who grew up in the woods of the Northeast, where he fostered a great passion for nature and its life. Spending countless hours observing these creatures, he quickly learned to trap them. He collected his lessons into the now classic The Science of Trapping, an immensely useful book on the trade of capturing animals for fur. The Science of Trapping describes methods to capture various kinds of animals in both warm and cold months; skunk, fox, bear, mink, and the shy lynx are all covered, among others. Keps ends with a review of the various kinds of traps popular during his day. Interspersed throughout this helpful volume is a unique glimpse into the fur economy of the early twentieth century. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for hunters and firearms enthusiasts. We publish books about shotguns, rifles, handguns, target shooting, gun collecting, self-defense, archery, ammunition, knives, gunsmithing, gun repair, and wilderness survival. We publish books on deer hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, wing shooting, turkey hunting, deer stands, duck blinds, bowhunting, wing shooting, hunting dogs, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.