Paul gave me the go-ahead to hold a Trapperman top beaver trapper contest for the 23-24 season.

Here are the rules: (I'm somewhat open to tweaking the rules if there be good reason).

First, it is on an honor system basis.. If you want to post supporting documentation like sales receipts, etc that is fine but not a requirement, Updating the thread from time to time with where you're at and some pics would be appreciated.

Second. If you trap with a partner and he/she is actively checking and setting traps your total will necessarily divided by the number of active participants. If your partner only works in the fur shed he/she's not an article participant.

All beaver to be considered for the contest have to be caught during open season in your state or province. No out of season ADC beaver. The contest will be over when the last state's open season ends.

I will entertain suggestions for the next week how to make the contest work more smoothly. Those suggestions preferably come via PM.

And the prize (pending I can talk our resident TRAPSTICKMAN artist into another commissioned art piece) will be a plaque like the one in following pic ---for a contest that was never held some years ago because the coon market went down the toilet.

Sounds like a good time, I’ll be following, I’ll be putting up a few, but not triple digits.

How are we winning? Doesn't say if it's number of beaver, biggest one, top price, etc?

I’m thinking numbers

Also, you may need to set precise dates. Some states have year around beaver season.

What about States with no season? Use their regular trapping season dates?

Contest ends with the closing day for the last state or province's open season--- that is not an open season all year state. If your state is an open season all year state you can still qualify beaver for the contest up until the last state's closing date. But not if they're ADC beaver that will not be skinned.

Top beaver trapper is based on your total harvest #. We could also consider prizes for biggest beaver or smallest beaver if people would like.

You could divide total number of beavwaars by days in the season, basically beavers per day, to normalize for varying season lengths to make it even for people with shorter or longer seasons.

24 hour check only? No four Or five day checks.?

The best time to catch a Beaver is win the night temperatures are below 50° with an average temperature during the day and night of about 45 or 50°. That only happens when I lived in Southwes Georgia from Decembe 7 till about the first week in March. That’s why I only trapped about 110 to 120 days a year. It wasn’t profitable to catch beavers when it was warmer. Water temperature even in the winter time is greater than Wisconsin in the summer. UrThey just don’t move consistently or the fur is not good enough until December 7 till about the first day in march. They have young usually around 7 MarcH Every year.
Some states would have an advantage because of the cooler weather. That would be hard to regulate or make exceptions to.

True dat. It would be impossible to make a “fair” contest. But I love the concept and the friendly competition and camaraderie that should ensue. Kudos to beaverpeeler for the idea.

All beaver should be put up.
Your not a finished trapper if you dont put up your fur.

Let us not get buried in minutia. It's a simple concept. Who catches the most beaver in a season: Top Beaver Trapper. If trapper A's season lasts 4 months he has an advantage over trapper "B" that has only a 3 month season.

That's life, nothing says it's always fair.

I would like to agree with you Boco, but the reality is with Groenwold and others paying about the same for put up or green skins it just down't make sense for some trappers. It's not a contest about who is the most complete beaver trapper. Just who catches the most.

BTW, I'm competing as well in the contest and since I take time off to skin and put up beaver it does put me at a time disadvantage.

I don't agree with you on that one Boco. There have been times I had a garage floor covered with beaver. It was all I could do,to keep up with the skinning and get a few hours of sleep-and hit the water when the sun came up. I required some of the land owners to have freezer space for me to freeze skinned pelts. When I was ready to head back home,I had to make a freezer emptying run. My fur buyer was waiting for me to get home,so he could unload the beaver he had already purchased--so finnishing my beaver was not in anyones plans.
Tom

That is not an opinion,it is just reality.
Its just what it is.
You are still a trapper,just not a finished trapper.
The defininition of a finished trapper is a trapper that puts up all his fur-thats all.

Here is my contribution.

What recognized dictionary is this definition of this term found? Your opinion is not reality nor is mine.

What recognized dictionary is this definition of this term found? Your opinion is not reality nor is mine.
And yes I put up all my fur. I put up coon and sell them for $2 a piece Why? Because I enjoy it!!

Whyd you make that many sets if you’re overwhelmed? ADC work? I learned last spring to only set for how many I can handle.
Anyways, I’d put my $ on a Wisconsin trapper.

Do I get extra credit if I skin and put up beaver that are not the ones I caught?

So many of the decisions when trapping only apply to your situation. Many people don’t have a buyer that buys carcass beaver, or green skin beaver nearby. Some don’t have the freezer space. Some don’t have the smarts to quit trapping when they are overwhelmed…and their sleep/life suffers!

It will be a fun contest. Minnesota’s season runs October 28th - May 15th. Hopefully this might push me a little harder to make sure I catch more than BeaverPeeler! But weather will determine more than anything else for me.