Old geezer thread

How many of you 65 and older still trap and which critters do you go after? Do you go it alone? I just turned 76 and still set a few coyote traps. However, I do get help from my 22 year old great nephew who is learning to trap,

68 still trap everything, lately the biggest challenge is property that’s changing hands some sold some being leased.

I’m not in that club,….. yet. But, I do get lots of calls for setters from guys 70+. Had an 88 year old call last week and a 92 year old last month. One was trapping coons with 160s and 220. The “old guy” wanted to trap beaver in the pond behind his house. I could hear his wife chirping at him in the background the whole time he was talking to me. Those are my favorite calls fer sure. Good ol boys still at it or getting back at it.

I have been 76 or a while and trap whatever is available close to home when I feel it is worth it. Lately it has been beaver mostly and some of that is damage control. I can still make a few bucks on them. I trap alone.

70 and still trap here mainly coyote.Wife says we need a side by side as she traps as well. We catch beaver and otter as well.

I trapped a pair of nuisance beaver this past spring. I'm 80. I gave them to a friend who still runs a trap line. He's 70.

67 here. Medical issues have stopped me from trapping for the last three years. Wasn't able to get down and up the banks this year to get after mink and muskrats. Was able to do some coyote sets though and helped a buddy get three beavers out of his aunts pond. Feeling a lot better and looking toward next season already.

Russ

77 here, trap a little of everything, slow but sure.

Slow but sure here too. I am 73 and trap everything in the state except for Wolf. Been chasing beavers the past week and I can feel my age.

72 > and I trap predators mostly and mink/beaver when I want a change of pace. The wifes health changed my on the road trapping lifesytyle but that was expected. I work alone and do some private training and help some young folks along the way every year.

just turned 73 a couple weeks ago. still trap not as much as before and not as fast
Pearl Helps

80 here and as everyone said above am slowing down a lot, especially my skinning. I can believe how slow I am now......jk

Fixing to be 74 next month. Still trap beavers, but not as much as I use to. Down to one local contract now.

71, still trap everything except rats, mink and coon due to bad prices for them. Wife traps with me, helped me release 5 wolves last year. Clean skin most of my beaver unless I get behind. Stopped trapping through the ice a few years ago. Starting to put less sets out.

Turning 71 in a month. I have a 65 year old hunting/trapping buddy. We hunt and trap predators for about 6 weeks each year or until it becomes work. Top picture: me......... bottom picture: much more fit buddy. I'm sure we'll keep going until we can't.

I’m 65, still trap about everything. My favorite is beaver, got 45 so far. Walked over 300 miles chasing them since season opened in mid December.

I'm a decade behind most of you, so I'll stop whining about my aches and pains.
Worst for me is hands, cold water and skinning hard on my arthritis.
Just finished a few beaver, just need to not catch more than 4 a day, lol.

Seriously, you guys are an inspiration, keep on keeping on!

Medical issues have been a major factor in my trapping efforts for the past 10 years already .They are getting progressively worse and during the most recent 2022/23 season I set no traps at all I was able to spend some time riding along with a young man that have been helping to learn some of the skills that help a trapper to succeed .I still have the desire to run a line but my health is keeping me from being certain if I can check a trapline on a daily basis .For all of you that are still getting after it do not stop until you are positive that you need to stop I began trapping as a 9 or 10 year old .And I will be 69 this summer .I know I will not be able to keep on but I still get excited when I would see I had made a catch . .Trapping is addictive and I sure m glad I had that feeling about it as a young boy

Will be 84 In May. I have 4 beaver In the shop and 20 coon with 15 put up. I put up some otter for a few friends.
And soon as we are free of Ice I'll be trapping rats and chucks on my ADC jobs.

I just took on a job to scrape and board 20 beaver. I might want to re think that job. LOL

I'm 66, still do pretty good on coyotes and cats. Coyote prices so poor and deep snow this winter i only trapped for 2 ranches that paid me. Managed to catch 59 coyotes compared to 132 last year. But this getting older is the pits at times

67 here,still trap mostly year round.
No long lines last couple years mostly due to low market.
I feel I could still ramp it up when prices improve.

Turned 91 this year. Sold most of my traps two years ago. Kept some 220 to trap groundhog last year. None this year.

66 here and this season is the first time in many years I haven't set at least couple traps for something.. I can't justify running a big coon line like I used to. Low price and lack of rats don't make it worth the time I used to spend on that. Got health issues slows me down now too. Can't climb around and run threw woods and marsh like used to.
But I haven't sold any of my gear yet and not ready to. . I have lost some of my best land to change of ownership too. That's ground I will never get back on with new owners.


Mac

71 here. Have not trapped the last couple of years mainly due to prices. If I can’t pay for gas with fur it not worth my time. Shoot squirrels instead. Body hurts but can’t sit around. Need the exercise. Still have traps and grandkids will get them if they want them. If not hope prices of fur goes up some so I can get some return on traps. Traps have made money many times over.

75 and missed Cat, Marten, and Fisher trapping for the first time in about 30 years due to Cataract surgery during season, but I can see again. I love beaver trapping and hurt all over but i hurt whether I do anything or not so I'm not giving up yet. Looking forward to spring beaver trapping but we have close to 3 ft of snow on the ground and more on the way so it will be awhile. I have to behave myself because 5 years ago I trapped with a broken leg for three weeks before I got in to the doc. I got a few beaver with one crutch, and a ratchet strap to drag them to my ATV and then my season was over. I can laugh about it now.
Gary J

I'm 68 and this was my first year trapping. Got 1 coyote 2 bobcat 4 red fox 1 Grey fox , 25 coon , 15 possum and 2 squirrels. Got most of it tanned already. Looking forward to next year.

It’s getting harder, ain’t it fellas! Last two years, I ain’t done much, mainly because of fur prices. At 76, all the old man ailments on top of it, but this year was gonna catch some coyotes around the house after turkey day, and got a nasty case of bronchitis that nearly went to pneumonia, then got heald up just in time for a trip to Ms we had planned, then blew my back out on the trip! Just getting healed up from that, but have some beavers to get yet. Just got a call this morning, and had a few others waiting for me. Been putting them off trying to get my back up to snuff. Hope it holds out! Total catch this year, ten or eleven coon, a couple cats and still gonna get the beavs! Wowser!

You guys rock.
Imagine having a group like this to pull from when you started?

Be 65 in a couple months. Still trap beaver, otter, cats, civets, and coyotes when I have to. Trap for the gubmint in the summer.

That's why I did so well my 1st year. I tried everything someone said to try, especially Boco. If he says to try something go try it, it works. Thanks.

Turned 80 mid season, am slowing down, am trapping closer to home coons , coyote , cats, did get 105 skunks, and, got a couple Beaver.

72, cats & coyotes. Going on year 33 with titanium heart valve and dacron aorta.

71 trap about everything by myself go at my pace don't have to hurry up or wait on anybody that way.
Had a heart attack while trapping at age 55 back trapping in three weeks with my son.
Only thing that changed is now my wife knows where every property that I trap is at and I check in with her, its a small thing to do for her peace of mind. She was present when they shocked me to start my heart

76, here. I never was much of a fur trapper. But, when a nuisance showed up I was and still am there to "eliminate the risk". In the last couple years that has been coyote,rabbit and squirrel. There have been a couple nuisance bears around lately, but, my solution to stop them legally, and morally is still in the works.

You guys are an inspiration to me. At 58 I struggle a little.

Inspiration is wright, I turned 60 last September & no one has to say a word about ailments, Everyone of us feels em. I to see the slow down as I go, May it be trapping or hunting. My passion has always been spring turkey season, I'd hear a bird gobble, I'd run & gun um down. Now It's more like sit & wait and hope he feels like walking. But the point is, Get out & do it as long as you can.

74, Leukemia patient, 3 mile line in snowshoes alone bobcats, marten still archery hunt deer and bear

Be 80 this year and still trap, mostly beaver now and I do ADC work. I have slowed down and skinning is hard on my hands but I will trap as long as I can still walk and breath.

I started moving furnature at 17 served apprenticeship as a carpenter on concrete Constructiion framed houses for a time, small skiff commercial lobster fishing pulling pots by hand. Started trapping in Alaska in 1970 and along with concrete demolition business rode every kind of snow machine from an Elan wearing out my knees to a super wide track finishing off my back then cancer at 68 finally at mid 70’s with double doses of blood thinners it became time to hang it up!

Now I trap through the eyes of the person I gave my 30+ year trap line to and TM!

Di8dn't trap last Fall sick from the end of October thru Christmas Missed deer season first time in 57 years I Was looking forward to trapping skunks but now we got knee deep snow and its sugary So maybe beaver if it melts there does seem to be more vines and sticks in the woods nowdays

Soon turning 81! Been at it for 64 years and state hopped in 10 different states. Try to put my physical issues aside during trapping season. Getting harder to skin and flesh with arthritic hands. Both knees replaced in 2003, also total shoulder replacement and prostate cancer. Keep trapping as hard as I can. Mostly target cats.
Morris

Glad to hear you are still getting along Morris. It's been a while since we have talked. We all are getting down the trail a little piece now.

Bob J.

turned 80 years old today.God has blessed me with excellent health.mostly canines started messiing around with beavers a little bit last 2 or3 years,always alone except in bobcat season when my wife traps with me.we have a little bet on to see who gets one1st and biggest

I turn 85 in a couple of weeks. Have slowed down some, but still get out there. Been trapping 72 years, am an avid fisher trapper.