#223584 - 06/07/07 05:07 PM
check it out. tell me what you think
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morrilltrapper
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 529
Loc: georgia VT
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How I became a Trapper
It was fall of 2006. I was at my best friend’s Kolby’s house, tagging along with him to check his trap line. Kolby, 14, has had his trapping license a little over two years now. I, only 14, still had to get my trapping license.
When we got to the swamp he was trapping in, he loaded all of his gear off the ATV and we started trudging through the swamp. Thank goodness for the waders, otherwise we would’ve been soaked. When we got to the first beaver set, the Duke #330 did it again. Floating from the first trap was about a 45 lb male beaver. So Kolby did what he had to do and said, “Look over there towards that clump of grass.”
Lying dead in the muddy water was another beaver. This one slightly smaller, but still a beautiful animal. I was so excited for him. Since I didn’t have a trapping license, I couldn’t help, but I could supervise. Later on that day when we were back at his trapping hut, he explained to me the step-by-step process to skinning, fleshing, and stretching the beaver. It was getting late now and I told him before I left that I was going to get my license this year one way or another.
The next couple of days went by slowly, and my only thoughts were on trapping and how I couldn’t wait to trap. Well, the next day my buddy Jordan came in and handed me a paper. I looked at it and it was information about when a Trapper Education Course is being held. When I got home that night, too excited to do anything, I called and signed up right away. I got in! The course was on the 13th of January and it was only the beginning of December. The month went by fast and sooner than I thought, the trapping class was finally here. The course was all day and my friend Cylas went with me. When it was time to take to the test, I was nervous, but I passed with a 96% and Cylas with a 98%. Now that I took the course I had to wait until the next weekend to get my actual state license at a sporting/gun show.
When the next weekend came, I was so excited. I paid my way into the show and practically ran to the Vt. Fish and Wildlife display. It took me all of 5 minutes to fill the paper work out and at that very moment the warden gave me my license. I finally got what I’d been hoping to get for two years. Since I didn’t have a car, I had to wait for my father to get finished looking at the gun displays, which took all day. In a way I didn’t mind though because I love hanging out with him. When we left it was dark out, so I figured my water trap line would have to wait until tomorrow.
About 9:00 am the next day the phone rang so I picked it up and it was my friend Kolby. He asked me if I wanted any help for the first day and if course I said yes.
Around 10:00 am we entered my new trapping grounds. There was about 3” of new snow and about 3-5” of ice covering the beaver ponds. Since I did a lot of scouting in the fall, - if iguring I was going to get my trapper's license in the winter- I knew exactly where I wanted the trap to be set. I wanted a trap right near this dead maple tree because I knew by feeling the mud that they were using this run daily. It was only about 2-3’ of water also. I started chopping through the ice while Kolby was chopping limbs to support the #330 conibear. About 10 minutes later I grabbed the #330 and started setting the beast. When I was ready, Kolby taught me the easiest way to put the trap down into the water, without putting my hands down in the black, shivering water. I released the safety latches that held the trap from firing while setting, and slowly let the trap fall between the stabilizers. I felt the trap hit the bottom of the beaver run and was so relieved that it went so smoothly. Since the two sticks used to hold the trap up were thick enough and strong, there were no further sticks used to stabilize the trap. When we were finished we loaded all of the gear back on to the ATV and drove home.
We walked back into the garage to take off the hip boots -in case we were to fall through- and the rest of the winter clothing and started talking about how much we love trapping and our plans for the upcoming trapping season. My mom walked in on us to tell Kolby his mother was here to pick him up. I thanked him for all of his help and he left.
Later on that night I thought about the trap and if I would have anything come morning, and fell asleep in a deep trapping thought.
Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep. The next morning was cold, but I was too excited to do anything but check the trap. I didn’t even stop to have breakfast. I warmed the ATV up and floored it the whole way to the beaver pond. When I got there I hopped off the ATV and looked over towards the trap location and saw an unusual hump in the ice, but didn’t think much of it. I started chopping the ice away, and when I got a hole the size of a football, I stuck a stick down into the water to check the trap. I moved the stick to the front of the trap first. Nothing. I then moved the stick to the back of the trap and felt the stick bounce off the one animal I’ve been waiting to catch for the past two years. IT WAS MY FIRST BEAVER! I threw the stick up onto the ice and finished chopping the hole big enough to take the trap and beaver out. When I finally had a hole big enough, the back end of the beaver floated up. I grabbed the trap and up came the beautiful animal. It was an awesome beaver, about 50lbs. Wow! I set the trap back up and carefully lobbed the beaver on to the back rack of the ATV and hurriedly left.
When I got back to the garage I left the beaver on my bench till I got home from school to do all the rest of the work required to skin, flesh, and stretch the beaver pelt. It was the happiest day of my life yet.
Through this experience I learned that to do all of these wonderful experiences, I have to be very patient, eager to learn, but more importantly, I have to have a great mentor.
Although we trap these furbearers for their pelts, we as trappers are doing more good than bad, assuming were trapping responsibly, ethically, and humanely.
Trapper for Life, Your friend,
Robert Morrill
_________________________
trapper4life
IT'S A LIFESTYLE. DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED.
beaver-10
muskrat-6
raccoon-2
otter-1
mink- 1
mice-2
myself-3
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#334094 - 09/13/07 06:52 PM
Re: check it out. tell me what you think
[Re: BlakeTheTrapper]
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James
"Frostbite Jimmy"
trapper
Registered: 12/26/06
Posts: 1491
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska
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Very good! It's a pleasure to read a story by a young person who's willing to put the work in for proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
A few comments:
"When we got to the first beaver set, the Duke #330 did it again."
This makes you sound like a seasoned trapper ("did it again"), rather than a novice.
"carefully lobbed"
To me, these two words don't belong together. "Carelessly lobbed" makes sense. "Lob" means to throw in a somewhat haphazard way. And I doubt you threw a fifty-pound beaver at all.
More likely, you "carefully set" or "placed" it on the ATV.
"Although we trap these furbearers for their pelts, we as trappers are doing more good than bad, assuming were trapping responsibly, ethically, and humanely."
Although this statement is true, as a concluding sentence/paragraph, it doesn't follow from your story. Your story isn't about the wildlife-management benefits of trapping. It's about your discovery of the joy of trapping, isn't it?
These are minor comments. It's a shame some trapping mag doesn't publish stories from young trappers.
Jim
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#334823 - 09/14/07 12:07 PM
Re: check it out. tell me what you think
[Re: James]
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morrilltrapper
trapper
Registered: 12/23/06
Posts: 529
Loc: georgia VT
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thanks for the comments. i'll change some of the stuff because it makes sense to with your points. i did submit it ti the t&pc for school days.
_________________________
trapper4life
IT'S A LIFESTYLE. DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED.
beaver-10
muskrat-6
raccoon-2
otter-1
mink- 1
mice-2
myself-3
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#340899 - 09/19/07 04:03 PM
Re: check it out. tell me what you think
[Re: morrilltrapper]
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ZachAttack
trapper
Registered: 01/01/07
Posts: 937
Loc: Goodlettsville, Tennessee
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Did you win? I think you should have!!AWSOME WORK!
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Moderator: NYNovice, James
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