Three
First Time Trappers
Article from Mar
- Apr 2003 Buckeye Trapper
by Jesse
V. Turturice
This past trapping season did not start in mid November for my
father, my six year-old son and me. It started in March of 2001
when long time friend and turkey hunting partner of my father,
Wayne Buchanan invited my father to go along on a short creek
bottom beaver line. My father went without hesitation. They hiked
into the creek and started making sets as they went along. After
the first few sets they went downstream another 45 minutes making
sets. On the way back Wayne wanted to look at one set. When they
got to it they had a 35-pound beaver.
That was all it took and dad was hooked on trapping beavers.
That night he called me to ask if I wanted to start running a
line with him. I did some trapping on a small creek near home
when I was in high school with very minimal success and haven't
set a trap in 15 years and my father had never set a trap in his
life. So the next day we started ordering every catalogue we could
find, and reading all the material we could get our hands on.
Then I found Ken Carver and his media library at the Minnesota
Trappers Association.
We made a list of all the supplies we would need for the coming
season, pooled our money, set out for the Ohio State Trappers
Association Convention and spent every last cent. That is when
the excitement really set in. We could not wait for November to
get here.
I was then reintroduced to an old classmate, Ken Gallagher who
is the Ohio State Trappers Association District 12 Director. With
his help I enrolled myself my father and my son in the Trappers
Workshop at Highlandtown Wildlife Area in October of 2001. My
son was bouncing around like a red fox when he found out he was
going to learn about and set traps.
While at the workshop we were introduced to and taught by Vern
Snyder, game warden Scott Blattert, and Mark Kohler. These men
were extremely helpful and provided us with their knowledge about
their chosen field, the fur bearing animals of our area, and how
to trap them and how to handle the fur.
We started early on Saturday with classroom work about everything
from trapping laws to the habits of the animals that we were trapping
for (to which my son asked, "when are we going to set traps").
Then we had an excellent lunch provided by the wives. After that
we went out to make some sets, which is what my son waited for
all day long.
We went to a small pond and each of us made some sets for muskrats
and raccoon. Then we went to a small stream and made sets for
mink, muskrat and raccoon. We also set some field edges with snares.
The ride home found my son asking a number of times when we were
going back to check traps. It took a while to convince him that
we needed to wait until tomorrow morning.
Well you guessed it, the next day he was up before me and ready
to go. At the pond most of the traps were empty, (as I would learn
over this past season no matter how many traps you expect to be
full usually most are empty). Then my son checked the trap that
Vern helped him set. The colony trap was set in a small run between
ponds. I'll never forget the look on his face and what he said
when he pulled that trap out of the water. He looked up at me
with wide eyes and shouted, "DAD there's something in there,"
it was his first muskrat. We picked up another muskrat and a raccoon
at the stream. Then we all went back and were shown how to put
up the fur. This was a great experience for the three of us and
we would like to thank all those who made it possible.
Then the day we had been waiting for, the first day of trapping
season. That first day we loaded the truck with our equipment.
Then went to the field and proceeded to set every trap we had.
Then the sleepless night of anticipation about what critters would
find there way into our traps. We woke early Sunday morning to
make our first check. We found four raccoons in our sets. One
set was one my son had made. He picked the location, dug the trap
bed, drove the stake and bedded the trap. All I did was set the
trap. All three of us made sets and all three caught a raccoon.
It was a good feeling that there was success to all our work.
In mid December we moved from the cornfields to the water where
we picked up a few 'rats, the first of our two mink and a few
more raccoon. One of the things I remembered reading was setting
goals, so we did. Our goals were thirty raccoon, twenty beaver,
ten fox and at least one each of the remaining furbearers in our
part of the state. Well by the end of February we reached most
of our goals but missed some also. We didn't catch any fox but
did come across one that would set our traps off or leave them
set and flip them out of the bed. I plan on doing a lot of reading
and learning so that maybe we will be able to catch it next year.
During this past season we learned a lot and grew a lot in our
understanding of these great and wonderful outdoors that God has
provided for us. We, as three generations of outdoorsmen, also
grew deeper into an already good relationship. We also learned
that no matter what the antis say about our sport we are the true
guardians of our wildlife, and are the ones who want to see more
stable and healthy populations for all to enjoy. I know we enjoyed
being out there and seeing more of the area that I have lived
in for most of my life. We enjoyed not only harvesting some of
these animals but also seeing where they live.
We would like to thank every one who helped us get started in
the sport of trapping and those who help preserve it like the
NTA and all of our state organizations. Without them we would
not be allowed to carry on this great tradition. We would also
like to thank all those who are involved with the Workshops like
the one we attended at Highlandtown. These are fantastic for young
and new trappers alike. They introduce you to other trappers who
are willing to help a young trapper get started and provide some
information and instructions needed to get going. Any help we
can give to these types of programs will only help make our sport
better. Thank you again, and good trapping next season. ### Jesse
V. Turturice, J. Scott Turturice, Jacob R. Turturice, 45046 Pine
Hollow Rd., Rogers, OH 44455
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