Well, it’s getting to be about that time. We got our first cold snap of the year the other night, and you can feel the days starting to get shorter and shorter all the time. That only means one thing: trapping season’s just around the corner!
Truth be told, I’ve had the trapping fever since sometime in May. I recently moved to Montana, and have been excited about the new trapping opportunities since the time I applied for the job that brought me here. In fact, I talk about it so much, I think I’m starting to convince co-workers and new friends that I’m a little crazy! A friend of mine has been mailing boxes of my traps out from back home, and each arrival feels kind of like Christmas morning.
With most of the traps in, now comes the preparation for the season. This means adjusting and modifying the traps to make them suitable for the type of trapping I plan to do. Then I’ll boil and wax the traps to get rid of foreign odors and prevent rust.
I’ll make orders from the trapping supply catalogs I’ve been poring over for months. But I’ll need to save some of my money for the big state trappers rendezvous coming up, where the list of supplies will be rounded out, along with many others that I may or may not need.
Final plans on trapping territory have to be made, including making landowner contacts, studying maps, and scouting areas. After securing territory, additional scouting must be done to locate critters. This will probably be the most important component to my success this year, since all the territory here is new to me.
Bait has to be prepared, packaged and stored. Tools have to be in place, and a plan of operations must be made. This includes thinking about when to trap where, which species to target, and how many traps to set in a particular location.
Planning and preparation. It’s one of the most time consuming, but also one of the most enjoyable aspects of trapping.
Like most other trappers out there, I can’t wait for the start of the season. Bring on the cold weather, and bring on the fur!
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