Trapping, Coon Hunting and Fur Trading

There was a time when I spent a significant portion of my life outdoors. I was like the Grizzly Adams of this small town in upstate New York. A Grizzly Adams without the grizzly, without the bear and Ben (the bear) was just my imaginary friend. A Grizzly Adams that baled hay, hunted, fished, trapped and explored the great outdoors. OK, maybe it was more like the great Elmer Fudd, but with a better pop gun, but it was still in the great outdoors!

 It was before I discovered the world of self-employment, before the need to support a family and before the need for one more mighty dollar, I spent a large quantity of my time in the woods and fields just living for the day. My responsibilities were limited, as were my opportunities. I never thought about the fact that being outdoors was actually good for my health, I just liked being outdoors.

 There can be a deep appreciation for the simplicity and freedom of nature. It's like smoking behind the woodshed - you know it's not the norm, but it feels so right. It’s interesting how, often without realizing it, we find solace and health benefits in the tranquility of the outdoors, kind of like sex in a hay mow, when you’re not allergic to hay seed. And who wouldn’t give up smoking behind the woodshed for sex in the hay mow anyhow?

 The allure of a simpler life often outweighs the pursuit of a conventionally ‘better’ life. A life where you spend time chasing whitetails or raccoon and brook trout and you shoot the rats before they ever enter the race. Who really defines what a better life is anyways? Is it the guy with the corner office or the one who can differentiate between turkey calls?

 But somewhere along the way life does intercede. House payments, truck payments, grocery bills and even ammunition costs skyrocket like an Apollo mission to Mars. And why would anyone want to go to mars anyhow, when there’s no hunting or fishing there!

 But we look for ways to blend portions of all lifestyles together, like a strawberry-banana smoothie of survival. The problem comes from within the changing world itself. Looking at the price sheets for my fur sales in the 1980’s I find fur prices are about the same or slightly less now, than they were then. It's seems like the fashion industry decided to convert my coon dogs to lap dogs. That would be ok if ol’ Patches would stop taking it out on the skunks that mistakenly come into my yard! 

 The purchasing power of the dollar has significantly decreased since the 1980s, making traditional lifestyles that include making a living hunting, trapping and many other outdoor activities more challenging to sustain financially. You can see why it might be difficult to justify buying traps and supplies, gas for the truck along with wear and tear, just to continue with such a lifestyle.

 As a hobby, we might be able to justify such activities, but as a living, today’s world doesn’t seem to allow it. However, like all hobbies that were once a way of life, slight modifications can help alleviate some of the financial hardships. If we look at today’s successful woodworkers, fisherman, hikers, glass blowers, blacksmiths, bow makers and a endless number of others we see a new tradesman who writes, creates YouTube videos, teaches, lectures, has blogs and websites, and looks for other opportunities to supplement their activities and earn some extra cash while enjoying their trade. It's like having your cake, eating it, and then selling the recipe. 

 There are of course certain tradeoffs that just simply do not work in all areas. Just like you may no longer have the legal right to just fish down a brook as it meanders through private property, it’s impossible to tell a coon dog he must avoid anything but public land. So, location and parts of the country just are not going to afford a coon hunting life and resorting to localized trapping may have to suffice to continue the trade.

 Adapting to regulations and finding ways to continue traditional practices while respecting the law and private property can be part of the evolving nature of outdoor activities. It’s all about finding that balance and ensuring that the activities are sustainable and respectful of both the environment and the rights of others.

 For now, I hope our younger generation at least gets a glimpse of what it was like back in the “good old days” and can also get a chance to experience some of the joy you get from the hardships. Just like walking the Appalachian trail with its endless hardships, brutal conditions, bad weather and just plain days the seem to suck pond water, overcoming such obstacles, finding companionship and those willing to do whatever they can to add to the enjoyment is what life CAN be all about.