The poor economy is not the only factor driving fur prices. Scott Robertson, the owner and manager of Robertson Trading Post in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Canada, says the anti-fur movement has heavily influenced the fashion industry in North America, which directly affects the price of fur:

"We've convinced everybody that you are a bad guy if you wear fur, something akin to being a slave trader or drug pusher. You're a bad guy if you are a trapper and you're a bad guy if you're a buyer and the truth is nothing could be further from the truth."

Robertson details the effects of the fur industry's decline in an article in The Prince Albert Daily Herald. He credits much of  the decline to the anti-fur lobby.

Editor's Note: Jim Servi, an experienced trapper from Big Rock, Tenn., is currently serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq. He has had the opportunity to trap animals around the base he is stationed at and detailed some of his adventures in "Combat Zone Trapping," a story that appeared in the November issue of Trapper & Predator Caller. The text below is an update Jim sent from Iraq.


I hope you all had a chance to read and enjoy my "Combat Zone Trapping" article in the November 2008 edition of The Trapper & Predator Caller. I know I had fun writing it and even more fun actually doing it.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to go back out on the trap line with them again due to mission priority here. However, I have had the opportunity to take advantage of some other outdoor experiences here in Iraq. I’ve identified 20 different species of birds that can’t be found in the United States. I’ve went fishing in a little pond in Taji (caught one little carp-like fish on hotdogs). I've swam in the Persian Gulf and I’ve seen all kinds of unique critters such as insects, lizards, snakes, scorpions and even a few rabbits.

I wanted to post this blog in order to answer any questions you may have about the article or what it is like over here. I’d be happy to answer any questions at all or hear any feedback you may have from the article. The deployment has been a memorable experience, but after 13 months, I’m ready to come home and lay some traps of my own.

Good luck to you all this fall. I hope you have a catch in every trap and I look forward to joining you next fall.

Thanks again,

Jim

Nearly every association we work with through Trapper & Predator Caller has a strong emphasis on youth, whether that is through training classes, camps, other education efforts or simply encouraging trappers to bring young people out on the trapline with them. That emphasis is increasingly important as our hobby (or trade for some) is practiced by fewer and fewer people. The future of trapping lies in the hands of the youth.

Unfortunately, we're seeing more and more stories like this one: "Trapping is a dying trade."

The article by Angela Hill of the The Prince Albert Daily Herald certainly does not paint a rosy picture of trapping's future in Canada and beyond:

Once a thriving fur industry helped shape Canada, but now the skills and culture surrounding the trapline are disappearing faster than the close of a Conibear trap.

Trapper James Ratt has his own theories on why the younger generation is largely not out setting traps:

Ratt easily identified the two main reasons there are fewer trappers then ever before.

First, many of the next generation are no longer interested in trapping or the survival skills that go with it. With a rapidly changing economy many trappers can no longer afford their own trade.

Television and video games are also contributing to the decreased interest for youth said Charles, who said that other youth are more in tune with modern pop culture then cultural traditions and find the idea of trapping animals unpalatable.

"Youngsters get addicted and once they get addicted to things like that ... they get lazy. They don't want to get up, start chopping wood or anything like that," he said.

No matter how you look at the situation, one thing is clear: Trappers and trapping associations have to continue to emphasize youth in everything we do.

A dog was trapped and killed by a bodygrip trap in eastern Wisconsin late last month. The trapper did everything by the book, but caught the dog as it ran through the woods with its owner nearby.

It's a shame that a trapper can do everything as he or she is supposed to and still receive negative press. Don't get me wrong. The reporter did nothing wrong. He mentioned all of the facts, most importantly that the trapper set his trap legally and that the dog was unleashed. But the trapper will still be perceived as the bad guy here even though this whole incident could have been easily avoided if the dog owner simply kept her pet on a leash.

It's our obligation as trappers to do everything possible to avoid situations like this. Unfortunately, even when everything is done right, there's still a chance for an unfortunate situation like this one.

Skunks are one of the most unpopular furbearers around, both amongst trappers and non-trappers, mostly because of the pungent spray they can produce as a defense mechanism. Allen from Promised Land, which is a blog described as a "multi-generational vision for faith, family and stewarding the land," details his family's battle against skunks. It's an entertaining read if you have a few minutes.