Guide to Trapping »

Jim Spencer retired from a successful career as a writer and editor with the Arkansas Department of Natural Resources and is now a freelance outdoor writer. He has trapped for most of his life and continues to run a trapline each year. He is also the author of Mink Manual. He lives in Calico Rock, Arkansas.

Trapping has become somewhat of a lost art, but interest in the sport is as strong as ever thanks to a stable fur market and a growing need to control mammal populations or remove nuisance animals. In Guide to Trapping, Jim Spencer covers strategies for successfully harvesting popular species such as raccoon, muskrat, mink, otter, beaver, coyote, gray fox, red fox, bobcat, skunk, and opossum. His entertaining and informative writing will appeal to trappers of all levels. Starting with a general overview of trapping, Spencer discusses trap styles and the basics of establishing and working a trapline, including techniques for fastening and adjusting traps and effective scouting. Includes a species-by-species review of trapping tactics for the country's most pursued forbearers. The field-tested techniques, carefully explained and illustrated, will help trappers make sets that deliver maximum results. Spencer gives tips for the essential tasks of fur handling and marketing to make any trapper's efforts profitable.

Foreword   Keith "Catfish" Sutton     V
Introduction: Why I Am a Trapper     1
Preparing Your Trapline     9
What to Expect From Your Trapline     11
Appropriate Traps for Various Furbearers     18
Trap Fastening and Swiveling Techniques     37
Is "Clean" Trapping Worth the Bother?     44
The Basics of Eye Appeal     50
Scouting and Other Pre-Season Preparation     56
Maximizing Your Efficiency     64
Priceless Tips for the Trapper     71
Making Your Sets     79
Raccoon     81
Muskrat     96
Mink     104
Otter     119
Beaver     129
Coyote, Gray Fox, Bobcat, and Red Fox     138
The Lowly Ones: Skunk and Opossum     154
Dealing With Live Catches     158
When You're Not Trapping     165
Efficient Fur Handling and Marketing     167
Post-Season Chores     185
Trappers' Conventions and Other Learning Opportunities     193
Afterword     199
Index     201