Where have all the hunters and trappers gone?

[DaveMN]

It was generally something the young guys did around here to earn some money during the winter.
There are not many trappers around here anymore, between the people who think it is cruel and inhumane to kill animals for skins giving everyone grief and the low prices a few years ago for pelts quite a few just gave up trapping.

 

[sparkles2307]

My dad used to grab the road kill foxes, coyotes, and bobcat and has them tanned and hung on his walls. DH wont take a roadkill deer because he says all the meat is ruined if its bruised and that the internal organs are most likely all exploded in there so its ruined no matter what. This time of year there are lots of dead does on the side of th road here...the fawns that were...expelled... during impact (*shudders*, the saddest thing ever) are always about 2 feet behind the doe on the road...

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I've been wanting to get on the list for roadkilled deer. What do I do, just ask the local cops to call me?

I've tried picking up roadkilled fox before to skin, most of the time they are so stiff and I'm so inexperienced, I end up scrapping them. Anyone have any tips on skinning cold stiff roadkill? Wow, that was a weird question.

-Kim

 

[andorraclaim]

They are busy hunting and trapping. There's no internets in the brush...

 

[Boyd]

 

[NotTheMomma]

My husband, Dad and I were talking about this just the other week. It seems there are so many more laws now about trapping, that many just felt it wasn't worth it. I remember going with Dad to check the wooden boxes he'd made. Rabbits USUALLY in them, but on occasion we'd get a surprise. Then there were the steel leg traps with jaws on them! Those got LOTS of ground hogs. But I think they are illegal now, or at least in this area, from what I'm told. Need to look into that, because I'd love to use one here.

Don't remember Dad ever having a Havahart or similar trap. The box traps, and jaws of death, are the only ones I remember. Of course he carried a pistol with him to kill anything caught in the jaws, and with the rabbits, they actually lived to tell the story. They were used to train the young beagles how to rabbit hunt. Rarely was a beagle smart enough, and fast enough to kill one. Mainly just learned to track them.

Speaking of hunting though, just last night I was telling my husband that we're going target practicing this weekend. It's been years since I shot a gun, and I would rather practice until it was second nature. I have great respect for guns... as in... I'm really scared of the things because I know the damage they can cause. But I owe it to my farm animals to try to keep them safe. With that comes being able to kill a darn snake when noone is home to help me. I can't use a hoe, because you know snakes can jump the length of their body!!! No way in hades am I getting close enough for one to jump on me!!! So a gun it will be. Preferably not the .22, but a 410. That way I'll have a better chance of actually hitting what I need to!

Happy hunting!!

 

[will hunt for food]

It is an important part of life for my family. My 6 year old daughter will be on the stand this year. Her 11 year old brother has been filling the freezer since he was 9. My wife has done her share too! Just a few harvest pictures:

 

[sparkles2307]

Nice family hunting pics! I grew up hunting, now that I have a choice I dont go out in the cold I let DH and his bro do that. I just make the jerky...I am deathly allergic to deer hair, being in the garage with a hanging one kills me, so I lucked out on not having to do much skinning unless we're really short handed. I'd rather gut fish any day than pick deer hair off myself!

 

[Boyd]

I think that with the loss of so many hunters, a managed wildlife population is sort of teetering out of control. There are going to be many many more deer/car accidents than previous years, and all the little 4 legged predators seem to have had a huge comeback here in michigan.....

 

[sparkles2307]

Here too Boyd. They are taking calves now and that hasnt happened in years. Oh and the deer! We have had deer in the front yard, WALKING NEXT TO MY CAR, checking out the gardens... so every 5:30 we are out yelling...argh. The deer are so thick in our area that its a joke to point one out, like you never see one of those around here...*sigh* they are pretty but they do a lot of damage and it seems that every year I know of fewer and fewer people who go hunting.

ETA: one of my morning coffee guests looks to have the makings of a nice 10 point rack...but he still cant eat my garden!