More Beaver, Pasquinel!

If you ask Bridger or Carson, or maybe Johnson and Pasquinel, the answer will be similar. Even my friends Westhoff and Creech will likely confirm. Legendary, fictional or alive and well. Trapping is hard work, and nobody’s getting rich.

Yeah, if you map out all the angles and dangles there’s probably a few folks that do alright. Commercial trappers working the demand  for nuisance critter removal probably make a decent living, as do folks that target high-demand furs. And trappers who diversify into all the secondary markets are probably doing okay too, for example, castor glands can add to the beaver trapper’s profit line. Yet, when you add it all up for most, the hourly pay for the average trapper is probably pretty low.

So why bother? It’s not glamorous work. A commitment to long days, labor intensive, highly regulated, socially scrutinized, and sometimes controversial. Oh, and did I mention knowledge and skill. You just don’t wake up one morning and decide to become a trapper. This is complex stuff requiring years of experience to be good at it.

For Tom Westhoff, who’s been a serious trapper for at least 30 years, the answer to the question is not simple. Early on, trapping was a necessary part of his job working in the field of conservation. But as time passed his reasons for doing it became more nuanced.

“It’s not about the money,” says Tom. “I could’ve done better working at a gas station, and early on it was largely about helping landowners. But now it’s mostly about enjoying the time outdoors and the challenge of it all. Plus, I really enjoy working with the furs.”

For me, with my two little live traps, it’s about defending tomatoes and keeping skunks from turning my lower deck into a hibernacula. For my neighbors, it means protecting chickens from marauding coons and foxes or keeping a groundhog from burrowing under the shed. At the duck marsh, it’s about holding the beavers at bay so our tubes and control structures are open and water flows freely across the wetland. For others it’s defending beehives, protecting livestock, or managing the land in favor of turkey broods or a wagon load of sweet corn. For one young man working through the troubles of a debilitating injury, trapping gave him purpose and capability, and a small paycheck to boot.

But for many, it’s serious business blending need and tradition with identity and comradery. This was clearly evident when I attended the annual rendezvous of the Fur Takers of America (FTA) hosted by the Missouri Trappers Association (MTA) at the Macon County fairgrounds this past August. For a couple of hot stifling days, a couple thousand people came to the event to celebrate, appreciate, buy, sell, and trade pretty much anything related to trapping. There were racks of pelts and hides, coats and jackets, hats, fur-trimmed mittens, and more trapping gear and related accoutrements than I’ve ever seen in one location. With a hint and reminiscence of the rendezvous of the past, young, old, men, women, and children were all in attendance. Of course, pick-up trucks and travel trailers have largely replaced mules and tents, but if the weather had been cooler, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see someone wearing buckskin.

And for the Fur Takers of America, it was a bit of a homecoming. A non-profit organization founded in 1968 and incorporated in Missouri the following year, FTA’s mission is to provide a national brotherhood of strength to promote and protect our trapping heritage across North America.

If you didn’t fall asleep during your American history class, you are probably aware that trapping was an important part of this country’s westward expansion, and of course the establishment of the city of St. Louis played a big part in that often-glamorized history. As time passed, the need to protect and restore wildlife became a focal point and eventually conservation would become the driving force. By 1953, a permit would be required to harvest furbearers by trapping methods in Missouri.

According to the Department of Conservation’s (MDC) 2025 Furbearer Program Annual Report:

• The number of Resident Trapping Permits issued peaked during 1980-81 at 13,248 and reached an all-time low in 2000-01 at 2,050 permits issued.

• During the 2024-2025 trapping season, MDC issued 9,241 Resident and 543 Non-Resident Trapping Permits.

• The highest peak of total pelts harvested reached 834,935 in 1940-41 (over 70% were opossum and skunk pelts) and reached the second highest peak in 1979-80 at 634,338, when average raccoon pelt values were estimated at $27.50.

• The economic value of harvested fur also peaked in 1979-80 when $9 million worth of pelts were sold. Pelt values declined dramatically during the late 1980s and through the mid1990s. As a result, the number of participants also fell to all-time lows.

• Despite a small peak in the fur market in the mid 2010’s, the international fur market is at an all-time low due to declining prices, the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting world-wide recession.

• Even with recent downward trends in trapping, the 2024-2025 trapping season saw 45,153 animals harvested which was a 44.2% increase compared to the 2023-2024 trapping season (31,308) and a 52% increase from the 2022-2023 trapping season (29,714).

Another noteworthy moment from the rendezvous was when FTA recognized the Missouri Trappers Association as their 2026 Affiliate of the Year. Founded in 1975, the MTA is a nonprofit organization of about 900 members dedicated to safeguarding ethical trapping, supporting science-based wildlife management, and strengthening Missouri’s outdoor community.  A close look at the MTA website (missouritrappers.com) reveals the extent of their commitment, especially well stated in their code of ethics.

One individual I spoke with during the rendezvous observed and was impressed by the number of attendees who were no longer active trappers yet they still consider trapping to be part of their identity. The bond in this community is strong and a formidable force in the conservation world.

Meanwhile, under the shade of tents there were trapper and homestead demonstrations including an interesting demo by Kari Lane and Nikki Schwartz on bobcat and racoon capture methods. While trapping may be a largely male dominated activity these women and several others in attendance dispel any myths in this regard. No doubt long-time trappers play an integral part in teaching and mentoring the next generation, however, judging from the number of young people, including Amish folk sitting in the demos, these rendezvous provide a valuable venue and opportunity to watch experts and gain valuable knowledge not necessarily delivered by a crusty old timer named Bear Claw.

Trapping can be a polarizing topic for many in today’s modern society. But if you look past the broad, sweeping generalities and emotional appeals, you’ll quickly find that most folks do it for reasons that reach way beyond the notions of recreation or money. In addition to their close association with the outdoors and conservation, they see a world most people never see and gain an appreciation of nature most will never understand. It’s not for everyone. It’s hard, demanding and complex, and yet a viable part of many rural Missouri communities.

Interested in learning more? Contact The Missouri Trappers Association to learn about their events and periodic workshops.