A retired biologist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks tells stories from a lifetime of hunting and trapping. Grab a seat near the fire and kick back. By Tommie Berger I have caught thousands of coons, some in … [Read More]
Author Archives: James Card
Making the Best of a Low Fur-Market Season
BY JIM SPENCER Like most of our fellow trappers, my wife Jill and I didn’t set any records on the trapline last season, neither in terms of effort or results. Still, we didn’t just sit it out. Even with a … [Read More]
Everything in the Woods Wants to Eat a Turkey
CALLING IN A GOBBLER CAN BE A DINNER BELL FOR PREDATORS By Jim Spencer Have you ever been close enough to a bobcat to see the yellow-brown pigment flecks in his irises? I’m talking about a wild, on-the-loose, free-roaming cat, … [Read More]
June Fur Market Report: International buyers give fur market a big boost
By Serge Lariviére For many people in the industry, what is going to happen in May and June will be the fulfillment of many predictions. If you have been following the markets in the past two years, you have seen … [Read More]
Remembering Two Good Men
BY JIM SPENCER I was thinking about Nebraska when the phone rang that January afternoon. Coincidentally, the screener on my phone said, “Nebraska.” Thinking it was my buddy Carl Frauen, I expected to hear his gruff, cheerful voice asking when … [Read More]
How to Prevent a Predator Attack
By Art Isberg The predator hunter is always practicing something no other sportsman does. Predator callers are consistently trying to lure animals that are expecting to kill. That is the only reason why they’re coming in. This sets us apart … [Read More]
Trappers: A Hunter’s Best Friend
BY JIM SPENCER One morning last April, I shot a fine gobbler on the ridge behind our house. He was the fourth I’ve taken from that ridge since 2011. My wife Jill has taken two others. We’ve been trapping that … [Read More]
Money Sets for Martens
Plentiful in number with high-value pelts, simple sets for marten will fatten your fur check. By David O’Farrell e most productive marten set I’ve ever seen produced 17 marten in 14 days. No it wasn’t mine. My two daughters were … [Read More]
White Wonders: Easy to set, fun to catch. Ermine are perfect for kids.
by Matthew Breuer My first encounter with an ermine was one I’ll never forget. I was 9 years old, and my dad had a side business doing cabinet and woodwork in our garage. He had a large pile of scrap … [Read More]
Country Buyer Blues: The Fur Industry Keeps Evolving
By Jim Spencer Finally, this ongoing fur market slump is showing signs of easing. Some of the signs are political, some are economic, and some are…well, let’s just say that nothing in the fur market has ever been permanent, and … [Read More]
