Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets
I'd say my two cents worth but due to inflation it's only worth a cent or less.
IMO only, registered traplines and adventure tour outfitting should be kept separate. Traplines are a working man's licensed trade. A commercial fisherman or professional logger would not take tourists on the job. This concept puts trapping in the wrong spotlight and even vulnerable to the anti fur movement. Also leaves the fur trade vulnerable to a government closing aspects of fur management operations and put trapping regulations under APOS outfitting rules.
Not so sure of the different legalities involved. Unlicensed people on an active trapline and giving away raw fur as part of a transaction would make me wonder. Animal registrations and export permits come into play too. Trappers cannot trade in raw pelts except to licensed fur buyers. Once tanned the pelts are ok to sell or trade to anyone though some permits may still be required.
Trapping registered lines and outfitting for adventure tourism at the same time would need some discussion. Aside from liability concerns potential customers would need some level of screening. Example: A sedentary office worker with health problems and three of his middle aged out of shape office buddies pay for the trapline experience for 8 nights and they are not at all familiar with weather/land or conditioned to go for a daily ten mile sled ride checking traps. None of them have a clue on skinning or fleshing. Weather is a huge factor. Someone pays/books for a week and temperatures go hit -30 to -40 below. Then the guests are cabin bound and will require entertaining. Just the same late season hunting outfitters. Hunters pay big money for a certain week and while here that week ends up so cold or blizzardly that the hunters become housebound for a day or more. 4 people that paid for 8 nights and are housebound for a few days they are going to get cabin fever. people paying good money expect a good experience.
The SoloTrapper price lists include up to 4 people for 8 days. How do those logistics work in winter. They mention passenger sleds. Many people are not conditioned to ride or take the weather for hours every day. 5 people tromping around the line for a week,(possibly 4 people/guests every week for the season) could influence some animals patterns. Trapping is sort of a 'solo' trade because a trapper doesn't want to leave a trace around the sets. Would need a large skinning parlor to fit that many viewing folks too. Any animals caught would require pelting too which takes up evening time. Skinning and pelting maybe a wolf, and a coyote or two or a couple beaver is an awful long night.
And if each guest is allowed to take one pelt home SoloTrapper had better catch lots of fur. Traplines are about managing fur bearer numbers in sustainable populations. If SoloTrapper was to have 4 guests a month that is about 24 or so pelts given away. If SoloTrapper has 16 guests a month that is potentially 96 pelts given away over the season. If SoloTrapper ends up giving so much of their fur away to guests they are replacing fur income/value with outfitting/tourism income. That raises some concerns.
A interesting topic to discuss.
Note* Don't rag on me for my non progressive outlook. Just IMO ... The trapping industry and the adventure tourism/outfitting industry do not belong together.
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Thanks for your thoughts ,i thought the same ,i still have problems with trappers use there shacks for hunting ,i know 3 by my land that i dont think they harvest much fur off there lines at all. but they sure have nice cabins that the family and friends use them ,