JR's on a line

[Tfng]

Congrats Tork, on your new line!

As for the trapping being a hobby I'm going to have to side with Braggadoe on this one. Revenue Canada also considers it a business. For me it did bring in a significant amount of extra income to my family (assuming coyote prices hold). I'm the sole provider for my family and I worked my resident line like a job and the bottom line shows it. It's a job I got an immense amount of satisfaction from but a job none the less. There were plenty of times I just wanted to come home from work and put my feet up but went and checked snares or put a few hours in the fur shed instead.

The cost of a registered line makes it a tough business decision to purchase one. Lines are sold for whatever the market will bear. People may not be willing to pay top dollar for lines if they are forced to trap them. Many Ontario trappers consider the beaver quota to be the best thing that could have happened, it has kept the cost of lines inline with the fur they produce. Who knows what the future will bring. For now I will trap my resident line and bide my time. There is lots of fur with easy access outside registered lines.

Maybe I'm wrong but considering trapping to be a hobby is a relatively new thing. In previous generations it was an important part of earning a living when many worked seasonal jobs.

I think what Braggadoe is getting at is that trapping will be better protected when peoples livelihoods are on the line rather than entertainment.

[HunterDave]

So let me get this straight, guys who are more worried about the money that they get from trapping, and treat it as a business, are best for the trapping community?

Newsflash! There are many of us on this forum that do it because we love doing it and the money is secondary.

Do it for whatever reasons that you want, just don't be looking down on people who don't do it for the same reasons as you.

[joeti7]

Originally Posted by braggadoe

how bout, none of the above?

trappers are independent business men/women. the rfma is a lease(crown land), a commercial venture. used too harvest fur bearing animals. that are in turn sold on the fur market. just like any other commodity.

no different than lumber/O&G/minerals.

and the same with all other businesses. some people make money,some don't. if folks are ok with losing money, thats there decision. but they are still independent businesses.

if your looking for a hobby, maybe orienteering?

I agree with you 100% brag, it shouldn't be looked at any other way. As for the guys saying you do it because you enjoy it, it is no different than going to a different job that you enjoy. Maybe you don't make the most money doing it, but it is still has to be looked at as a business.

[braggadoe]

Originally Posted by TFNG

I think what Braggadoe is getting at is that trapping will be better protected when peoples livelihoods are on the line rather than entertainment.

excatly what i'm getting at. and the reason for the rfma system.

doesn't matter if your in to it big time,or small time. for the love of it, for the money, for the fresh air, for the chicks, what ever.

at the end of the day. your selling wild fur. which makes you an independent business. its not a difficult concept.

i apologize to the OP for the derail. the actual/real impact the ontario beaver quota has, is worthy of a whole different thread.

[The Spruce]

A JR partner should not be sharing his/her spoils, unless they are splitting the work with the senior. No way you would get me on a line working my butt off just to give away half of my fur! Thanks but I will just keep on resident trapping. If the work is split, obviously the fur is as well. Nubes deal of a few traps to junior sounds reasonable, as long as that would last a few years...figuring out a line takes time. I agree 100% with Brag. If trapping is a hobby, buy a resident license and trap your 4 coyotes a year...please don't buy a line and catch 4 coyotes a year and put them through the said line. This is what is killing the RFMA system, and will be its downfall in the future. IMO

Spruce

[Torkdiesel]

Thanks guys, I'm pretty stoked about the new area and beginning a new adventure all over again.

As for the business vs. hobby thing I would call it both. A hobby can be a business and vice versa. Because we enjoy trapping so much many of us forget the business aspect of it but when I use my expenses as deductions off gross earnings and pay tax on the fur I sell (doesn't go that way very often lol ) it is definitely a business.

As for the junior partner fees if I ever found somebody I trusted enough to bring on as a partner they would be just that. A partner in that years expenses and profits. I don't think I would lease out a section of my line to somebody, there's just too many things that can go wrong. Peoples feelings are easily hurt when money is involved and even with a iron clad contract I've seen people extremely jaded after because they interpreted what they had signed was unfair and they were taken advantage of.
I think there is definitely money to be made in the Trapline tourism business and there are a decent sized group of guys out there catering to the south of the border crowd that want to experience the North. In my opinion this works best because you're there monitoring what's going on and can control every aspect of it. But guiding clients isn't for everyone.

[alder]

I would think these guys do quite well operating their line in BC for trapline tourism in addition to their own trapping. It looks great for them.

http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforum...orum=9#3945824

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys, I notice their are 3-4 traplines in Alberta operating with tourism model. What are the implications with Fish & Wildlife, keeping fur, guide license etc?

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Guys, I notice their are 3-4 traplines in Alberta operating with tourism model. What are the implications with Fish & Wildlife, keeping fur, guide license etc?

Fish and Wildlife told me they can't actually trap but they can come along and observe what you're doing. Most of the outfitters offer wolf and coyote hunting at the same time so they likely have a guides license anyway to get them those non-resident tags.
Now when asked what the "observer" could actually do they said nothing but observe. When I asked if a kid I brought out to experience what it's all about could chop ice out of a beaver set the officer said of course he can. After that the officer kinda smiled and said as long as you are standing beside the guy you're giving the tour to, we likely wouldn't say anything.
Now I've had lots of help from friends or local kids out on my line for a day here and there. I've let them perform all aspects of what we do ( no 330's for kids under 10 lol ) and none of them has ever been a junior partner and most didn't have a trapping license. As far as I'm concerned since I was standing there I was trapping, they were just along for the ride. Now if you found the wrong F&W officer on the wrong day they might take issue with it, but I don't see it happening unless you were doing something else wrong.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Tork, these lines are being marketed as actual commercial operation. They charge $3600 for 5-6 day trapline adventure. Does this meet the F & W criteria?

[martinnordegg]

If you google trapline adventures alberta there is a whole page or more of traplines that commercially run adventure trips. Even one in Sherwood Park. Bill Albercrombie who is the ATA rep to the ACA.

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

I call it a hobby. If I called it a business it would be a financially stupid move.

x2

Yes
82 coyotes
5 fisher
3 lynx
7 marten
10 weasel
? squirrels

Is a hobby and this year may make a little money the same as the last few years. Your not making a full time income off our small line, so it is a hobby to me.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Tork, these lines are being marketed as actual commercial operation. They charge $3600 for 5-6 day trapline adventure. Does this meet the F & W criteria?

Like they told me BGW, as long as you're standing beside him he's just an observer. If you can have 2 clients a week it would be a descent retirement gig.