Meade Co.

[Multidigits]

Any trappers in Meade Co.? In the Battletown area?

[Trapper Phil]

Good question Multi, any Fur Trappers from Calloway Co?

[thunderstrom]

How many trappers are on this forum? I used to love to trap. I learned more about animals during those four or five years than any other time in my life. I moved away from "my" river and haven't trapped since.
Anyone doing any good? What do the fur prices look like this year?

[CSS archer]

I miss trapping. That's how I paid my way through college. I can't justify trapping when the fur prices won't pay for gas. The best thing that could happen for turkey and ground nesting birds would be a revival of the fur market. I still have my traps....maybe someday.

[Valley Station]

"Fur or 'seng check" in the mail box, sure use to make a many a happy Christmas here in Kentucky.
Remember minimum wage $1.25/Hr.
Rats $5-6.00 , red fox- $75.00 , Gray fox- $25.00, big boar mink- $30:00, 'coons-$20.00 .
Things sure have changed!

[Multidigits]

The most I ever got was $45 on a red fox, $30 on a grey, $45 on a big coon pick-up off the road in Prospect, $22 for a male mink, $8 on 'rats, $5 on possum's.

The best year I had was when I trapped the ditch behind the Ford plant on Fern Vallley road. Caught a 100 mink there and over 300 'rats in one year. Some of those mink were "cotton" mink though, but it still was good, except for the rascal constantly stealing your traps

[Valley Station]

Multi,

It's always amazed me how much fur there was on some of these drainage ditches here in Jefferson county. Pond Creek , Mill Creek,
Mud Creek ditches have always been loaded with mink & 'rats.
Now there's even a lot of beaver.

[CSS archer]

The most I ever got for a rat was 9.00! I bought a Remington model 700 with possum money when I was 13 years old.

I was looking at some old fur invoices a couple of weeks ago. 45.oo for the best coons, 60 for red foxes, 50 for greys. The last year I trapped was 88, I averaged 6 for coons, and 10 for foxes. That year I had 150 coons and 45 foxes, 15 yotes, 125 rats. A lot of work for gas money, good thing I got out of school!

Anyone see much rat sign anywhere? It's been 5 or so years since I've seen a hut. I've heard that a roundworm problem had diminished the population. I only see a few on the KY River anymore.

[Bowcrazy]

I was out of work one winter when prices where at their highest. Sure did make the sound of that old chain rattling just a little more special. I and several of my friends who trapped took a good load of fur to the auction in E-Town that year and got $75 for the best reds. We celebrated by driving down to Lexington and getting tickets to see our first ever UK game at Rupp. Very top row leaning against the wall, but with a hotdog and a coke, 10 degrees outside and a fur check in the pocket we were living high !!!!!

[Xtreme]

I hadn't seen this post till now, God what a trip down memory lane. I was lucky enough to have been active for the entireity of the last "fur boom" the early 70's to the early 80's. I probably learned more about the outdoors trapping than all the other things I've done put together. I guess that's why I love bowhunting so much, you have to get close to em and "be what you hunt" !!!!

I guess my best prices were 95.00 on a lot of a few no.1 reds at the E-town fur auction one year. We got 75.00 for the real good greys. 8.00 rats and 7.00 possums. Coons brought 40.00 for no.1 coat coons.

I was a young married man at the end of the last fur boom and I can tell you furs sure helped us survive. Santa Claus came in the form of a Red Fox with his sleigh pulled by 8 lg. Muskrats!!!

I miss the smell of Russ Carmans red fox matrix lure and the wonderfull feeling you got when your chest waders ripped a mile from the truck with a full pack basket and all the goodies. I think it helped make us better men. I know when I was in basic training at Knox one day we were standing in over boot high ice water when the Drill Sgt. asked if we were tired and some fool said YES!! The Drill Sgt. said SIT DOWN!!!!...You heard a lot of gasps and I inhaled myself but I thought, hey I've been there and done THIS!!!....God I miss those days, life was an adventure waiting just around the bend of the creek or just over the next hill.

Now we have massive outbreaks of distemper in coons and canines and outbreaks of rabies. All are non existent in a time when fur is high.

I too have seen a decline in muskrats in some places, I did not know about the roundworm thing but it makes sense.

It's a shame that we will probably never be able to pass on our knowledge to another generation due to the anti-fur "do gooders"

Sorry to have wrote a book here but I sure do miss those days!!!!

[MuskratD]

I went to the fur sale in E-town. This was my first season trapping and I had a blast watching my only mink bring $6 and my muskrats $2.75. Now I know that's low compared everyone else in their good old days, but hey, these are my "good old days". I am having the time of my life running my small trapline- more fun than hunting or fishing- but I still make time for both. While my small harvest netted prac- tically no profit, it put plenty of meat in the freezer (muskrats and coons are great stew meats). I hope people as young as I can help keep that spark alive with our freinds and children. My brother bought his first traps at the fur sale and my oldest daughter, 4, had a coon in 'her' trap this year. She was very excited by the catch and I hope she continues wanting to go out with me. My youngest, 2, is always ready to go and has two traps of 'her' own. Remember everyone, the experience of trapping is worth millions more than any fur check,
it's about love of nature and the best family time to be had.

[Multidigits]

Muskrat - Where you trapping at? Years ago, when I lived off of Blue Lick Rd. I would trap the drainage ditches around the area an do very good on minks and rats. The best one is the one off of National Turnpike. The one behind the Ford plant is good also. Then the ditch nar where south Park Rd. and I-65 come together is pretty good. You'll catch lots of rats and mink, but hide your traps good, because kids will steal them from time to time. Good luck and I hope the prices come up for you.

[MuskratD]

Hey Spike! The ditch on South Park is where I caught my only mink and my first muskrats! I trapped it very breifly and took few animals because habitat was so small I was afraid it could be overharvested. I live right on the ditch on Nat. Tnpk so that's where I finished my season catching 'rats and being outwitted by some coons. I had 8 traps down when we had those heavy rains and I lost only one. Since they were all buried under mud, I used my garden rake to dig them out. Next season I plan on going in with more conibears and working up and down the ditch, not staying in one place too long.

[MuskratD]

Sorry, Multidigits, I got your name wrong!!!!

[MuskratD]

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Hey Multidigits! The ditch on South Park is where I caught my only mink and my first muskrats! I trapped it very breifly and took few animals because habitat was so small I was afraid it could be overharvested. I live right on the ditch on Nat. Tnpk so that's where I finished my season catching 'rats and being outwitted by some coons. I had 8 traps down when we had those heavy rains and I lost only one. Since they were all buried under mud, I used my garden rake to dig them out. Next season I plan on going in with more conibears and working up and down the ditch, not staying in one place too long.


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