Fur Trapping?
In collaboration with Daysix Outdoors, we’re posting a well done video about fur trapping…yes, trapping. Compared to fishing and hunting, trapping is a niche activity. Actually, compared to a lot of things, trapping is a niche activity. There are only some 175,000 licensed trappers in the United States. While not everyone is required to be licensed (for example, people trapping on their own land), that still boils down to less than 1 percent of the U.S. population taking part in trapping.
Make no mistake, trapping has its detractors. The animal rights extremists have railed against trapping for years, using their disdain mostly as a leverage point to split the outdoor community against itself. If they can ban fringe activities like trapping, the thinking goes, they can splinter off hunting with hounds, hunting over bait, archery hunting and other traditional activities. In California, commercial fur trapping was banned earlier this year – becoming the first state to take that step. This, despite the fact there are more wild furbearers in the U.S. than there was 100 years ago.
But we admire trappers. The roots of SOG trace back to a military unit in Vietnam where US soldiers were tasked with "Studies and Observations" and nobody "studies" or "observes" wildlife quite to the level trappers do. Trappers have an intimate knowledge of both the places and animals they trap. They have to know what specific species of furbearers are on the land, and exactly where and when those animals pass through. They are woodsmen of the highest order.
We're fans of the sustainability of trapping as well. As the National Fur Trappers Association points out, nothing is wasted in the production of a wild fur garment. Furbearers provide food, organic fertilizer, medicines, and other biodegradable products.
And lastly, trapping (along with our friends at Daysix Outdoors) provides the grist for a really thoughtful, respectful video that we're proud to share with the SOG community.
