Episodes

In this episode, I interview Kris Pope from Coyote Trapping School. We talk about his experience trapping fox on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, his Youtube, Instagram and Facebook presence, the CTS video training course, interacting with antis on social media, trapping around cows, and always keeping an open mind and learning new things in trapping. Enjoy! Support our sponsor, Kaatz Bros. Check out my book Fur Profit Kris's Coyote Trapping training program

In this episode I interview Cole Porter about how he got started trapping, and the challenges and opportunities available for young folks looking to get into trapping today. Cole talks about all of the different online resources he has used to learn about trapping over the past couple of years. I really enjoyed the discussion, and hope you do as well! Support: Kaatz Bros. Lures Fur Profit Book Trapping Today Long Distance Call Lure

In this episode, I discuss my renewed energy to work on a trapping related project this winter. What do you want to see? I have ideas on a book, video, product, etc. I tell the story about the farmland weasel trapping adventure with my two young boys. I go over listener emails, questions and feedback. Remember to shoot me an email at jrodwood at gmail.com with feedback. I'm giving away Kaatz Bros. t-shirts for product ideas that you'd be willing to pay for. Other links from things mentioned ...

In this episode I give some updates from my big woods marten and fisher trapline. I go over a number of topics we'll be discussing in future podcast episodes. I then read some listener emails and answer a couple of questions. I also discuss my Long Distance Call predator call lure. I always love to hear feedback from you guys, please feel free to shoot me an email at jrodwood@gmail.com. I'm also going to be asking you what you would like me to create moving forward. That could be a book, audio ...

In this episode I talk about trying to stay legal with a complex set of trapping regulations. I mention a cleanup in the fur shed in preparation for the fur handling season. I also read another excerpt from "Hunters of the Northern Forest". One of the more interesting parts of this reading is the high value trappers earned from a few months' work on the line. Adjusted for inflation, these old timer trappers were making Wall Street banker wages out on the trapline back in the day! Enjoy! Click h...

In this episode, I go over the latest from my marten line, including a painful trapline check in deep, wet snow. I provide a fur market forecast, with updates from North American Fur Auctions and Fur Harvesters Auction, and include my fur price predictions by species. Enjoy! Sign up for the Kaatz Bros. newsletter here NAFA Fur Market Forecast FHA Fur Market Forecast Fur Profit Book

In this episode, I'm getting ready and excited to get back out on the trapline! I give an update on the line and plans moving forward. I talk a little about topics we'll discuss in future episodes, and read an excerpt from Richard K. Nelson's "Hunters of the Northern Forest", a book about native trappers from Chalkyitsik, Alaska in the 1970's. Enjoy! Click here to buy a copy of Hunters of the Northern Forest.

In this episode I talk about our January in November here in northern Maine, and discuss my transition to running the trapline on snowmobile! I also mention Dave Vander Meer's book, "Call of the Wilderness". Click here to find a copy of the book. Enjoy!

I'm back on the trapline resetting marten and fisher traps after a long illness. Feeling like a new man and super excited to be back trapping again! I recorded this episode on the drive back out of the woods after setting traps all day. Enjoy!

In this episode, Cole Porter and I talk trapping after getting done tending and pulling (for now) my marten and fisher trapline. Enjoy! Check out Kaatz Bros. Lures, sponsors of the podcast. If you're interested in picking up some of my Long Distance Call lure we mention in the podcast, click here.

In this episode, I discuss what my truck looks like geared up for tomorrow's marten and fisher trapping season opener. I go over the use of lure and bait, other associated gear, and the fact that I can't help but get out there despite a bit of a health setback. I answer a couple of listener questions, give a shout out to a couple of great listener stories, and draw the name of the Kaatz Bros. T-shirt winner. Enjoy!

In this episode, it's the eve of the early muskrat trapping season opener, I'm over extended in work and life, fur prices remain in the tank, and I still can't help but love to talk trapping! I give a shout out to Kris Pope, who recently started his "Coyote Trapping School" podcast, talk muskrat trapping with HagZ spring clips, mention the legend W.A. Gibbs of the muskrat swamps, my recent purchase of old O'Gorman trapping supply catalogs, and an invite to give a demo at next year's Neil Olson's...

In this episode I discuss what delayed this week's podcast, answer a question about beaver trapping in flooding conditions, and ramble on a bit about my fur shed and what I'd like to see in the ideal fur/trapping shed. Feel free to comment on what the ideal fur shed would look like to you. Enjoy!

In this episode, I discuss the idea of "trapping like a kid". It's an interesting mindset that I think can help make us all more effective trappers. I read through, and comment on, an article I wrote here on Trapping Today about trapping like a kid. Hope this gets you thinking more about how you approach your trapping this fall. Also, Kaatz Bros Lures, sponsor of the podcast, is looking for glands from the critters you catch this season. Selling glands, castor and skunk essence is a great way to...

In this episode, Cole Porter and I finish up our discussion during our trip to put out marten and fisher boxes on the trapline and do a little fishing. Enjoy!

In this episode, Cole Porter and I talk marten and fisher trapping as we head out to set boxes out on my line. We discuss plans for the upcoming season, marten/fisher interactions, and habitat types we look for when setting traps. Enjoy!

In this episode, I discuss the dream I've always had of going into the Alaskan wilderness and being a trapper-homesteader. The topic is fresh in my mind after reading Stan Zuray's book, "Carry On". Stan was a star in the Discovery Channel's hit show "Yukon Men", which featured people from the Alaskan village of Tanana. Stan has an interesting story, growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, and moving to Alaska to get away from it all. Today he still runs a trapline in the country he originally homes...

In this episode, I catch up on listener questions, including: - -waxing footholds for water sets - -importance of where you get dirt to make wax dirt - -how we as trappers can help educate and grow our base -

In this episode, I discuss my recent order with Kaatz Bros. Lures, and the fact that now is a great opportunity for trappers to stock up on traps, lure and supplies. Prices are going up across the board for various reasons, and now's the chance to get what you need before the big price increases hit. I discuss a recent change to the bear trapping rules in Maine, which caught trappers off guard recently. I talk about sniffing lures, trying different lures and ingredients, and thoughts on develo...

In this episode, I sit down with Noah Frost, a young marten trapper from northern Maine. We discuss getting into trapping, trapper education, setting up a marten trapline for the first time, and thoughts on running a trapline in an area with complex regulations and competition from other trappers. We recorded this episode from a camp in the woods, and I forgot my voice recorder, so had to use a phone app. Sorry about the poor audio quality, but I hope you enjoy the discussion and learn from it!

In this episode, Cole Porter and I discuss our experiences at Neil Olson's 42nd annual New England Trappers Weekend in Bethel, Maine. The episode is recorded on the car ride home, so you'll notice some background noise and a few distractions, but I think we had a great conversation about what we picked up from the event. In my mind, there are three aspects to a trapper's convention: 1) the people you meet and reunite with, 2) the things you learn from other trappers and demonstrations, and 3) t...

In this episode, I introduce Kaatz Bros. Lures as a new sponsor of the show. Since we're in the swing of trapping convention season, I talk about the benefit of conventions, and the upcoming convention near me, Neil Olson's New England Trappers Weekend. I bring up other trapping podcasts, including mentioning Clint Locklear's recent podcast interview with legend Tom Miranda, and the new podcast from Trapping Inc. TV. Finally, I review Jim Helfrich's 1980 book, "Profitable Fox Trapping". Enjoy! ...

After touching on some listener emails, fur prices and trapping news, I go into detail on Charles Dobbins' book, "Evaluation of Lures, Baits and Urines". Lure testing is an often overlooked topic in the trapping world, but being a professional trapper, Dobbins took it very seriously. In this book, he described how he put lures through extensive testing to determine their effectiveness and how animals reacted to them. Understanding how different lures work in different situations on your trapline...

Looking to unload some of your old traps and make room for more inventory? How about another source of income working on something you enjoy? In this episode, I discuss my experiences and lessons learned from a decade of selling traps on Ebay.