My Grandfather trapped coons during the day and ran dogs at night. That was from when he was a child. He was born in 1898. He told me he was 9 when he was running his own trapline. He had to get the farming done so he had time to trap and hunt. He also had a service station in town so I am not sure who ran it during the season. He set his final trap in 1980 at the age of 82. In the Spring he lost his ability to walk steady and hung up his traps.
Dad of course was with Grandpa right from the start. He also started his own line around age 9. We live right on the Mississippi River and Dad mainly trapped muskrats. His used floats which worked very well. The rat would drown which allowed you to run your trapline in the afternoon. He always loved to duck hunt. He and his lifelong buddy had the premier blind in lower pool 16.....ole blind #70. He would hunt ducks in the morning and run traps in the afternoon. Of course I was right along side Dad trapping. My brother and I were allowed to skip school for opening day of trapping season. By this time Grandpa was done and Dad had to run all of Grandpa's trapline also so he stopped hunting ducks. I will never forget how that hurt him but trapping was more important. He was running traps all day long. He left before dawn and got back just before dusk.
I ran my own short-line around home but could not drive great distances until I was 13 or so. I ran traps in the dark before school and skinned at night. Some of the best memories are of Dad smoking a pipe while skinning rats, me skinning coons, and Grandpa smoking a pipe while he supervised.
You ready for tomorrow?
