I am looking for some suggestions

[Trapper John]

I'm working on the Spring Issue of THE FUR SHED magazine.  Yes, the magazine.  I was told that we have past the term of newsletter quit awhile back.  I was told that Magazines are numbered to keep track of the published issues.  Well I started that from the first issue when I took it over four years ago.  The first issue started out with 16 pages and now we have grown to 24 pages.  I got quite a few advertisers and some good people to write for us.

Anyway I'm thinking most of you here are members of WSTA and if you’re not, you should be.  When I took over the newsletter at the Summer Rendezvous Board Meeting four years ago, I ask people what they would like to see in the newsletter.  Doug was a new member at that time said that he thought that an "Animal Profile" would be good one for new and young people that are coming into our industry / trade.

So for the last four years I have been writing an Animal Profile column with "Fur Bearing Animals and Other Animals" that we take from time to time in our trade.  There are only two more animals that I can come up with that pertains to our trade.  The last issue with the Animal Profile will be this year’s Summer Issue.  My question to all of you is, I am looking for some suggestions on what to replace the Animal Profile with.  What would you like to see?
JC   

THE FUR SHED ~ Editor / Publisher

[bear hunter]

Trap building?

[Humptulips]

I think fur put up would be good. maybe tough to do in an article but if it could be done I think it would be of interest to everyone. Lots of possibilities too. JODakota posted a very nice piece on washing coyotes. Something like that would be great. Also you could do more then one article per animal. Let's say beaver could have articles on clean skinning, rough skinning, several different methods of fleshing, boarding, hoops.
Lots of possibilities.

[Norman89]

I second Bruce's ideas^^^

[Machias]

Fur put up, fur tanning, garment making, trap and gear building, animal diseases/how to recognize, trapline Survival skills...

[JODakota]

I think fur put up would be good. maybe tough to do in an article but if it could be done I think it would be of interest to everyone. Lots of possibilities too. JODakota posted a very nice piece on washing coyotes. Something like that would be great. Also you could do more then one article per animal. Let's say beaver could have articles on clean skinning, rough skinning, several different methods of fleshing, boarding, hoops.
Lots of possibilities.

Thank you for the kind words. I agree with humptulips! I feel everybody always focuses on how to catch. What's not focused on is what to do with the catch and fur put up. As trappers and fur takers we owe it to ourselves and the animals to present them in the best way possible to maximize your earnings. I get it, the least amount of time spent to prep furs is what most guys focus on. But if if you get in the right habits, what may seem like time wasting such as stitching vs pinning holes, washing vs borax, handling green belly (canines) can make you that much more. In a depressed fur market, the better your fur handling, the more your going to get paid!

[Trapper John]

Some nice ideas      Keep um coming   


Someone ask me about doing a mink farming issue.
Maybe, (if I can find the person to do the writing because I don't know anything about it) someone in the "Farming Industry" to write a column on mink, fox, coyote or bobcat farming from start to finish including marketing.  Remember its just another part of the fur and the industry we're in.  I ask a mink farmer that gave it up this last year after 55 years if he would be interested but he turned me down.  So to find one might be pretty hard but that is just another idea of what we could look at too.

"But for now, Keep those ideas coming"
JC   

[JakeLand]

Pre-season gear prep
Making sure traps work flawless , painted, trap tags etc...
All gear and tools
Bait
Scent
Vehicle tuned up , tires ,brakes
Etc... etc...

[huntingfool7]

Reviews on gear like traps, fleshing knives, headlamps, lures.  Could take two products and do a pro/con head to head.

[ouchfoss]

Pre-season gear prep
Making sure traps work flawless , painted, trap tags etc...
All gear and tools
Bait
Scent
Vehicle tuned up , tires ,brakes
Etc... etc...

  Preseason prep should be a very important part of every trapper's year.

[Trapper John]

Reviews on gear like traps, fleshing knives, headlamps, lures.  Could take two products and do a pro/con head to head.

I like this idea on the pro/con on products.  Here the problem, first I have to contact a manufacturer and talk him into donating some of his products to our review article.  If I can get him to donate than I have to find two guys that would test the equipment (hard test it not just one time) and do it over a short period of time or in a full season.  Why in a short time frame, because the manufacturer is going to want to hear the results within a timely frame or he going to think that we just took his product.  Those two guys have also got to be open and not bios to the product also.  Plus they need to do the test and "write" the article.

Now a couple of years ago I had a manufacturer that wanted us to field test some mink cage traps for him, but than the market fell apart as we all know and I haven't heard anything from him on that trap.  I should see if he is still in Business and see if he still wants us to field test those for him.  If he is still interested, I'll let you guys know, but we're getting late in the season for mink tapping.

Keep those ideas coming
JC   

[JakeLand]

I'm always open minded to test new, improved gear or lure, bait etc... this is also where some WCO's are of good value when having trapping jobs year round

[big wood]

How about tag along story and pics of wa state trappers lines. There are still alot of old timers still doing it. Pics of sets, catch etc

[JakeLand]

Kinda funny been thinking the same thing ! I have a pic of when I was 15 with Wags with a nice  cat in a cubby set and I got a pic of a cat that I caught on Thursday was in the exact spot but with a cage

[Machias]

Very cool Jakeland!!