Post by: Humptulips on December 25, 2022, 10:16:53 PM
You see after WWII the beaver population had maxed out in large areas of WA. The Game Department was getting a lot of flak about beaver damage and beaver prices were high. Opportunities for trappers to cash in but the Game Department had other ideas. They hired these State Trappers and gave them exclusive areas to trap beaver, paying them a flat rate for their beaver. The Game Department than sold the beaver and pocketed the difference. This started in the era of $1 an inch beaver so the finished beaver was worth $50+ average and the trapper received from personal accounts I listened too, $7. Most trappers were out of luck and couldn't take advantage of this opportunity.
By the 60s the price of beaver had dropped to where the State wasn't showing a big profit off trappers, so they opened beaver up to everyone and did away with the State beaver trappers. (I think that was 62.)
Beaver tags had to be bought and on your person for every beaver in possession. They were $1 and you had to buy them in advance. Woe unto the trapper that was caught on the line with an untagged beaver. They raised the price to $2 about the time I graduated from school and done away with them after a couple years of the $2 tags.
Post by: Loup Loup on December 26, 2022, 10:47:05 AM
The beaver tag was a way for the State to keep some beaver money flowing into the state coffers, even though they got out of having a corner on the market whin prices dropped.Part of most game wardens duties in those State owned beaver days was trapping beaver and putting up beaver and otter pelts for sale.
I came in when the tags went to $2. As Humptulips said you had to buy the tag before you caught the beaver. A small beaver pelt only brought $1. So I learned to try to set my trap deeper to hopefully not catch a small one.
Post by: boneaddict on December 26, 2022, 10:52:02 AM
Post by: LDennis24 on December 26, 2022, 11:21:30 AM
Post by: Elkaholic daWg on December 26, 2022, 12:22:24 PM
Post by: timberfaller on December 26, 2022, 01:59:20 PM
Post by: KFhunter on December 26, 2022, 01:59:49 PM
Post by: Trapper John on December 26, 2022, 03:05:31 PM
If you have been around trappers in WA going back a way you probably have heard guys talk about being a State Trapper. One conjures up pictures of a grizzled old wolfer out protecting livestock or some such thing. Far from the truth as most of these guys were trapping beaver.
You see after WWII the beaver population had maxed out in large areas of WA. The Game Department was getting a lot of flak about beaver damage and beaver prices were high. Opportunities for trappers to cash in but the Game Department had other ideas. They hired these State Trappers and gave them exclusive areas to trap beaver, paying them a flat rate for their beaver. The Game Department than sold the beaver and pocketed the difference. This started in the era of $1 an inch beaver so the finished beaver was worth $50+ average and the trapper received from personal accounts I listened too, $7. Most trappers were out of luck and couldn't take advantage of this opportunity.
By the 60s the price of beaver had dropped to where the State wasn't showing a big profit off trappers, so they opened beaver up to everyone and did away with the State beaver trappers. (I think that was 62.)
Beaver tags had to be bought and on your person for every beaver in possession. They were $1 and you had to buy them in advance. Woe unto the trapper that was caught on the line with an untagged beaver. They raised the price to $2 about the time I graduated from school and done away with them after a couple years of the $2 tags.
:hello: "1963" .......... so they opened beaver up to everyone and did away with the State beaver trappers. (I think that was 62.)
I remember quit a few of those state trappers. Jack Say was one of them from Seattle. Real nice guy and member of WSTA. He was a meat cutter and use to bring his used knives to our rendezvous and sell them for a $1.00.
He use to tell me that he use to trap beaver out of the culvert ditches that flooded road including I-5.
The "Game Department" use to have what they called "Control Officers" (which were and are game agents), those were the guys that trapped nuisance beaver and raccoons in peoples backyards. That program came to an end in 1985-86. That is when the department contacted me and a few other guys and ask us if we wanted to do the job of trapping nuisance wildlife year round. That is when the program stated and it was called "Contract Trappers". The Game department was than changed to the Washington Wildlife Department. A few years later it was call "Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators. And the department became what it is today known as Department of Fish & Wildlife - WDFW. Years later it became just plain "Wildlife Control Operators" or as you call yourself "WCO's" now.
Yep, I was one of those first guys on the program.
Just a little history on the whole "Trapping Problem" that started back in the 1960's.
JC :hello:
Post by: KFhunter on December 26, 2022, 04:14:19 PM
Post by: Loup Loup on December 26, 2022, 04:56:54 PM
Post by: hunter399 on December 26, 2022, 06:40:31 PM
From some guys that lived it.
The state trying to profit off the resources is not a huge surprise.
Learn something everyday.👍
Post by: LDennis24 on December 26, 2022, 09:22:15 PM
Post by: Loup Loup on December 26, 2022, 10:02:30 PM
Post by: AL WORRELLS KID on December 28, 2022, 11:29:56 AM
We saw a lot of piles of Washington State Game Department Beaver Pelts come through our doors and even some Sea Otter Pelts when NOAA was "experimenting" on the populations in the 80's. :rolleyes:
Post by: Humptulips on December 28, 2022, 09:41:52 PM
Post by: Mt.Beaver on December 29, 2022, 08:46:00 AM
Post by: Trapper John on December 29, 2022, 08:50:06 PM
Here a couple picture of more History on our Beaver and WSTA
Here is the metal "Beaver Tag" that you had to purchase before you put a trap out.
The two "Cascade Select tags" where hung on all Fur caught by WSTA Members at the Seattle Fur Exchange
Our Fur was recognized by Fur Buyer around the world that went to the SFE auctions.
JC :hello:
Post by: Trapper John on December 29, 2022, 08:55:53 PM
Here is our "Cascade Select" Certification from the Secretary of State
Issue 1985 until 1996 ................ Alan Worrell got that for us.
JC :hello:
Post by: bearpaw on December 29, 2022, 09:36:38 PM
Post by: AL WORRELLS KID on December 31, 2022, 01:11:25 AM
Western Washington Muskrats have some of the best quality and color around, when prices were high, a few Trappers would even sneak a few Mountain Beaver skins into their catch. :chuckle:
Each bundle of Furs when graded and sold, would represent mainly one fur coat when finished.
With the large quantity of Wild Fur coming from Alaska and the Lower 48, Trappers made out a lot better than if they just sold to their local Buyer. :tup: