The Good Life – January-February 2024

From Forest to Fur
Trapping in the Modern World
WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY MILLER
In the not-too-distant past, humans that ventured beyond
the settled areas lived a difficult life. Wild animals, frigid
cold, heat and lack of food were all factors that shortened
or ended lives. When the mercury bottomed out and the
cold wind howled, keeping warm became a matter of life
or death. Fortunately, there was a renewable resource
readily available. That resource was wild furbearing
animals.
It can be argued, that in the year 2023, fur trapping
and fur utilization are not needed. To that end, I
ask simply that attention is paid to the highways
and roads during the fall. A myriad of squashed
raccoon, skunks, beaver and muskrats line the roads.
Population management is critical in wildlife biology, and
the safe, ethical take of furbearing animals is necessary to
reduce disease and roadside accidents.
Faux fur is made from petroleum products, a nonrenewable
resource. Wild caught fur is both renewable
and sustainable, as well as being some of the warmest
material on Earth. Today fur is often seen as a luxury item,
worn by the wealthy. However, the use of fur should be
embraced by all.
My fur harvesting season begins in the spring as soon as
the ice is off the rivers. Beaver, North America’s largest
rodent, begin staking out their territories. They will
14 | THE GOOD LIFE