The Good Life – January-February 2024

“Walking in the footsteps of the fur trapper of
the past, I feel connected to the land
and water.” – Jeffrey Miller
battle each other, sometimes resulting in injury, as well
as gnawing on fresh tree growth. Trapping in the cold
water and air temperatures is hard work, but it results
in the best pelts of the season. Westward expansion
was built on the backs of the beaver, fueling trade and
exploration. It wasn’t gold or timber that beckoned the
rugged individuals of the time, it was beaver plews.
While North Dakota does not have a limit on the number
of beavers a trapper can harvest, I am happy with 10 to
15 animals during the spring. The meat is turned into
sausage and the pelts are shipped off to a commercial
tannery in Iowa. Come fall, a box will arrive at the
doorstep of Cottonwood Bend filled to the brim with
tanned pelts.
I switch gears in autumn, targeting striped skunks,
raccoon and fisher. The skunk gets a bad rap, as most
people only see them smashed on the road, the air heavy
with the eye watering odor of the skunk’s oil sack. Once
they are descented and tanned, however, the fur is lovely
and dense. Few animals on earth have a pelt as beautiful
as the skunk.
Raccoons have a reputation as being garbage eaters and
dirty animals, but the truth is they are highly intelligent,
clean mammals. Their biggest downside is that they are
insatiably curious, getting into all sorts of mischief. I love
utilizing raccoons as their fur is of a uniform density and
heaviness, with each pelt displaying a unique color pattern
or variation, much like a snowflake.
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