The excitement is in the hunt for some, but for Chuck Howe, the excitement is in the find. Howe, an avid trapper, floats the river from Charity to Haiko in search of prime locales to place water traps that will catch muskrats, otter, raccoons and beavers.
The key, according to Howe, is bedding the trap evenly to make sure that the animal steps into it.
An avid fisherman and hunter all his life, Howe was introduced to trapping by Dave Perryman 30 years ago when Perryman was trapping coyotes in conjunction with a conservation agent in Laclede County. After retiring from Webster County Electric, Howe has been able to trap with more regularity.
Laying the trap line is done early, with Howe and Perryman typically setting out in their canoe around 4 a.m. The two outdoorsmen make sure the only smell around the traps is of bait; no human smell.
Howe says they use gloves and cedar milk to reduce the risk of contamination on land traps, but water traps don’t require that kind of precision. Blind traps, which don’t use bait, are also used. To camouflage the trap, Howe sifts dirt over it, being careful to not set the trap off.
Howe also is meticulous in choosing the appropriately sized traps. He stressed that by choosing the right trap he can ensure that the animal is trapped effectively, and domestic animals, such as dogs, are not caught.
Perryman and Howe typically “build a fire and have a hot lunch, sit around and chew the fat for a while,” Howe said. The first day can be long, and Howe said he is glad his canoe has seats.
“After ten hours in a canoe you need a good back rest,” he said.
On day two, Howe and Perryman check the traps, and hopefully an animal is caught. Weather plays a big factor in a trapper’s success, and according to Howe, floods will make it impossible to access certain areas.
Trapping isn’t as profitable as it once was.
“If we get gas money, that’s enough,” said Howe.
As with most hobbies, the costs add up because traps are pretty expensive and fur prices are down. Howe said raccoon pelts sell for $9, and 70-pound beavers go for $8. Howe credits the economy’s downturn with having the biggest impact on the fur prices.
“Fur is something wealthy people buy,” he said.
He also attributes the price decrease to animal activists. But Howe doesn’t do it for the money; he does it as a hobby.
“It is work,” he stressed, “digging holes, setting traps, skinning, hanging it overnight, combing the fur and freezing it ... but it’s fun. I even enjoy going by myself.”
Originally, Howe focused on coyotes and foxes, now he concentrates on water trapping. Being on the river early in the morning has its benefits because he sees a lot of turkeys, deer and eagles.
Howe has trapped bobcats, coyotes, red foxes, grey foxes, minks, muskrats, raccoons, otters, beavers and the occasional skunk. Opossums, laughs Howe, “will go a mile out of their way to get in a trap.”
Which seems fair enough, since Howe will go a mile out of his way to set them.
