Hunting for meat intake/trapping for income (insurance, home)

[Submariner]

I know people who guide for a living; that also includes bait-sales and camps.

I also know other people who earn less than Minimum-Wage income and who hunt and trap to provide meat for their table. I would imagine if they were working full-time with better incomes, they might not be such avid hunters and trappers.

I did not mean to imply that through hunting / trapping they earn enough cash to compete with high-paying out-of-state jobs.

Excuse me if that was assumed from my posts.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

I got that all along Submariner, and I take it they trap to use the meat on the beaver and/or sell the pelts?

[TheKezarWoodsman]

It wa a typo, I meant how much castor in a never, not how to get.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Sub are those full time job wages for 700 a month? Are they single? Retired? How....

(700 a week is a lot, but a month seem Impossible)

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Originally Posted by grouse789

Again, are we using the time is money rule? But sure let's roll with grandpas gun, and reloaded ammo. You still have to go out and find the animals, then shoot true. I'm sure people do it just as Sub cited earlier. .

How did sub state it?

[Submariner]

Last spring one of the trappers showed me a pickup bed filled level with skinned beaver, [somehow a 1/2 ton of skinned beaver should be a punchline, but maybe not] they were using the frozen carcasses as bait for bobcat. [The anal glands had been removed]

[grouse789]

Stated here?
The trappers who were running trap-lines on my land, I don't think either of them make over $1,000/month. They guy who traps now, I know makes $700/month.

[grouse789]

This wAs taken from a trapping forum, on making money.


Beaverhunter2
It is possible to truly make money trapping, but more, I think, in the longer term. For example, I sold 49 beaver for a $22 average this season- $1078. During that time, I also caught my ten muskrats and averaged about $7 for them.

Now I used about $250 in gas to make that happen. (I live over 40 miles from my trap-line.)

I bought a fur harvesters license- $12.75
I buy some and make some lure- $24.00
I used a roll of 11 gauge wire (I mostly use cables)- $5.50
I lost a set of sidecutters- $6.50
Replaced one pair of hip boots (they lasted 2 seasons)- $80/2= $40.00
Replaced a pair of gauntlets- $30.00

So far it look likes I made $779.25. Not bad.

Now I had a variety of traps out during this time- MB-750s, #5DLs, 330s, and Megabears. My beaver footholds cost over $1000 and my bodygrippers, if purchased (I made some) would be more than $1000 as well. So now one could say I "lost" $1200 this season. However some of these traps are over 25 years old. Do you see where this is going?

I try to cover all "incidental" costs and, over time, pay for the steel.

As I've told my wife more than once, "I'm doing better than any duck hunter, any deer hunter, any grouse hunter, etc. At least I have a chance to cover my gas money!" LOL

Start slow for the first season or two, build your 'line over time, and most of all- Have Fun! Welcome to a great sport!

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by grouse789

C'mon Sub even at $10 per hour at 20 days(I stunk this year) that's still $1600. If a deer yields 30-60 or even 75# you would need to shoot at least 4 large deer to get close to a side of beef for 1300. But that's not fun, that's not living and I get it!

be careful with out of state numbers... and generalities

most mainers don't make 52k per yr.

most mainers don't pay 1300 for a side of beef



many mainers do hunt to eat...and most mainers do share-wild game within the family, if the need is there


most mainers wear many hats, a trapper could also have 3 other jobs,,,,working in the woods/selling firewood/could be a handy man, /could plow driveways in the winter


figures dont lie,,,,but liars figure....you can do a lot with numbers...


just as your 52k yr figure is way off base,,,
what does the average trapper in maine make?? is like asking what the average fisherman or farmer makes, no one will ever know ..for sure






fisherman, lobsterman make only

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by TheKezarWoodsman

Sub are those full time job wages for 700 a month? Are they single? Retired? How....

(700 a week is a lot, but a month seem Impossible)

Disability.