Fur trapping in North America began at the turn of the sixteenth century when rugged mountain men pushed ever westward in search of beaver. These entrepreneurs possessed an unmatched sense of adventure, a relentless drive to succeed, and an uncanny ability to survive. The intimacy between man and nature discovered by these early explorers has been continued through hardy souls still lucky enough to know the thrill and excitement of a modern-day trapline. The proud heritage of America's fur-trappers lives on through trappers associations, trapper education programs, and the trappers who continue to live it. Follow the journey of a young boy in 20th century rural America who learned about wild lands and wildlife through fi rsthand experience. The people he meets along the way inspire him to write about trappers and trapping and the importance of preserving man's primitive crafts for the continuation of America's rich wildlife legacy.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hunting and Trapping! A collection of tips, tactics, and anecdotes from the finest trappers the United States has ever seen, The Trapper’s Bible is an essential reference guide for hunters, trappers, and historians. Taken directly from some of the upmost authorities on the trapping profession, hundreds of photos and illustrations adorn this fascinating compendium. Broken up into sections, this volume details a wide variety of different traps and contains an extensive section outlining the behavior and nature of a long list of animals commonly hunted and trapped. The Trapper’s Bible offers the best of the best — an informative look into life as a trapper. From a complete listing of steel traps to constructing a variety of deadfalls, pens, traps, triggers, and snares, the collected sources take you through the ins and outs of trapping, including practical how-to instructions as well as personal stories and letters from real trappers.

The subtitle says it all: "A Collection of Interesting Scenes and Events in the Rocky Mountains Together With a Short Description of California: Also, Some Account of the Fur Trade, Especially as Carried on About the Sources of the MIssouri, Yellow Stone, and on the Waters of the Columbia, in the Rocky Mountains."First published in 1850 (original editions are almost impossible to find), this may well be fiction: its authenticity as journalism is hotly disputed. Written by the mysterious DAVID COYNER, about whom little is known except that he also authored an 1870 work entitled Cheap, Healthy and Happy Homes in West Virginia for Northern and New England Emigrants, this purports to be the account of an expedition headed by a Captain Williams gleaned from "an old musty, mutilated journal."Whether it's true or not, though, this is a grand adventure story of the American frontier of the mid 19th century.

Describes methods of trapping furbearers in the northern United States and Canada, including humane but practical equipment, and advises on human survival in remote areas

In 1834, Osborne Russell joined an expedition from Boston, under the direction of Nathaniel J. Wyeth, which proceeded to the Rocky Mountains to capitalize on the salmon and fur trade. He would remain there, hunting, trapping, and living off the land, for the next nine years. Journal of a Trapper is his remarkable account of that time as he developed into a seasoned veteran of the mountains and experienced trapper.

Describes the life and activities of the trappers and fur traders in the Old West in the first half of the nineteenth century and recounts stories of such colorful individuals as Jim Bridger and John Colter.