[Reprinted from original]

The deadline to register for the Alaska Trappers Association’s General Trapping School is today, Friday, October 8th.

The school will be held on Saturday, October 16th and Sunday, October 17th at the Lost Lake Boy Scout Camp, which is located at Mile 306 of the Richardson Highway.

Longtime Fairbanks trapper Dan Tempel explained that the school started so that experienced trappers could “pass along the tricks and tips they learned along the way.” The course will cover a variety of trapping related topics, including trapping ethics, trap and snare sets, fur handling, lures and baits and pre-season preparations.

But the two days are about more than just trapping. “It covers just about the whole gamut,” Tempel said. Material covered includes tips about what kinds of traps to use for different animals, but also about snowmachine handling and arctic survival.

The school is valuable because participants are able to “learn from the experts, who are passing down what has taken them years to learn.” There are typically about 10 experts on hand, Tempel said. The school has been going on for “quite a few years,” Tempel said, estimating about 25 years.

Registration fee is $120 for current Alaska Trappers Association members or $150 for non-members. The $150 includes a one-year membership. Tempel recommends that participants bring a sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Masks are required and vaccinations are highly recommended.

To register for the class, call (907) 474-1774 or at Alaskatrappers.org.