Huntin' the beaver plew

[will ghormley]

Most of us deal with cow hide, but this may interest you fellers.  I'm gettin' my gear ready for beaver huntin' season here in Ioway country.  Starts November 6th, just the other side of Turkey season on November 2nd.  This first page is some of the traditional mountaineer gear used in the beaver hunt.  Later, I'll add some photos, or another page, of the actual techniques.  When it's froze over solid, I'll try and show some ice trappin' tricks.

http://www.willghormley-maker.com/BeaverHuntGear.html

Will

[Major 2]

very cool ...I can't wait till you next instalment

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Will, it looks like your headed for another adventure, looks like fun.

[buckskin billy]

you lucky dog you.
 our trapping season won't start until november 20th. i still got a while to wait.
i was going through my traps the other day and got a wiff of my left over castor from last year. sure does get a trappers blood a pumping.
 i like them traps you got. i use bridger #5 but i have a couple of whisper creeks.  whisper creek has a center mounted chain like alot of original traps. i really like your chain set up. i got a pard that hand forges traps and he has been making some forge welded chains. yours may be a little easy to make.
 great "medicine bottle" you got there. i have been working on making me a new one. i like your idea of the attached spoon.

good luck on catching them flat tails. we have been in a drought here in louisiana  this year and all of my beaver doings are all dried up so it may be slim pickings for us

[GunClick Rick]

 

i wear a size 7 hat Will

[will ghormley]

Hey Buckskin Billy,

You don't see that much of the wire chain.  It kinks more easily than the more common kinds of chain.  It is also prone to gettin' bends in it that have to be hammered out, (if you are obsessive compulsive).  But, it is plenty strong enough to hold a man, let alone a three-legged beaver.  I believe I remember reading an account somewhere that it was popular among the mountaineers because it was lighter than regular chain and easier to pack into the toolies.

Since I'm no blacksmith, it is far easier for me to hammer out than any other kind of chain, plus, I really like the way it looks.  I think it gives the kit a real "old-fashioned" look.  Bein' of an artistic bent, how somethin' looks carries a lot of clout for me.

Over the years I've ended up wastin' a lot of castorum, (not to mention gettin' it all over me), before I came up with the idea of puttin' a spoon in the lid.  Works pretty slick, and I don't have to look around for where I laid the stick I was spreadin' the castorum with.  I try to find sets where I don't need to use castorum, but if you need the edge for a weak set, it does the job.

Will

[Curley Cole]

Will
Can I come and live with you?? I promise I won't eat much...heheh You have all the fun.

Best I can do is that Deja Vouz is "arrangin" a SASS gold pannin trip up into the canyon. I guess I get to be their guide of sorts. I am not sure anyone else can pann etc so may be instructor too...

still would rather be doin what you are doin...

keep us informed..
thanks
curley

[Johnny McCrae]

Very interesting and informative! Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.

[will ghormley]

Hey Curley,

You know you're welcome at my fire anytime...especially when you bring the sourdough!  I'm thinkin' of diggin' me a dugout cabin in a heavy wooded area around one of my favorite lakes for a trappin' cabin of sorts.  Someplace to stack dry wood out of the rain where I can start a fire and warm up and dry out.  It wouldn't be too big, but I could build it big enough for the two of us.

The SASS gold pannin' trip sounds like a hoot.  I give anything, (except cash), to have you guide me up the canyon!  I've got extra pans and a rocker box and I'd be willin' to share, (except the glitter I find!).  There should be some sort of historical re-enactor's vacation service that sets up and guides folks on historical adventures.

Will

[buckskin billy]

howdy will,
what size metal do you use to make those chains. i have a small forge but i'm no blacksmith either. those may prove to be easier for me to make as well.
  i have the metal scrounged up but just aint took the time to alter the pans on my bridgers to make them look like the old pans.
i got those whisper creek traps because the picture in the catalog show them with square pans and center mounted chains( and they are american made) but when i got them they have oval shape pans.
when i can get caught up on my tanning i plan on bark tanning a cow elk and making a trap sack out of it. but trapping season is close so it may be spring before that happens.

i spilt some castor on my buckskin pants last year and the wife made me eat outside for a week.when she let me come in she made me leave the pants outside. that smell just won't hardly leave brain tan buckskins.
them women folk got no sense of humor

[JD Alan]

Too bad they don't allow trappin in my neck of the woods, since Sherwood is right next to Beaverton. People thiink I'm kidding when I say Beaverton, (City of 90 thousand) so I tell'm we got us a Troutdale too! Besides beaver we have a lot of nutrea, but we can't do anything with them either, or the sack full of liberals......darn!

[Curley Cole]

Will
Looks like I will be guidin a group into that canyon. Hope we don't get hit by injuns or claimjumps....will take some pix

I would love to hang out with you some time....I hope I can work that in to my schedule...it would be a real hoot, and I will bring plenty of sourdough...

curley

[santee]

There should be some sort of historical re-enactor's vacation service that sets up and guides folks on historical adventures.

Great idea.

[will ghormley]

Hey Buckskin,

I use 3/16" for the wire chain and 1/4" for the rings.  Works pretty well.  I hacksaw my pans out of 1/16" plate, (because that's what I have layin' around).  Your wife would'a let you into the house sooner if you had'a taken off your skins, but I'll bet you were agitatin' all the beaver every time you went through your trappin' grounds.

Hey JD,

I'd just deal with the liberals the same way I do the nutrea.  That would solve most all your problems.

Santee,

I have proven over and over that I'm a great creator and story teller, but a lousy business man.  You start the business and hire me an' Curley as guides!

Will

[Curley Cole]

Can you visualize a group of folks bein guided by me and Will? I sure don't know where we might get, but they would have a pack o fun gettin there...

Sounds like a great prop. to me...

curley

[GunClick Rick]

We'll all be drinkin that free bubble up and eatin that beaver plew~~~~~

[buckskin billy]

you can take the hind quarters of a beaver and boil them down, till they are falling off the bone. season them up real good to your likings, and then proceed to making a stew with the beaver. lip smacking good. and sure beats eating the tail any day. mmm mmm. gosh i was trapping season would hurry up and get here

[will ghormley]

I'm thinkin' beaver BBQ!  Ya' gott'a have campfire roasted beaver tail at least once a season though.

And Curley, where you're goin' 'aint near as important as the adventure ya' have gettin' there.  Like Kit Carson once told a young'in in one of his brigades, "Lost?  No, we're explorin'.  You cain't never get lost when you don't know where you're goin'."

Will

[santee]

You start the business and hire me an' Curley as guides!

Hmmm...could definitely happen. Guess I better go to business school first...

[Mogorilla]

Hey Santee, I am in business school, that's why I haven't posted any leather in about 3 months!!! 
"Lost, I ain't never been lost!  Might confused for a month or two..."
I have always thought it would be a cool vacation to do something like that.  my old college buddies and I were seriously looking into the cattle drive/dude ranch after watching City Slickers, but only two of us had the grub steak to afford it.   Would be fun!