| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Fenn Man |
Posted - 04 Dec 2005 : 23:00:04
Family side business teaches children how to trap critters
By CHRISTINE S. DIAMOND, The Lufkin Daily News
Sunday, December 04, 2005
The beating pulse of biology and earth science has come to life for the Renfro children as their father imparts the ways of the woods to his brood of youngsters in an unlikely way. In the early misty morning on a cold winter day, they see, hear and understand things that others may miss.
After four months of observing and studying nature's litany of footprints under his father's tutelage, 13-year-old Brandon not only knows which member of East Texas' animal kingdom left the print, but he can track the critter as well.
"I know just about every one you can point at," Brandon said.
A year ago, Harold Renfro said, he noticed his four children were showing signs of boredom so he decided to revive a family tradition � trapping.
"You learn a lot about the natural world when trapping," Renfro said.
At age 8, Renfro's father took him out on their family land in Hudson for his first lesson in trapping.
"He said he wanted to catch 'coons," Renfro recalled of that wintery morning.
The sale of the raccoon skins brought in extra cash for the Renfro family.
"I sold my first hide when was 13 � I got $35 for it," Renfro said. "I was excited to get a check for $35 for one raccoon hide. Hides brought in good money then."
Renfro's wife Diane remembers accompanying her own father and grandfather at age 6 on trapping expeditions.
Renfro grew up trapping on land owned by his father, grandfather and aunt in the Hudson area � until he discovered the Angelina River bottoms. Brimming with otters and a variety of other animals, the river bottoms became Renfro's trapping grounds from then on.
More than a decade ago, Renfro trapped live coyotes for extra money. In fact, Diane went into labor with their first child, Brandon, while tracking a mountain lion near their coyote trap lines.
"People look at you like you are crazy when they heard I was trapping live coyotes," Renfro said. "But if they knew how hard it is to trap a beaver �."
Texas Department of Health put an end to Renfro's extra income when it outlawed the transportation of coyotes in 1992 because of rabies. Renfro said he discussed inoculating captured coyotes for the fatal disease but said the state wouldn't listen.
Regardless, Renfro said he doesn't fool with sick animals.
"If they had mange or were sick in any way, we dispatched them," he said.
However, after the state "killed our business ... we quit. There was nothing else to do."
A year ago, though, Renfro � deciding it was time to teach his own children the art of trapping � embarked on a mission to trap nuisance beavers that were building destructive dams on private property near their home in Cushing.
Along the way, the Renfro brood saw and learned how the beaver population has exploded in East Texas � to the point that the animals build their homes in ditches and culverts. Left unchecked, the beavers' work stops the flow of water and causes destructive flooding of yards, streets and timberlands.
According to Brandon, their first catch was a raccoon � which uses the beavers dams as their own personal highways. Since then, Sarah said, the family has trapped raccoons, beaver, bobcats, skunk, mink, nutria, mountain lion and armadillos. Nutrias � 18- to 25-pound furry rodents sometimes associated with golf courses � are everywhere, Renfro said, which "cause millions of dollars worth of damage."
"I've caught so many things it ain't funny," Brandon said.
"The first thing I caught was a beaver," said 10-year-old Aaron. "I am a trapper and also a hunter."
Because beavers are nocturnal animals, seeing one � even at a zoo � is a rare opportunity, Renfro said.
Trapping these 50-pound creatures of the night has afforded the Renfro brood numerous opportunities to examine the beavers' large pancake-like, muscular tail. Under their father's watchful eye, the children have learned to skin and to clean their catches.
"A beaver that size can take two hours to skin," Brandon said as he ran his fingers through the soft, warm pelt lying on the table in front of him.
Each child has his own beaver hide, Renfro said. That is, each child except Joshua.
"Lord knows I don't want any dead animal in my room!" the 11-year-old said.
While just as interested in the world outside and all his father has to teach, Joshua has already chosen his own style of hunting � behind the lens of a camera.
Nor is Joshua as enthusiastic about seeing the inner workings of the creatures the family catches. As the dissection takes place, Renfro hangs each organ on a clothesline and gives an anatomy lesson.
"We are so used to it, it doesn't faze us," Brandon said.
Then they prepare the meat for eating.
While Diane supports her husband's efforts, she herself isn't a fan of the extra work it creates.
"I don't cook it, and I don't eat it," she said.
Her children and their friends, however, do enjoy cooking and eating the beaver meat.
Beaver burgers, beaver chili, and beaver fajitas are just a few favorites the Renfro trappers have cooked on the grill. In fact, beaver fajitas were the main entree at a recent birthday party where all of Brandon's guests attested to enjoying the East Texas delicacy.
As their understanding of the natural world grew, the children became cautious rather than fearful. Aware that animals carry diseases easily contracted by people, they are careful to avoid being cut or bitten. Hidden dangers lurk in the alluring water of streams and lakes, they've also learned. The names of diseases like beaver fever roll off their tongue.
"You don't get in the water when you have cuts on you," Brandon said.
As their family's interest in trapping picked up, Renfro started receiving requests from landowners to take care of pesky beavers.
Renfro went to Louisiana where he took the National Wildlife Control officer's test and received his license. While most states recognize and require this license, Texas does not. Instead, before Renfro could be paid to trap and remove squirrels, Texas law says he must have a pest control license. This goes for snakes, skunks or any other rodent that might invade a person's home or yard, he said.
"There is a fine line between pest control and wildlife management," Renfro said. "We do not use chemicals."
Trapping is a proven form of wildlife management, Renfro said, and he'd like to see Texas recognize that.
"It takes a lot of woods skills and knowledge to be proficient," Renfro agreed.
The art of trapping has changed a lot since Renfro, himself, was a boy. That's why he is offering classes to train other youth and their families in the ways of the woods.
"With animal rights we are having to change our method of trapping," Renfro said.
Today's traps don't have the vicious teeth of yesteryear's devices.
"It's either a more lethal means where the animal is killed instantly, or snares, where the animal is caught unhurt and can be released, or relocated, unharmed," Renfro said.
"It takes courage," said 9-year-old Sarah, Renfro's daughter who learned to trap last winter, "to make sure your fingers don't get caught in the trap."
And so a year after introducing his children and their friends to the world of trapping, Renfro is holding his first class Dec. 9-11.
"I'm going to show kids the different traps, how to read animals signs and look for them," he said � "basic woods skills that even if they never trap again they'll have these skills."
Renfro's class, which includes classroom and field exercises as well as membership to Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association, costs $30 for those under 17 and $35 for adults.
For more information, call Renfro at (936) 326-4774 or e-mail him at [email protected].
Christine S. Diamond's e-mail address is [email protected].[/b]
Found that here:
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/featr/content/features/stories/2005/12/04/20051204LDNbeaver.html |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| NickA |
Posted - 05 Dec 2005 : 18:01:18
Very minutely,baiting it is the problem.
Prevention for protection |
| massmurderer |
Posted - 05 Dec 2005 : 16:36:15
Same way that i was taught.
Only we did'nt do the coytote and that,an the beaver came along later.
Gamekeeping will always be the most skillfull but the moneys in urban pest control.
A while ago i said that pest control would eventually come back to gamekeeping due to the presure on chemicals but how do you make a break back trap for an insect. |
| NickA |
Posted - 05 Dec 2005 : 09:53:02
Steve are you going to give classes up in Hull then.
Make the use of your knowledge. Good read though.
Prevention for protection |
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