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Rewind
features articles I have published over the years in various
trapping magazines. The articles have been updated with "Fast
Forward" information as different perspectives
have emerged since the material was published. Articles previously
published here may be viewed in the Rewind
Archives -- Hal
DOWN AND AROUND ON THE FARM
by Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" December, 1992)
 Although
there are tracts of public land available for trapping in some areas, most
of us trap on private land in the rural communities where we live. More
often than not, this is agricultural land. Farms, including ranches, are
primary targets for establishing a trapline. Once you have gained permission
to trap on a farm you have opened the door to a new and potentially fruitful
trapping area. How you conduct yourself as you travel on and about this farm
can have a definite influence in opening other doors for you. However, if
your host finds your actions irresponsible, you can have the door slammed in
your face and your name blacklisted in the community.
When
you are trapping on a farm, you are a guest. That phrase is often repeated -
probably because it's too often ignored. Some trappers (hunters too) think
that simple permission to be on the land gives them free run of the place. I
won't charge them with any of the atrocities, like fence cutting, and
vandalism because I think this is done mostly by trespassers. But there are
other instances where you can run afoul of your host, and there are ways of
making your presence a welcome one.
One
of the stickiest problems in trapping a farm is where you can or can't,
should or shouldn't, take your vehicle. Some farmers may tell you to go
anywhere you want, while others may not even want you to drive continuously
on their lanes when it is muddy. It is important to ask. You will find that
most landowners are somewhere in between and ask only that you use
discretion.
This
usually means judging the ground cover and moisture content of the soil
before you take your vehicle off any of the beaten paths. Driving across a
dry sod field to check a fox set may be alright, but you won't score many
points if you cut two brown ruts through that field in the rain. Sometimes,
you will be allowed to travel on untilled cropland because the plow will
erase your ruts, but if you get yourself stuck and have to ask for a tow,
you've made a nuisance of yourself. And I'm assuming no one is so stupid as
to drive over freshly planed crops or tilled soil, or dumb enough to ride
down unharvested crops. These latter restrictions apply to walking as well
as driving.
Frozen
ground is usually a boon to the trapper in getting around a farm, especially
on bare soil. But you can damage certain kinds of grass and hay by driving
on them in freezing weather. If the ground is frozen solid things are okay,
but if only the top layer of soil is frozen, driving across the grass breaks
the soil into small pieces and severs the roots of the grass. More succulent
plants, like alfalfa can be damaged anytime it is frozen. I saw this happen
a few years ago when three teenagers spent their Thanksgiving vacation
racing through an alfalfa field on their ATV's. By Christmas their
playground was a four-acre brown spot.
You
not only need to be considerate of where you take your vehicle, but also
where you leave it. If you park in the middle of a bridge and run off to
check an hour's worth of traps, you may return to find a farmer that you
have put fifty-five minutes behind schedule. If the middle of the lane is
the most logical place to park, do so in an area that will offer a detour.
If necessary, leave the keys in your vehicle. I can see the paranoids
wringing their hands, but statistics show that your vehicle has little
chance of being stolen on the back-forty. But I am sensible enough not to do
this when I am parked right next to the road.
If
you trap on farms where there is livestock, you are likely to encounter
gates and fences. Closing gates is one of the first rules you learn about
trapping or hunting on someone's farm. Actually the rule is to leave the
gate as you found it. Always close gates that you find closed, but don't try
to be helpful by closing all the gates you find. Sometimes farmers open
gates to move animals to a different pasture, and sometimes they leave gates
open for easy access when there are no animals on that tract. If you are in
doubt, or an open gate appears to be an obvious mistake, opt for closing the
gate and report your actions to the landowner. Volunteer to go back and open
the gate if you have done wrong.
A
gate is the best way to get through a fence, but they are not always handy
for the trapper. Most farmers won't mind if you climb over or through a
fence as long as you don't damage it. To do this, you must climb a fence
near a post where the wire is well supported. When I climb a fence, I grasp
the top of a post, put my feet on both sides of the post, climb up, swing my
leg over the post, and climb down the other side. Climbing a fence between
the posts stretches the wire and causes the fence to sag.
A
fence that is old and brittle will be hard to climb. If an old fence has
definitely been abandoned, and you have express permission, you may be
allowed to cut a hole for a crossing, but NEVER cut a fence on your own
initiative. Usually old fences suffer from gaps and sags in the wire, and
you may find a natural hole in the fence that you can slip through. If there
is livestock present, remember that these gaps can also provide an escape
route for the animals. They may generally ignore these spots but may
suddenly be attracted by your scent. Yes, cows and sheep can smell too. Be
prepared to make a temporary repair where you cross. When you are finished
trapping, you may want to make a permanent repair as a favor to the farmer,
or at least report the problem to him.
This
is another aspect of your travels around a farm. By reporting problems such
as open gates and broken fences, you may be saving trouble rather than
making trouble for the farmer. Trapping may carry you into places where the
farmer rarely ventures, or you may discover something in your daily travels
that the farmer might not see for a week.
Sometimes
quick action is called for to remedy a situation. For example, if you find
livestock escaping through a broken fence you may be able to herd them back
in, or at least make a quick repair so that no more escape while you go for
help. Sometimes the situation can be critical. Last season I pulled out of a
farm at dusk, and found a holstein cow standing in the middle of the road.
It was nip and tuck as the farmhand and I chased the cow up and down this
busy highway. I wasn't sure what would happen if a car came head on with a
full grown holstein, but I envisioned hamburger either way.
It
is also good to find out who else you might be encountering on a farm. Some
farms may be open to anyone, and on others you may have sole permission. You
should note the activities of others around the farm, and alert the farmer
if other people are making mistakes that you could be blamed for. If you
question whether or not they have permission to be there, alert the farmer
that he may be the victim of trespassers.
If
you are trapping on a farm, you need be concerned with where and how you
travel, and also when you are going to be there. If you are on a farm during
"normal business hours" you are not likely to create much disturbance.
Fortunately, farmers and trappers usually keep the same general hours--early
in the morning 'til late at night. However, if you must run your traps
during non-daylight hours make sure you have the blessing of the farmer.
Most
farmers feel obliged to investigate any intrusions that occur after dark and
before daylight. There is justification for this because it is during the
night hours that they experience most of their losses to thieves and
vandals. And like trappers and hunters, farmers are firm believers in our
second amendment, which gives citizens the right to bear firearms in defense
of themselves, and their property. Go on a farm unannounced in the middle of
the night, and you may find yourself looking down the barrel of a gun.
But
this does not mean that you can't check traps in the dark, as long as the
farmer knows you are doing it and you maintain some respect for trouble you
will be causing. If you can stay away from the houses, and not wake anyone
up, you probably won't cause much bother. Still, the landowner should know
that you are doing this, in case you are reported by neighbors or
passers-by.
Sometimes
the only entrance to a farm is right past the house. You should give serious
consideration before you rumble through somebody's yard in the middle of the
night. You will almost surely wake someone in the house, and this may wear
out your welcome. If this is your only alternative, agree to keep the same
hours each day until you are finished trapping. This way, a farmer can look
at his clock, and know that it is you passing through and not someone he
needs to investigate.
These
are general rules of behavior for traveling on and about a farm, but please
bear in mind that there is no universal code. Each farm may have unique
prohibitions or restrictions. These may be spelled out to you when get
permission, and if you are in doubt at that time, or any time in the future,
ask before you act.
Even
if you are acting in a permissible manner, you should be prepared make
reparations if you cause incidental damages. If you damage a fence by
crossing it, make sure you restore it to its original condition before you
leave, and tell the landowner what you have done. Last season I had to
apologize for cutting ruts up a grassy hill when I misjudged the amount of
rain fall. At the end of the season, I smoothed out the ruts, and sprinkled
a little grass seed on top. This was the same farm where, two years before,
I had been unable to get stopped on an icy grade, and slid through one of
their gates. That was a little harder to fix, but they were satisfied with
my repairs, and they joke that gate works better now than it did before.
They invite me back every year, and I think they secretly hope I crash into
a few more of the less substantial gates.
Getting
around on farms is second nature to me, probably because I was raised in
this environment, and I have done a little farming of my own. I always
follow the dictates of the farmer, and combined with my own better judgment,
I rarely make my presence on a farm inconvenient or damaging. If I can be
useful in reporting or correcting a problem, this will almost certainly
extend my welcome. I have the reputation of being a good guest on the farms
that I trap, and this helps me to get on other farms--some of which have
closed their gates to less considerate trappers.
### Previous "Rewind" articles may be viewed in the
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