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Post by mole on Dec 18, 2005 6:46:38 GMT -5
It was back in 1970,I was laid off from work so I took up bounty trapping. I wanted to be able to say someday that I had done it. It was a real hot day and I was walking up this big sand wash and looking up there was a bear about 300+ lbs. about 30 ft. in front of me. all I had was a 22 pistol but he was as hot or hotter than I was and he took off. I know now you could never out run one. One morning going to tend traps there was three small foxes dead in the road. That was 9 dollars,which filled the gas tank for a week.The two front feet of hedgehogs was 50 cents which also helped pay the gas bill. I didn't get rich in this bussiness but I paid expences and had fun. Those days are over. The cyote is protected now,not so much for the cyote but for other interests. Hope you liked this little look back. Its a good memory for me. Ed
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Post by brushwolf on Dec 18, 2005 7:22:55 GMT -5
Great story. How long did ya do the bounty work for ed? I wish ya could fill a gas tank for a week on 9 bucks. In 35 short years the world has changed an awful lot. I was just a kid then but that era holds some of my best memories also. Thanks for the story.
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Post by Itrapny on Dec 18, 2005 8:24:29 GMT -5
That is an awsome story Ed, I never knew that NY had a bounty system so recently. I think that today's ADC trappers are the bounty trappers of years past, although I don't necessarily agree with it 100% it certainly has it's place.
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Post by fisherman on Dec 18, 2005 11:43:05 GMT -5
Back in the 70's Bounties were paid as follows$25 for Coyotes and Bobcats, $ 5 for Fox, 50 cents for a porcupine tail.They may have varied from County to County.There also was a bounty on Rattlesnakes, but can't remember how much that was. The bounties were collected from town clerks that were supposed to punch holes in the ears. Many of these clerks were women that wanted nothing to do with these critters and consequently a lot of stuff was bountied two or three times; merely by going from clerk to clerk, town to town. Rattlesnakes were hunted so hard that today they are fully protected by NY State.
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Post by mole on Dec 18, 2005 12:12:03 GMT -5
I am glad some one liked the story.For the record I had to take my cyote and such to the county seat in either Canton,NY or Lowville ,NY. I got 25 dollars for cyote and bobcat.Than they took it off bobcat. Three dollars for fox. and 50 cents for hedgehogs front feet.I know this because I did it. Ed
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Post by Adirondack-Jim on Dec 20, 2005 10:25:02 GMT -5
I can remember taking fox in for the $5 bounty in the neighboring county when I just started fox trapping in the early 70's. I talked them into only taking the very tip of the tail off so I could still board and sell it. I think they canceled the bounties about two years after I started trapping. Didn't realize the bounties were so high on coyote and cat. Guess that's why OL Butcher was hot on cats for bounties. Guessing $25 a cat would equal many folks daily wage then.
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Post by wmthrower on Dec 20, 2005 12:42:47 GMT -5
good story Mole. Isn't it interesting how the public's opinions have changed. If they had a bounty today the town clerk's would be hung.
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Post by otter04 on Jul 6, 2007 19:14:27 GMT -5
For you that dont know there were no bounties payed after 1971. New York State stopped all bounties after the timber rattlesnakes were almost wiped out. i know because we were trapping in the sixties. And yes the old trappers were all big bounty hunters.
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Post by fisherman on Aug 24, 2007 7:01:17 GMT -5
When I worked on Lake George we had to relocate the Timber Rattlesnakes that would swim out to the islands and show up in the campsites. These critters inhabit the mountains on each side of the lake. There are those that would disagree, but it was a good thing to end the bounties on them, as well as the furbearers. Rattlesnakes are particularly vulnerable when their dens are located as they have a relatively low reproductive rate, and Otter is correct in saying they came close to being wiped out. Today Timber Rattlers are completely protected in New York today. By the way, they have two color phases, black or yellow.
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Post by Itrapny on Aug 24, 2007 7:11:35 GMT -5
Have you seen any recently up your way Al?
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Post by fisherman on Aug 24, 2007 8:55:14 GMT -5
My wife and I have purchased a second home in western Pennsylvania and are pretty much dividing our time between the Adirondacks and there. I have been in Pennsylvania a good portion of the summer and have not spent much time looking for them. I saw one run over on a road down there. I find them fascinating, shy creatures.The non poisonous water snakes were far more aggressive and would come after you, but the rattlers only defended themselves, with lots of warning. I have heard them rattle from as much as 150' away, when they had been disturbed.We were trained how to properly handle them when I worked for DEC. Since I have a nuisance wildlife license I did much of their control work on the lake with coons and beaver. Most of the other Rangers were not wild about rattlesnakes and so I handled most of them. We might relocate 8 to 10 snakes in a season. It is surprising how far they will swim. Because we had the equipment we would get called for snakes in peoples yards.The snakes are marked by a college professor before being released; we caught the same snake three times in one summer! Right now they are shedding their skins. In the Adirondacks they seem to be limited to the shores of Lake George and Lake Champlain. They are there, but certainly not behind every tree.
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Post by Itrapny on Aug 24, 2007 14:48:13 GMT -5
Thanks Al
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Post by nimrod on Nov 14, 2009 16:08:38 GMT -5
there are rattlesnakes in the southern tier. last year they had to close the rest area in coopers plains which is two miles outside of corning ny. people were eating their lunch at picnic tables and snakes were going right by them. they like to lay in the sun to help incubate their eggs i guess. the didn't open the rest area till late october. now their are signs everywhere
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Post by Hidehunter1 on Nov 19, 2010 12:27:16 GMT -5
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