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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Raymond-Prinsburg News

Viewpoints
The New Girl in Town
By Laura Kay Prosser Trapping has a bad rap more times than not. That bad rap is often due to illegal trappers who arent certied by the state to trap. Clayton Manson is a trapper who has been trapping since he was seven, with pocket gophers he got for twenty-ve cents a piece. All summer long farmers would call me saying the gophers were back, Manson said.Instead of poisoning them they let me trap them. Now pocket gophers go for $5 a piece and Manson is no longer a little kid with traps strapped to his bike, hes a certied state trapper. Im good at it, Manson said. Mansons heritage is trapping. His uncles and grandfather were trappers. Its in my blood, I enjoy it, Manson said. Though it may be in his blood, he didnt learn his trapping from his family. While they introduced it to him, Manson claims his skill was passed to him by State Trapper, Harry Johanson and David Kolseth, fellow trappers who gave him a few tips. Those two took me under their wings when I was little and taught me everything I know, Manson said. Now as a state trapper himself, if called in, no matter the season, he can trap. Its interesting what you catch and what you see in this area, Manson said. While working for the state he has trapped anything from beavers to coyotes and mountain lions. When he traps for the season, he mainly works with water animals such as muskrats, mink and raccoons. Fur is pretty good for them, Manson said. If you know how to skin them properly they are pretty good money wise. Manson can get up to $30 for muskrat, mink, beaver, coyote and up to $55 for fox fur. He skins and stretches the fur himself, which allows him to get more money than just bringing the animal in whole. I learned how to put animals up the right way when I worked for Minnesota Hide and Fur, Manson said. Every season Manson puts out 600 or more traps which he checks on Sunday and then after work, at Kays Naturals, on Tuesday night. Its gotten so that trappers are working other jobs be-

cause of the changing of fur prices, Manson said. Over the years Manson has learned when to best trap certain animals. He knows that when there is open water is the best time to trap muskrats, then to wait ten days before he sets up traps for raccoons and mink. Some younger trappers get ants in their pants and trap all at once, Manson said. You learn from your mistakes how to make more money. For trappers weather can make a difference on how soon to trap and how easy it is to retrieve their traps when it is time to collect them. You have to time it so you get high quality, high value animals, Manson said. To Manson trapping is a sport. He enjoys it and has been doing it so long that its something that comes natural to him. For me its like hunting, shing and shopping is for everybody else, Manson said. He has tried to pass on his trapping skills to his daughters and grandchildren, and while they know the bare necessities, the interest and passion just isnt there for them. Its what keeps me going every fall, Manson said. Good seasons come and

go, according to Manson, and every year expectations are high when you start out the season, that this year will be the big haul. In a good year he will make $20,000, though he doesnt get a regular paycheck for it. You have to trap like you mean business, Manson said. Some people just dont have the patience. Manson has the patience. He will go 200 miles in a day to layout and collect animals from his traps. Plus he waits for the middle of June every year for his paycheck. There are three auctions in the winter, Manson said. Often times Manson ships his top furs to canada for auction and then sells the rest locally. From the time they sell it can take three months before money comes through. It can be a lengthy process before you get paid, Manson said. The most hes ever made was in 1986 when he partnered with another trapper. They laid 1,200 traps and made $20,000 in muskrats alone. Ive seen all kinds of different trappers and weird stuff, Manson said. Ive done it forever and its all what you make of it.

T hRee Buns
and a Hurricane
here, and came from fairly laid back parents I believe. That doesnt mean there were no rules or expectations, but I think our methods are fairly similar to that of our parents. We have friends who parent very similarly to us, and friends who behave much differently when it comes to their children, but, to each his own. I think we can learn from each other. Im a little surprised, though, at how much judgment there is passed sometimes, especially from people who have surely been there before, but even from those who havent. I can feel it when were out in public. People watch us in the grocery store and most other stores and restaurants, giving their opinions of how were doing with their facial expressions. Sometimes its a knowing smile, a look of empathy, other times its absolute disgust or frustration with our presence there. The Hurricane and I spent a long time at the salad bar in Pizza Ranch a couple days ago, as I supervised him selecting and transferring to his plate the lettuce, pepperonis, olives, cheese, etc., for his salad. We held up an older man behind us, who was utterly annoyed at the time we took to do this. How will my child ever learn to do things if I do them for him? In church a few weeks ago, as one of our little guys ipped through a hymnal, a page got ripped. Not torn completely out, just a short tear . . . the mother of boys behind us gave me the most appalled look. Obviously we did not want that to happen, and do the best we can to monitor their behavior in church. It hasnt happened since, and I would be very surprised if that mothers children never ripped a page in a hymThis past weekend I watched a very comical movie Parental Guidance. Of course there are a lot of funny lms that highlight parenting woes Cheaper by the Dozen is a good one, Problem Child from way back in the 80s, and one of my all-time favorites, Home Alone. Parental Guidance had a somewhat unique take on the situation, as it features the different approach grandparents take with grandkids as opposed to parents. When some typeA, helicopter parents are in a bind, they get the grandparents to stay with the kids for a few days. The kids dont know these grandparents very well as they live across the country, and hilarity ensues as they learn to live with each other. The parents dont like to tell the kids no instead they would tell them to consider the consequences. The grandparents do the best they can to operate in this manner, but of course their instincts override their instructions in many cases, and pretty soon theyre bribing them with cash and feeding them cake when theyre not allowed to eat sugar. In the end the parents and grandparents have newfound respect for one another, and come to appreciate each pairs methods of child rearing as having value. We and our children spend plenty of time with the grandparents in our lives, and there really are no surprises for anyone. For that we are thankful. Theres already enough comic material for our movie. All parents have their own way of doing things, based on their experiences being parented themselves, their lifestyle, and what they want for their kids. Were pretty laid back

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nal. Surely there are wrong ways to parent, but general moral guidelines and the law handles most of those things. There are innite right ways to parent, some better than others, but each family needs to nd what works for them and hope other people will leave them alone about it. It drives me crazy when people think they know more or their parenting style is superior to someone elses. There are no rules, no instructions. Its trial and error, taking advice (solicited and otherwise) and deciding whether to utilize it. Its considering what is effective for the kids and what suits the family as a whole. Sometimes we give our little guys sippy cups of milk to take to bed. Doctors and dentists and child development experts would certainly argue against this habit. I see children, old enough to speak, who have to take their paciers out of their mouths to do so. Thats not something we worry about as our kids never cared to have paciers, but who cares? That works for that family, and its no ones business but theirs. Parents, grandparents, people in line at the salad bar or sitting behind young families in church . . . a little understanding, please. We can learn from each other, and were all doing the best we can, the best we know how. Often times were overwhelmed and just trying to make it through the day. And we parents have to stick together and present a united front the kids have us outnumbered, and they might be trying to drive a wedge between us all so they can take over.

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