Trapping and Thanksgiving

Last week I was on Thanksgiving break vacation. This meant that we didn’t have school, so I was able to check traps every single day. This was quite the experience, as I had never been able to do before. I went out to check my traps on Monday of last week, and I have some great success. At the first trap that I checked there was a very large and very muddy raccoon. This raccoon was the biggest I have ever seen and I estimate it to weigh between 25 and 30 pounds. After I loaded up this raccoon I went home and skinned it, a process that was made much more difficult due to the fact that the raccoon was so muddy and the temperature was so low. My friend inspired by the thought of catching more raccoons went with me to check the rest of them. The next two traps that we checked were empty, and the last one was a foothold trap. For those of you who do not know of foothold requires much more effort to set, and much more skill is required to successfully catch an animal. As we approached the location where the trap is set, we were very apprehensive, We did not know if there would be anything in this trap. We walked down the hill and around a couple trees to find that we had caught another raccoon! The surprise of catching this raccoon was tremendous. This was the first time I had set a foothold trap, and it was the first time I had ever caught a raccoon in a foothold trap. The excitement aside we had been hoping that we would catch a fox, the scent that we used in that location was specifically designed for foxes. And although we were very happy that we had caught a raccoon, we still wish that we would’ve caught a fox. Once we dispatched the raccoon, and unattached the trap from the tree we brought the raccoon and the trap up the hill and watched and waved as cars passed by. This was a very fun experience for me, to capture something in a way that I had never done it before. And that I was able to share this experience with a very good friend, and lastly that I was able to look at the funny faces people made when they saw two teenage boys walking along the road carrying a raccoon. This experience reminded me that outdoor experiences are among the best experiences there are. Just the feeling of cold or of hot on your skin and your face, makes you want to do something big, or something small. The thing is that things don’t to be large or important to be special, or even to be of worth. Things just have to be with others, and done with all of your heart. In this world where most things are done seemingly without effort or true feeling, it is so refreshing to get outside and to enjoy something with all your heart with someone who you care about. I do not have any brothers, and this friend is like a brother to me. These experiences that I have him are so much fun, and they help us grow even closer. I am very grateful for the season of Thanksgiving, and for the wonderful people in my life, as well as the wonderful experiences that I have with them.