Out-of-State Trapline: Lodging.

Lodging:



This is an extension of the "Trouble shooting an out-of-state trapline" thread. The same guidelines apply, 500+ miles from home, 2 week time frame, location: North America. Keep in mind this is a "beginners guide" to finding and/or setting-up a suitable trapping camp. And we're trying to do this on a trappers budget. Electric and running water would make this adventure more enjoyable, but we can't afford $1,500 per week for a rental house on the beach.

We have several folks here that trap out of state each year, describe or tell us a little about your first camps. Tell us what works, and what problems we need to avoid. Obviously, if we'd have friends/family living near our new trapline, that would help the situation, unfortunately most of us do not. In a "perfect world", we'd all have someone send an email and say: "Hey, I know a guy that'll rent his deer camp for $100/week, here's his #." For most of us, that's wishful thinking. Lodging is lodging. So if you go out of state to hunt or fish or camp, if it would apply to trapping, please give us your secret to cheap accomodations. I have a couple ideas, but let's hear about time-tested, proven plans.

I drive a van, and sleep
well it it. Some farmer
will usually let me set
up camp on his place, near
a barn. Usually find a faucet
and an outlet nearby.

Skinning facilities are an important consideration. A place to dry equipment is also.

Years ago I spent 3 consecutive nights in my truck, on the 4th morning I had 3 pairs of wet and/or frozen boots, along with most of my other clothes. It's nearly impossible to dry socks/gloves, boots, etc. with just a vehicle's heater. I did have a small gas stove that worked good for cooking, but it didn't put off enough heat to dry clothes, in a reasonable time. Anyone that's ever camped that way in cold weather will agree, it's not the best. I didn't sleep very well either.

In 2004 I trapped with a man, we stayed in his camper trailer. I forget, it was a 14 or 16 footer? Nothing fancy, but it had a gas cook stove and furnace. The temperature was below freezing, so we didn't have running water in the camper, but could at least heat enough jug water to wash our hands and do the dishes. We took turns cooking and we ate some darn good meals in that little camper. I enjoy cooking (somewhat), so it was a nice way to relax, we'd fix supper, warm up, eat a big meal, get stuff ready for the next day, and bs until lights out. The gas furnace would easily dry wool gloves/socks, and boots overnight. The camper was parked in the heart of his trapline, the nearest motel was a 30+ minute drive out of the way, and about $75/night. He had a small gas generator/power-unit that we'd fire-up each evening so we could use the 110v lights, too.

Last winter I found a camper for sale, the guy was asking $1,200 for it, it's in good shape, but too big for my use. Just last week I had a guy offer his camper trailer to me for $500, about the right size but old as the hills. That's a fairly big initial investment, but figure that's only 2 weeks worth of motel nights. Unless a guy is really rough on equipment the camper should last several years. Depending on what a guy is trapping, I really can't see staying in a motel. If a guy goes in all skunked-up, they're going to tell you to leave. Where/how do the rest of you guys camp?

I have a deer hunting camp house to stay in. Actually they use it year around for a little "get-away" retreat. About 1/3 of it is a bus and the camp house is incorporated around it. One roof covers all.

This is actually the second camp house I've stayed in. The first one was torn down a couple of years ago.

It is crude, but has all the comforts of home. It has electricity, hot and cold running water, electric stove, and refrigerator. There is a wood stove for heat. I have my own freezer stashed there.

These accommodations are just about perfect. They keep me warn, dry and comfortable, but this place is not so fancy that I have to worry about tracking in a little mud or anything like that. Of course, when I'm done, I clean it top to bottom and make every effort to leave is just as good, or better, than I found it.

The other nice thing is it is well off the beaten path, at the end of a two-mile gravel road. I don't have to many curiosity seekers, and nobody complains when my carcass pile gets knee deep.

The very best part is -- it's free. However, I always give the owner a hundred dollars to cover the electricity and wear and tear.

It's really a sweet deal.

Hal

Home away from home, that is nice. I've thought about that set-up also. Around here on my local trapline, I can think of probably 20 "deer shacks" that I could camp in, most are just a phone call away. If a guy planned to trap the same area year after year, it'd be a good idea to keep an eye out for those out of the way camps. It's obvious that in Hal's situation, he and the landowner are friends and have developed a trust with each other over the years. I doubt the camp owner contacted Hal first? But for a new guy moving into an area, that'd be the exception, unless a guy had references. Most farmers/landowners have been taken advantage of, at least once. If I'd come across a deal like that, it'd be worthwhile to offer to pay a deposit up-front, just to let him know that I'm sincere. And I'd guarantee the owner, that the camp and contents would be the same or better when I pulled out, and ask him to give it a final inspection. I'd take a chainsaw with me and replenish the woodpile too. 20 years ago most folks didn't lock their house door at night, but things have changed.

Mentioned above, I agree some farmers would be willing to let a trapper park their van or camper on the "back 40" for a week or 2. It might cost a few dollars, but at least you'd have some privacy. If you'd have access to running water and electric, that'd be even better.

"Skinning facilities are an important consideration. A place to dry equipment is also"

I would think a skinning facility and pelt storage would be a large part in deciding. Why trap for two weeks and have no place to process fur and maybe even have a chance at it spoiling. I know up north that isn't as big a problem but down south I'm sure it is. What would be your options of storing green pelts without a freezer? Coolers with ice or dry ice?

I believe that is another topic. Tim is trying to focus on lodging in this thread.

Hal

Over on the "fur handling/storage" thread someone mentioned "rent by the week" motels. Some motels do offer a discount price for staying multiple nights. When I worked out of town (mid-late 80's) and moved to a new job, I had my best luck finding cheap lodging by stopping at the local store/gas station and simply ask: "Where's the cheapest place to stay here in town?" Most times they would point me to a privately owned, "mom & pop" motel. Look at it from the motel owner's perspective, if you walk in and pay for 13 consecutive nights, that's less paperwork and less time involved for them. If they're willing to give a 5 or 10% discount, that's not much, but it may be enough to buy a tank of fuel? There's nothing wrong with asking for a discount--some will agree to a discount, others will tell you to take it or leave it. Thinking about some of the "motels" where I've stayed, I'm sure some of them would let a guy run an extension cord out the window and plug-in a freezer. Above where I said I couldn't see trapping from a motel, I was thinking about the ones where you've got to walk past the "front-desk", in and out. It would be a little different if your room door opened to the outside. Either way, it's unacceptable to skunk-up or a room, even if you do have it rented for 2 weeks. Or a guy could wear overalls and keep a clean pair of sneakers handy, and strip-off your trapping clothes before entering the motel. That would work. The idea of staying in a "deer shack" is the best one so far. Any other ideas?

Try being bold and just ask for some help.......Someday I may just ask Hal iffin I could camp at his place......never know till ya ask

lodging depends a lot on where this out of state exodus will be. Some areas, winter is mild enough to do well with a tent and skinning tree, others a big pile of fire wood would be needed.


This forum might just be the place to post the thought you would like to trap someplace new, and a fellow trapper might say come on over, ya can't run my traps but I will put ya up for a spell! ( sorry Hal, now some one might have to create one of them thar things so's a feller could post he would like to go some where to trap.

Two years ago I got tired of making the 250-mile roundtrip to check my line, so I set up a canvas wall tent out in the woods, complete with a wood stove. No water or electricity; I had to haul my water in and use a Coleman lantern.

I only went there on weekends to run my line, and stayed 1-2 nights at a time. Could have stayed longer, but there was no realistic way to thaw my catch out for skinning; I just left animals frozen out in the sled until I went home.

Years ago I stayed for two weeks in a wall tent, trapping fox on Ohio Power Company land. No stove that time. But I was a lot younger then, and Ohio doesn't get as cold as it does up here.

Jim

I do have several people giving me advice, and looking for a deer shack for me-- seems like every place I'm considering is "saturated" with trappers. Read that: "Stay home". lol. Really, I started this thread as a guideline for everyone, north or south, we can learn from each others mistakes. Even little tid-bits of advice may make our excursion more enjoyable. I'm not just looking for a free ride for myself. (But if anyone knows of a "hunting camp" that a feller could rent, my email is open.) I'm still reading rules/regs.

I've never camped in a wall tent, I've been in a few of the "neighbors". Back in 04, a big game outfitter invited us into the "cook tent", it was big, I'll guess 15' X 40' or so? It was nice, tables/chairs down both walls, wood cook stove on one end, and it had indoor/outdoor carpet (Astro turf) on the floor. I didn't have a thermometer, but I'll bet the air temp in that thing was 100* shoulder-high, it was hot. If a guy would have a stove and a cot, that wouldn't be bad, even in cold weather. It would darned sure beat sleeping in a bag on the ground. The only tents that I've camped in were the kind where you crawl into headfirst, and either back-out on all 4 or twist around and crawl back out. The way wall tents are framed, you could rig a clothes line and at least dry a few of your essentials. Search "wall tent", they're expensive.

The last time we went on vacation we spent 4 or 5 nights in rental cabins, really they were set up just like a motel room. Each room was a separate building. That may be something to consider also.

A wall tent can be a toasty place with a good wood stove. However, installing one alone is a nightmare. unless you have a pole or live tree to act as a "post.

There was a tent company called ATUK that had a variety of wall tents. Some were quite light. A GOOGLE search might turn up something. With the exchange rate now is the time for an American to buy Canuck.

I know of quite a few fellows that hunt moose out of "Tempo" type winter garages. They can be "dark" but they do the job. Again, you need a wood stove. But that is easy enough to make with an old drum and a recipricating saw.

Dated for search.