Trappers from the Black Hills of South Dakota and across the country will have the chance to learn numerous trapping and fur-handling techniques, maybe most importantly how not to stink to high heaven, the Rapid City Journal reported.
Among the techniques that will be demonstrated is how to skin a skunk without popping one of its glands.
The Black Hills will be the host site for the National Trappers Association’s 2015 Western Regional Trapping & Outdoor Expo, which is being held in conjunction with the South Dakota Trappers Association at the Buffalo Chip Campground near Sturgis. The two-day event begins June 5 and runs through June 6.
John Hopple, who has been trapping animals for more than 40 years and will be giving a presentation on proper skunk skinning, said it is much easier to show someone in person than to explain the step-by-step method. However he did impart the most important piece of advice.
Use an extremely sharp knife.
“The more a person has to dig into the animal, the more likely a person is to cut in the wrong spot,” he said. “I’m going to use a sharp knife and a dull knife during the demonstration, to show people the difference.”
Hopple, who will be presenting June 5 at 10 a.m., will be one of dozens of experienced trappers from New Mexico, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota that will provide trapping demonstrations, fur-handling demonstrations, raccoon hunting techniques and predator calls, said Anna Hermanson, president of the South Dakota Trappers Association.
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