Trapping traditions continue along the North Shore
For Jim Wallner and his family in Cook County, an early winter tradition includes setting trap lines in the nearby forests.
Trapping is something Wallner has been doing for many years, and a practice he still finds rewarding.
The legacy of hunting and trapping in Cook County and the North Shore area stretches back for as long as humans lived in the region.
For generations and dating back many hundreds of years the native communities have hunted these lands. The furs and meat of various species were essential for their survival in the far north. After their arrival, Voyageurs from the interior of Canada would carry their furs by canoe through the boundary waters region on their way to Lake Superior.
The necessity for trapping and the popularity of the trade is far different from what it was several generations ago. That being the case, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Furbearer Research Specialist John Erb says some, including Wallner, still look forward to the trapping season each winter.
In this installment of the WTIP original series “The Legacy of Hunting and Trapping on the North Shore,” Joe Friedrichs visits the Wallner house to learn more about trapping in the region.
