Jeff Wright of Clinton Township checks a trapline in Winfield Township, where various furbearing animals have been traveling not far from the road.

Although deer hunters maintain a high profile among the state's outdoorsmen, a more reclusive breed of sportsman also roams Pennsylvania's woods.

Those seldom seen sportsmen are trappers, who harvest common furbearers like raccoon, beaver, muskrat, fox and opossum. Skunk, mink, coyote and weasel make up their less typical pursuits.

Unlike some hunting trips, trapping takes a multiday commitment — requiring trappers to check their traps regularly, regardless of weather or schedule conflicts. The pastime also requires skill, persistence and patience.

"The trappers are probably the best woodsmen you will find out there," said Chip Brunst, a wildlife conservation officer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

"(The trapper) can go out in all of Butler County and set the trap, but he has to put it in the perfect inch-and-a-half spot to catch that animal. It's a lot more difficult than the nontrapper would think."

That inch-and-a-half spot is called a pan: the part of a trap an animal must step on to trigger the closing mechanism.

Concealed under dirt or debris, the trap must first attract its prey, then be placed where the animal steps.When an animal sidesteps the pan, the trapper evaluates tracks left behind, placing sticks, rocks or other detours to influence its route in the future. It can often take a series of days for an animal to hit the mark, if ever.Although water traps for beaver differ somewhat in design, the trapping process is the same: Danny Flick Jr. trapped a beaver last week in Winfield Township, but he spent the previous three weeks trying."She played a lot of tricks on me," said Flick, 37, of Sarver, who spent close to an hour each morning visiting the site."It's a chess game," said Jeff Wright, 49, of Clinton Township, who has been trapping since age 7.Despite his years of experience, Wright says the venture offers an ongoing challenge, forcing him to continually study the environment along with its inhabitants.Like many trappers, Wright also is drawn by nostalgia and tradition."There was at least one trapper in every generation in my family on all sides that I can remember," he said. "I still have some of my grandpap's equipment."Joe Fennell of Chicora tells a similar story. Trapping since age 15, Fennell cites trapping's ties to history."It applies to the old-time traditional values this country used to have," said Fennell, 47."Trappers settled the country: The mountain men, the trappers, went west to look for fur and discovered and explored," he added.

Although early trappers often were driven by profit, recent decades have shown a decline in prices paid for furs.Brian MacMillan, vice president of wild fur operations for the North American Fur Auctions, said fashion trends led to peak prices in the 1970s and '80s, when long-haired furs like fox were popular in North America and Europe.Today, farmed furs like mink more often are sold in China and Russia.According to Wright and others, some trappers stick with the hobby due to a love of nature. But the group plays a role in wildlife management."Trapping is probably most prevalent in keeping the furbearer numbers at a manageable level so we don't get overpopulation," said Brunst, who serves northern Butler County."Our number one furbearer for trapping is raccoons," he explained. "When the fur prices are down, you see more raccoons being hit on the road. When prices are down, you don't see as many people trapping."We do have quite a few diehard trappers here in Butler County," Brunst added. "It doesn't matter what the prices are. They'll be out trapping because they enjoy it."Although that group goes largely unnoticed due to the pastime's solitary nature, many remain low-key by choice, having been misrepresented by animal rights activists.

A public relations person for the Pennsylvania Trappers Association, Tim Giger, 52, of Middlesex Township said public perception often is based on old information."People in America still think there are teeth on our traps," he said. "The traps with teeth have been outlawed since 1906."Along with Wright, Flick and Fennell, Giger belongs to the PTA's District 2, which includes Butler, Beaver, Armstrong, Lawrence and Clarion counties.He also works as a professional nuisance control trapper, keeping abreast of technology and and laws."In Pennsylvania you're not allowed to set a trap on dry land that's greater than 6Z\x inches across when it's open," Giger said. "That's a half inch longer than a dollar bill. So when you hear that a 5-year-old kid stepped in a trap and had his ankle crushed ... no way."Laws also require traps to be set a certain distance from occupied or potentially occupied buildings, reducing the risk that domestic animals will fall prey.Even so, Giger said today's traps are designed to hold animals unharmed until the trapper returns and can dispatch the animal humanely. That evolution was measured in part by Best Management Practices, a cooperative study conducted about 10 years ago by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies with help from state wildlife agencies and various trappers groups."The data was put together to show the traps we use today are not the bone crushing, maiming devices that most people think they are," Giger said.

"Our trap sizes are regulated; where we're allowed to set them is regulated. It's all for the best way of harvesting the animal with the least damage to them as possible."Giger said today's traps include a thicker metal in the jaw, creating a larger surface area to grip the animal. The absence of a sharp edge results in less damage to the paw.Wright attests to the improvement, saying, "I've had my hand in a trap probably 50 times in my life. I still have all my fingers."Some adages also say trapped animals, once caught, will chew off their own limbs to escape. The sportsmen say although entrapped limbs can become numb — eliminating deterrence from chewing — using the appropriate size equipment prevents room for an animal's snout to access the point of contact.Swivels now incorporated into chains that secure traps to trees or stakes also allow animals to move freely without becoming entangled."Traps used to be too big, catch an animal too high and break a bone. Now, it catches by the pad of a foot," Brunst added, equating the sensation to "a big sting."In an effort to provide this information to the public and perpetuate their sport, PTA members maintain an active schedule, attending scouting events and youth field days at various sportsmen's clubs.

Greg Bell of Natrona Heights, director of the PTA District 2, said the group's efforts are paying off, as a percentage of the district's 200 members are youths as young as 8 and 9."Our numbers are pretty much staying constant," Bell said. "We have some that pass away. We try to do things for younger people so we do have an influx that we get renewed that way."As part of its community outreach, the group also holds an annual fur sale. The 2010 event will begin at 8 a.m. Feb. 20 at the Burnt Ridge Bow and Gun Club in Cowansville, Armstrong County.Furs not kept for personal use or sold at the annual sales are often sold through the North American Fur Auctions, one of the world's largest buyers. NAFA sells the pelts on consignment at auctions held three to four times annually.As with any commodity, fur prices fluctuate: Trappers say raccoon pelts that sold for $30 in the 1970s and '80s can now dip as low as $5 or $10."They're not worth anything," Giger said.MacMillan said although farmed furs comprise the bulk of the industry, wild trapped furs present unique qualities often unavailable on farms.In the United States, most of the trapping is done in the northern tier, spanning from Minnesota to New York down to Missouri and Kentucky.In the heart of that region, trappers like Wright, Fennell, Flick and Giger contribute to the numbers."Pennsylvania is a large fur producing state, because there are a lot of trappers," MacMillan said.

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Web site, 381,896 of the state's furbearing animals were harvested in 2008 by trappers.Statistics show that the combined number of trapped animals exceeds the 335,850 deer taken the same year by hunters.Like hunting deer, trapping furbearing animals is regulated by the state, which lists these seasons on its Web site, www.pgc.state.us.• October 25 to Feb. 21 — Coyote, foxes, opossum, raccoon, skunks and weasels. No limit. Also, one bobcat per permit holder.• Nov. 21 to Jan. 10 — Mink and muskrat. No limit.• Dec. 26 to March 31 — Beaver. Limits vary.

Jarrett Bricker, 9, of Winfield Township is among an emerging group of youths taking an interest in trapping.

Understanding equipment like this shown is part of the learning process of trapping.

Jeff Wright of Clinton Township uses a chain secured around a tree to ensure his trap remains in place. Frozen ground prevents the use of stakes, another alternative.

Pelts dry on stretchers after trapped animals are skinned.

Jarrett Bricker, left, and Danny Flick Jr. offer examples of beaver pelts in two stages of the harvesting process.