Hunters and Trappers

Hunt and trap wild animals for human consumption, fur, feed, bait, or other purposes.

Median Annual Wage: $32,530

Education: Less than high school diploma (56%); High school diploma or equivalent (22%); Post-secondary certificate (6%)

Projected Growth: Decline (-3% or lower)

Related Job Titles: Trapper; Hunter; Animal Damage Control Agent; Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator; Predator Control Trapper; Animal Control Expert; Deer Hunter; Fur Trapper; Hunting Guide; Nuisance Trapper

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Source: O*NET OnLine information for Hunters and Trappers.

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  • Patrol trap lines or nets to inspect settings, remove catch, and reset or relocate traps.
  • Obtain required approvals for using poisons or traps, and notify persons in areas where traps and poison are set.
  • Trap and capture quarry dead or alive for identification, relocation, or sale, using baited, scented, or camouflaged traps, snares, cages, or nets.
  • Scrape fat, blubber, or flesh from skin sides of pelts with knives or hand scrapers.
  • Kill or stun trapped quarry, using clubs, poisons, guns, or drowning methods.
  • Select, bait, and set traps, and lay poison along trails, according to species, size, habits, and environs of birds or animals and reasons for trapping them.
  • Skin quarry, using knives, and stretch pelts on frames to be cured.
  • Travel on foot, by vehicle, or by equipment such as boats, snowmobiles, helicopters, snowshoes, or skis to reach hunting areas.
  • Track animals by checking for signs such as droppings or destruction of vegetation.
  • Pack pelts in containers, load containers onto trucks, and transport pelts to processing plants or to public auctions.
  • Participate in animal damage control, wildlife management, disease control, and research activities.
  • Teach or guide individuals or groups unfamiliar with specific hunting methods or types of prey.
  • Wash and sort pelts according to species, color, and quality.
  • Mix baits for attracting animals.
  • Decide where to set traps, using grid maps and aerial maps of hunting areas.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Hunters and Trappers.

  • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Hunters and Trappers.

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