005 Old Trapper and The Mississippi Catfish
01/04/22 • 7 min
2 Listeners
This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and The Mississippi Catfish" by Shawn Henninger.
About Tales of the Old Trapper:
When I was a young boy maybe 5 6 or 7 My Grandfather would sit me down and tell me Tales of The Old Trapper. The Old Trapper was a man who lived many years before my grandfather was even born. The Old Trapper lived on the Land my grandfather had owned that we called the Old Place.
But, Before it was the Old Place it was called Home by the Old Trapper. This land is where he went on many adventures. Working with the woods for all the things he needed to food, clothing and shelter. The Old Trapper was not one for lavish things as he only lived in a single room log cabin he built himself. Through his adventures he learned many values that he passed on to the community and anyone who crossed his path through his journeys.
So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.
Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.
Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]
This Weeks Tale:
The Old Trapper was finishing up packing for his next big adventure. There was nothing more fun to the Old Trapper than going to the Mighty Mississippi River and floating downstream. The River was one of the most powerful in the world and it was always important to be prepared.
The Old Trapper looked over his inventory to make sure he had everything he needed. Extra Clothes, a fishing pole, a tent, and all the tools needed for a fire. This was going to be the greatest float trip ever. The Old Trapper hooked up his Mule and set out for the Mighty Mississippi.
Living so close to one of the biggest Rivers in the world was a special treat for The Old Trapper. He went to his favorite spot that was just a few hours' ride away. Not only was this the place he’d put his trusty raft in but also one of his favorite fishing holes. The number of Catfish he caught here could have filled 10 thousand ponds.
The Old Trapper pushed his raft into the water and decided to cast his line a few times before setting off. After his first cast he felt a giant pull on his line and within moments his line broke. Now the Old Trapper had caught a few big fish in his day, but this one seemed much bigger. So he quickly fixed his line, strengthened it the best he could and casted again.
Just as quickly as the first time a giant fish took hold of the bait and began pulling on the line. The Old Trapper was losing his balance and tried with all his might to pull the fish in. But the ground he was standing on was quickly turning into a slippery mud slide and he fell face first onto his raft.
Holding on tight to his fishin pole the power of the fish began to Pull the old trapper down river on his raft. The Old Trapper moved as fast as he could to sit up on his raft and tried to paddle with one hand back to shore, but the power of the river and the fish quickly moved the Old Trapper further from shore. The Old Trapper looked back and saw sanding at the edge of the Water his Trusty Mule..And all of his supplies.
Now a person might ask “Old Trapper Why didn’t you just toss the pole in the water and go back to shore” The Old Trapper probably would have replied “That was my trusty pole or a fish that big If I didn’t catch it and bring it in No one would believe my tale” So the Fight began between man and fish.
At first the Old Trapper thought he had the fish licked as he was pulling it in closer and closer to his raft, but as he saw what looked to be a 6 foot Catfish it dove deeper down into the river and nearly pulled The Old Trapper Right off his boat. The Old Trapper dug his feet in and pulled and pulled but as he looked up he quickly saw the river was speeding up.
The Old Trapper hooked his pole into the raft the best he could and grabbed his paddle. The Old Trapper and the Catfish were going down the rapids and needed to team up to make it through. The Old Trapper would paddle left and right avoiding all the rocks sticking up out of the water and try to keep his vision clear as splashes of cold water hit him in the face. All a sudden there was a big boom as the raft had collided with a log in the water.
The Pole began to bend as the Giant Fish tried to move downstream but the Old Trapper was stuck behind the log. Frantically the Old Trapper pushed with his paddle trying to get over the log. With that much force the Old Trapper finally cleared the log and flew at least 30 feet in the air. “YAHHOOOOOOOO” Old Trapper yelled as he came crashing down into the water.
As the river began to slow once more the Giant Catfish was showing signs of being worn out just as much as the Old Trapper. He looked around at the edges of the River and realized he was much further...
This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and The Mississippi Catfish" by Shawn Henninger.
About Tales of the Old Trapper:
When I was a young boy maybe 5 6 or 7 My Grandfather would sit me down and tell me Tales of The Old Trapper. The Old Trapper was a man who lived many years before my grandfather was even born. The Old Trapper lived on the Land my grandfather had owned that we called the Old Place.
But, Before it was the Old Place it was called Home by the Old Trapper. This land is where he went on many adventures. Working with the woods for all the things he needed to food, clothing and shelter. The Old Trapper was not one for lavish things as he only lived in a single room log cabin he built himself. Through his adventures he learned many values that he passed on to the community and anyone who crossed his path through his journeys.
So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.
Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.
Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]
This Weeks Tale:
The Old Trapper was finishing up packing for his next big adventure. There was nothing more fun to the Old Trapper than going to the Mighty Mississippi River and floating downstream. The River was one of the most powerful in the world and it was always important to be prepared.
The Old Trapper looked over his inventory to make sure he had everything he needed. Extra Clothes, a fishing pole, a tent, and all the tools needed for a fire. This was going to be the greatest float trip ever. The Old Trapper hooked up his Mule and set out for the Mighty Mississippi.
Living so close to one of the biggest Rivers in the world was a special treat for The Old Trapper. He went to his favorite spot that was just a few hours' ride away. Not only was this the place he’d put his trusty raft in but also one of his favorite fishing holes. The number of Catfish he caught here could have filled 10 thousand ponds.
The Old Trapper pushed his raft into the water and decided to cast his line a few times before setting off. After his first cast he felt a giant pull on his line and within moments his line broke. Now the Old Trapper had caught a few big fish in his day, but this one seemed much bigger. So he quickly fixed his line, strengthened it the best he could and casted again.
Just as quickly as the first time a giant fish took hold of the bait and began pulling on the line. The Old Trapper was losing his balance and tried with all his might to pull the fish in. But the ground he was standing on was quickly turning into a slippery mud slide and he fell face first onto his raft.
Holding on tight to his fishin pole the power of the fish began to Pull the old trapper down river on his raft. The Old Trapper moved as fast as he could to sit up on his raft and tried to paddle with one hand back to shore, but the power of the river and the fish quickly moved the Old Trapper further from shore. The Old Trapper looked back and saw sanding at the edge of the Water his Trusty Mule..And all of his supplies.
Now a person might ask “Old Trapper Why didn’t you just toss the pole in the water and go back to shore” The Old Trapper probably would have replied “That was my trusty pole or a fish that big If I didn’t catch it and bring it in No one would believe my tale” So the Fight began between man and fish.
At first the Old Trapper thought he had the fish licked as he was pulling it in closer and closer to his raft, but as he saw what looked to be a 6 foot Catfish it dove deeper down into the river and nearly pulled The Old Trapper Right off his boat. The Old Trapper dug his feet in and pulled and pulled but as he looked up he quickly saw the river was speeding up.
The Old Trapper hooked his pole into the raft the best he could and grabbed his paddle. The Old Trapper and the Catfish were going down the rapids and needed to team up to make it through. The Old Trapper would paddle left and right avoiding all the rocks sticking up out of the water and try to keep his vision clear as splashes of cold water hit him in the face. All a sudden there was a big boom as the raft had collided with a log in the water.
The Pole began to bend as the Giant Fish tried to move downstream but the Old Trapper was stuck behind the log. Frantically the Old Trapper pushed with his paddle trying to get over the log. With that much force the Old Trapper finally cleared the log and flew at least 30 feet in the air. “YAHHOOOOOOOO” Old Trapper yelled as he came crashing down into the water.
As the river began to slow once more the Giant Catfish was showing signs of being worn out just as much as the Old Trapper. He looked around at the edges of the River and realized he was much further...
Previous Episode
004 Old Trapper and The Snowy Deer Hunt
This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and The Snowy Deer Hunt" by Shawn Henninger.
About Tales of the Old Trapper:
When I was a young boy maybe 5 6 or 7 My Grandfather would sit me down and tell me Tales of The Old Trapper. The Old Trapper was a man who lived many years before my grandfather was even born. The Old Trapper lived on the Land my grandfather had owned that we called the Old Place.
But, Before it was the Old Place it was called Home by the Old Trapper. This land is where he went on many adventures. Working with the woods for all the things he needed to food, clothing and shelter. The Old Trapper was not one for lavish things as he only lived in a single room log cabin he built himself. Through his adventures he learned many values that he passed on to the community and anyone who crossed his path through his journeys.
So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.
Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.
Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]
This Weeks Tale:
The Old Trapper Looked out his window as the moon was shining down on the fresh snow that had just finished falling from the sky. The Old Trapper was up even earlier than usual because he had an adventure planned for the morning. He was preparing for his big deer hunt. Each year around this time he would get up early, put his chili on the stove to warm up, get his warmest hunting clothes and set out for the day.
This year it was going to be an important hunt as his favorite deer skin jacket was beginning to wear thin. It had a hole under an armpit and one of his pockets was torn clean off. He also needed to get plenty of meat to get him through this year's winter. It wasn’t the coldest or snowest he had seen but still was challenging. He might even luck out and find a Racoon in one of his traps that he could make into a new hat.
The Old Trapper had been on many successful deer hunts and knew that it took finding just the right spot, being quiet, getting to your spot early, and a little bit of luck. This year he had been tracking for months in preparation and had the perfect spot picked out. He was so excited for this year’s hunt that he had trouble getting to sleep. As he would drift off he would quickly wake up fearing he’d sleep in too late.
The wind was chilly as the Old Trapper walked out of his front door and headed to his spot. The Snow was only a few inches thick and perfect to track any deer, but it also made a loud crunch crunch crunch as he made his way into the woods. The Old Trapper loved the quiet of the morning and stopped to admire all that nature had to offer.
The Old Trapper climbed over a log he had scouted out earlier and sat down with his back against it. This would be a nice spot to sit and wait for the deer to show up. The Air was blowing harder and the Old Trapper bundled up as tight as he could trying to keep warm. He could see his breath in the air and small ice cicles started showing up in his beard. This will all be worth it for my new Coat and meat for my chili.
The Old Trapper was sitting much earlier than he had anticipated as the moon was still shining. As he sat with his back against the log he moved to get more comfortable and laid his head back. His eyes began to fill heavy and he felt himself drift asleep. Just as he was drifting off he heard a big crash of branches and crunching of snow. The Old Trapper’s eyes popped open as he looked all around expecting to see the biggest deer of his life. His heart was racing and he lifted up his black powder rifle ready to take aim. But The Old Trapper did not see any deer. In fact he didn’t see anything at all. He kept looking when he heard small barks of a squirrel. Standing just to his left was a grey squirrel looking at the Old Trapper.
The Old Trapper Smiled and sat back down as the Squirrel raced around the tree and jumped back onto the branches. After watching the squirrel for a few moments it slowly disappeared deeper into the woods.
The Old Trapper leaned back against the tree and slowly drifted off once again. This time as he was just beginning to dream of his famous chili all around him snowflakes began to fall. First there were a few here and there. But after a while it began to come down quickly covering the Old Trapper. Now you may think that this would wake the Old Trapper and cause him to get cold, but the Snow actually helped to warm him up as it made a small Snow Fort around him.
Snuggled up the sun rose and started to warm the Old Trapper. This caused him to fall into an even deeper slumber. Lots of wildlife started coming out for their own early morning adventures. A Bird flew down to pick the last bit of twigs for their nest. A Rabbit hopped ov...
Next Episode
006 Old Trapper and The Lost Fawn
This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and The Lost Fawn" by Shawn Henninger.
About Tales of the Old Trapper:
When I was a young boy maybe 5 6 or 7 My Grandfather would sit me down and tell me Tales of The Old Trapper. The Old Trapper was a man who lived many years before my grandfather was even born. The Old Trapper lived on the Land my grandfather had owned that we called the Old Place.
But, Before it was the Old Place it was called Home by the Old Trapper. This land is where he went on many adventures. Working with the woods for all the things he needed to food, clothing and shelter. The Old Trapper was not one for lavish things as he only lived in a single room log cabin he built himself. Through his adventures he learned many values that he passed on to the community and anyone who crossed his path through his journeys.
So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.
Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.
Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]
This Weeks Tale:
The Old Trapper eagerly sat by his window looking out at the field behind his cabin. Behind his cabin was a field with a few trees that led towards the timber. These 10 trees would produce some of the most amazing acorns he’s ever seen. These must have been some of the most delicious acorns in the county because like clockwork every evening a group of deer would make their way from the Timber and snack on this delicious treat.
The Old Trapper loved wildlife so much that he could sit and watch Squirrels play, Racoons chasing each other around the yard, and even loved seeing the opossums hanging from trees. But his most favorite thing in nature to watch was the peaceful stroll of a Deer. Now where The Old Trapper was from he would see the White-Tail Deer variety. He’d seen some Mule Deer that could be found out west, but he would stand by his statement that the Deer here were the best.
This evening just like any other he first saw a couple smaller deer making their way through the timber. After every few steps they’d stop and sniff the air to check if anyone or anything threatening was around. They’d continue into the opening and before too long the field would have over a dozen deer snacking away on the Acorns.
This evening out of now where the group of deer took off back into the woods. Now what on Earth could have startled the herd? The Old Trapper didn’t see any coyotes or other predators. Looking off to his left he saw three more deer making their way to the field. And just behind them he saw what had startled the others. A big Buck, that the Old Trapper swore he’s seen before, was following the Doe and her two Fawns.
Now the Buck wasn’t doing anything particularly bad but the Big Doe was not entertained by His antics. The Buck would jump up in the air and scratch at the ground. If he was a person you’d say he was showing off a bit to impress the girl. The Doe not interested took off into the woods with the Buck following behind.
The Old Trapper knew this was all planned out by the group. Sometimes Bucks can be a bit overbearing so once he was gone the other deers returned to continue their evening meal. There was something beautiful about watching a group of grazing deer. They move with such ease and peace. It’s amazing that an animal that big could be so quiet. The Old Trapper looked at his watch as the sun was setting and bid the Deer a quiet goodbye.
The Old Trapper made himself some supper and laid in bed reading his newest book. As the candle burned down the Old Trapper curled up and was ready to call it an evening. Shortly before morning the Old Trapper heard what sounded like a cry. He jumped out of bed throwing on his boots and rushing outside. His heart was racing as he ran towards where the crying was coming from.
As he made his way to the back of his cabin he saw in one of the fences near the woods a poor fawn stuck in the fence. The Old Trapper rushed back to his Cabin and grabbed some tools to help the poor animal out of the fence. Looking around he saw some corn that he thought would help calm the poor deer down.
As The Old Trapper approached the Fawn never being this close to a person before began to thrash around engangling itself even more. The Old Trapper used a calming voice to talk to the Fawn as he held his hand out with the corn. The Fawn’s thrashing slowed as it reached out and took a bite from the Corn. Then she took another bite...and another...and another...Before the Fawn knew it the old trapper had the fence cut away and freed the fawn.
The Old Trapper handed the last of the Corn to the fawn and dusted his hands off. Pleased with a job well done he assumed the Fawn would run off into the woods and join ...
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