Real-Life Math
Commercial hunters are frequently in business for themselves. Alone,
they trap animals and then sell the pelts or meat to buyers. As such, they
are required to keep good records of expenses and income to know their profits.
"Math
is very important," says Pete Buist, an Alaskan trapper. Buist uses math to
study surveys of animal populations. That way, he knows where to hunt most
effectively.
Once a trapper has caught the beaver, otter or fox, they
need to sell the pelt. To do this, "you need to compute your consignment and
commission fees when you send your fur out to the auctions to be sold," says
Buist.
As a commercial hunter, you work alone. That is just the nature
of the job, explains Lee Sillars, who works in Wisconsin. Since you are just
one person, it is natural to assume that you can't be in two places at
once. Sometimes, a commercial hunter has to decide where the most profits
can be made, especially during the busy season of December.
One winter
morning, you are heading out your door at the crack of dawn to catch otter.
You want to lay down the traps and camp out for 2 nights hoping to return
with 2 otters. Each pelt is selling for a whopping $125 this season. Just
as you are packing up the last of your provisions, the phone rings.
It
is someone you met at a trapper education course last month. This trapper
usually takes a partner with him in the winter, but his partner has come down
with the flu. He wants to know if you would be interested in trapping beaver.
To
get to the beaver pond, you will need to take a truck and a snowmobile, which
burn a lot of gas. However, you would be back that night. His plans are to
catch 50 beavers. Each pelt sells for $10.
You would need to contribute
$50 for provisions -- gas for the truck and snowmobile and food. If you continue
with your original otter plans, you need to pay about $75. That includes electricity
from the generator for 2 nights, food and gas for your snowmobile. Figure
out what each deal brings.