Interviewer
Diann E. Wiesner
Files
Description
Clarence Leonard Lawrence describes how he taught himself to trap as a boy living in Eastern Montana around 1912. He notes that after he began trapping he became acquainted with Charlie Walker, a man who made his career hunting and trapping wolves year-round. Lawrence talks about the popularity of the No. 4 Newhouse trap for the coyotes and wolves that he trapped around Miles City. He describes the changes he’s seen in trapping and the type and number of furbearers available between his early years and 1981. Lawrence recalls how the price of furs increased between the 1920s and 1970s. He also mentions that Eastern Montana used to have very few raccoons and white-tail deer, both of which are now abundant. Lawrence discusses the difference in permissions, and the etiquette of asking to trap on private land. He recalls about working on ranches, and later working on his own ranch raising cattle and sheep, which prevented him from trapping full-time. Lawrence discusses his technique for using poison, setting traps, and skinning coyotes.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Trapping; Miles City, Montana; Ismay, Montana; Wolfers; Bitterroot Valley, Montana; Trapping, use of poison; Trappers, Montana; Ranching in Eastern Montana; Lawrence Humble, Montana
Original Date
6-20-1981
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Fur Trappers Oral History Project, OH 099, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 099-010
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (24 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:02:00 minutes
Local Filename
OH_099_010.mp3; OH_099_010.pdf
Citation
Lawrence, Clarence Leonard, "Clarence Leonard Lawrence Interview, June 20, 1981" (1981). Fur Trappers Oral History Project. 9.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/montanafurtrappers/9