The article talked about trappers in the U.P. and the high demand for muskrat fur from China and other nations
CHASSELL -- Some local trappers were featured in a Wall Street Journal article Thursday. The article talked about trappers in the U.P. and the high demand for muskrat fur from China and other nations.
Muskrats are easy to catch, and this fur is mainly used in clothing and shoes to help keep warm.
One of the trappers featured in the article was from Chassell.
"I was a little surprised, and I was wondering how he found me out here in the U.P.," said Dennis Gast, a trapper. "He wanted to have an article written by early January, and he needed an area where they trapped early in the season, meaning the northern part of the U.S. where the furs prime up, so the U.P. was a natural choice."
The article also talked about the possibility of fewer fur sales in Europe and how it could lead to dwindling sales for trappers in this area. But Gast said he, along with many other trappers, do it for the educational and recreational value of it, and the money is just a bonus.