NARRATOR: Winter is in full swing across Montana's Yaak
Valley throwing a wrench in the works of Tom Oar's
successful trapping business.
Trapping's been tough, man.
Once it sets out in this kind of weather, this ain't good.
NARRATOR: His apprentice and partner, Sean McAfee,
has come up empty for the last two weeks
on their most productive line.
Conditions are changing pretty quickly, now, Tom.
Yeah.
It's freezing up, isn't it?
SEAN MCAFEE: Yeah.
NARRATOR: And with subfreezing temperatures
soon to make accessing local ponds and rivers more
difficult, Sean's seeking Tom's expert
advice to salvage their season before it's too late.
Here's that first set here.
There ain't nothing in it.
Nothing in it.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
That's kind of been the story of that trap right there.
Let me slip down in.
We can probably just pull it, though, huh?
Yeah.
But I think we-- it's going to be froze in tomorrow.
The rivers and all of the waters are starting to freeze over.
Once the water starts freezing, well, now, the beaver
can't step on the trap anymore.
Because there's a layer of ice over the trap.
So he can't even-- he cannot step on it.
Let's do it then.
Let's pull it and find something new here.
[CLINK]
NARRATOR: Trapping under the ice is possible.
But it requires different equipment
and a different strategy.
Plus there's no point in doubling down on an area
that's not producing.
The other set right in here, Mr. Tom.
TOM OAR: Yeah.
I see it.
NARRATOR: Beaver pelts are one of Tom's biggest sellers,
which means if they don't drum up a plan B soon,
their whole season could be in jeopardy.
I know a place where we can go.
SEAN MCAFEE: OK.
The biggest thing in our favor, Sean,
is that it's kind of spring fed.
So it's always the last leg to freeze.
SEAN MCAFEE: OK.
The only thing is it's so far back in there,
we have to spend the night.
OK.
There's a cabin, though.
SEAN MCAFEE: OK.
Let's do it.
All right.
When you work for somebody like Tom,
who has that kind of experience--
you know, he's been trapping beaver
longer than I've been alive.
So it just helps to give you confirmation on, all right.
It's time to change what we're doing here.
NARRATOR: It's been years since Tom's made
the 15-mile trek to this spot.
And it's a gamble to try and run a line so deep in the woods.
But since it was high yield in the past,
he's hoping the journey will be worth the effort.
It'll be an adventure.
SEAN MCAFEE: Yeah.
You stick with me, buddy.
I'll-- I'll keep you in lots of adventures.
[LAUGHS]
There be the river there, eh?
NARRATOR: If the ice is strong enough to hold them.
What do you think of that ice?
Don't look real thick right there.
SEAN MCAFEE: Some open water there, huh?
Yeah.
Maybe we should walk out there first, huh?
We're a long ways from home.
This could be a pretty dangerous situation.
[CLINK]
NARRATOR: Probing the ice assesses
its thickness and strength.
But it's impossible to be sure that it's frozen over evenly.
I don't know about getting across anywhere else there.
This looks like the spot right here, buddy.
You don't want to go across on ice slow.
All right.
It gives it more chance to break out from underneath you.
So the big thing is get on it, and run across that ice,
and shoot up that other bank on the other side to dry land.
You ready?
Yes, sir.
Here we go.
[ENGINE REVVING]
[INAUDIBLE]
Ah.
NARRATOR: Tom's been bested by the ice and snow.
[INAUDIBLE] stuck [INAUDIBLE].
[BLEEP] I thought I had enough speed
to make it up the other bank.
But it was a little bit too steep.
Almost made it to the top of the bank.
And then that was it.
I was stuck.
[RUMBLE]
NARRATOR: The snow machine slammed into the bank
at full speed.
TOM OAR: There's one ski.
NARRATOR: And though it hasn't sustained any damage,
it's not going anywhere.
Ooh.
Ooh, huh, that sucker is packed in there.
Yeah.
How in the hell are we going to get this out?
NARRATOR: Without a reverse gear,
the only way to move the 500-pounder
is with muscle power.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING]
TOM OAR: Just throw it right over on the ground.
SEAN MCAFEE: 1, 2, 3.
[GRUNTING]
Why don't we try again without the trailer.
And I'll pull the trailer up there.
NARRATOR: For his second run at the hill,
Tom's shedding the weight of the trailer
and circling around again to build momentum.
[ENGINE REVVING]
Ho.
Nice one.
See you later.
Phew, all right.
NARRATOR: Four miles deeper into the bush,
Tom and Sean arrive at their destination,
with little daylight left, to find out
if they've beaten the freeze.
These ponds are spring fed.
So the spring-fed water is warmer.
This could be our last chance of being able to trap beaver
before everything freezes.
Looks promising, man.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: The river is still open water
and not only flowing, it's also teeming
with signs of beaver activity.
Got to be a beaver around here somewhere.
See all of the sticks sticking up out of the water there?
SEAN MCAFEE: Sure do.
NARRATOR: Tom zeros in on a beaver dam
that should be a high-traffic zone for the animals.
TOM OAR: Probably put in about three traps here.
OK.
The first trap that I put in is a foothold trap that's
baited with beaver castor.
It's a call lure to call them to that spot.
And just put it right there.
And we'll have one set done.
All right.
Second set, I thought, I'll put in the middle of the dam.
[BANGING]
We're going to put the third trap--
Oh, OK. [INAUDIBLE]
--there, right in the center, right there.
Got it.
Conibear set. TOM OAR: Yeah.
SEAN MCAFEE: All right.
TOM OAR: Conibear, it's a 10-inch square trap
with springs on both sides.
The beaver swims through it, and it clamps down on him.
It goes off kind of like a mouse trap does.
[BANGING]
NARRATOR: They've already set three
traps around a beaver dam.
Now, further downstream, the conibear traps
could snare another catch as it travels up the river.
SEAN MCAFEE: You drive this one in?
TOM OAR: Yep, go ahead.
[BANGING]
NARRATOR: Their job done--
After you, mister.
Here we go.
NARRATOR: --Tom and Sean head back to camp
for the night in the nearby trappers cabin.
They will let their traps soak until morning.
Home sweet home.
Later.
NARRATOR: Though they've been lucky so far, if the traps fail
to produce tonight, their prospects for a good haul
this season will sink.
We ought to be able to pick up a couple of beavers, anyhow.
I would think so.
NARRATOR: Pulling beaver in the dead of winter is especially
difficult. And they can use all of the head
start they can get before this river freezes, too.
We've put out five traps.
And normally with beaver, we usually catch about half.
Yeah, half our sets.
Yeah.
I mean, so we ought to catch two, maybe three.
The only thing we can hope for is that
from that warm spring water--
Yeah.
--that that spring water keeps--
Right.
--it from freezing.
Hopefully, tomorrow at this time, we'll be skinning.
SEAN MCAFEE: Hopefully.