Vintage Trapping Supply

[rip18]

I was at an estate sale recently and picked up a pretty neat vintage trapping supply. It took me back to when I was a young fellow reading Fur, Fish, and Game until the pages got tattered.

I'll go ahead a post a picture of the supply as it was sitting on the shelf, just to see if anybody recognizes it. I'll come back in a bit and post some other pictures of it opened complete with the verbiage on the label.

 

[rip18]

Okay, I've got the rest of the images downloaded now.

The little wooden cylinder is about 5 inches tall and just a hair over 2 inches in diameter. The top unscrews to allow access to the small bottle inside. There is some cotton batting in the top of the wooden cylinder and some corrugated paper around the inside of the wooden cylinder to cushion the bottle.

The bottle contains Burbank's Trout Oil Scent. Which is basically fish oil, and I'm guessing this stuff is made from trout.

When I trapped, I made fish oil from catfish, suckers, and small bream. I tended to carry it in a mason jar. I jumped over a fence one day and my hatchet collided with my mason jar of fish oil. It was not good at all. My pack, my clothes, and myself smelled like nasty fish oil for quite some time!

 

[Mark K]

Open it up and give us a report on the fermentation, lol.

 

[Mark K]

Nice find!

 

[rip18]

The full label says:

BURBANK'S TROUT OIL SCENT
FOR MINK ONLY

Directions: One to three drops on the bait or the stick
over the trap. Renew every three days to keep fresh.
This scent is Pure and Best in the World.
Guaranteed or Money Refunded.
Price $1.00, Post Paid.
Prepared only by:
W.C. BURBANK, WILTON, MAINE.

It seems that Mr. Burbank sold quite a number of scents and lures. He started out packaging them in clear, glass, stopper-top bottles before moving to this style bottle. He sold them for 70 cents in 1908, so I'm guessing that this is probably from the 40's or 50's.

Shortly after that, packaging moved to an opaque glass bottle with a blue label.

 

[rip18]

Open it up and give us a report on the fermentation, lol.

I've been tempted to open it, but I'm afraid that if I do, I'll never get it sealed again. It doesn't look a whole lot different than some of the fish oils I made 30 or more years ago. Mine would sometimes gag a maggot, and I usually used them up within 2 years. I can only imagine what 50- or 60-year old fish oil smells like!

What I want to know is how it was for "mink only" - I caught just about every varmint in the woods using fish oil!

 

[Mark K]

Shoot, 2-3 drops and you catch any predator out there.