Photos: A look at north country trappers

1

Joe Edminster, left, talks to Koltin Wagner, right, about setting up a trap Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 at his home near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

2

Joe Edminster leans against a freezer full of frozen bait while holding a frozen red squirrel Friday, November 23, 2012 at his home near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

3

Joe Edminster inspects a few of the hundreds of traps he has collected and displayed in his basement Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

4

Joe Edminister, left, shows Koltin Wagner how a particular trap operates Friday, November 23, 2012 in the basement of his home near Grand Rapids, Minn. The walls of Edminster's basement feature hundreds of different traps he has collected over the years. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

5

Prepared traps for the following day sit next to the present day's yield Friday, November 23, 2012 in Joe Edminster's garage near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

6

Boxes with interesting labels line the shelves in Joe Edminster's garage Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

7

Traps and tools to prepare them sit on a table inside Joe Edminster's garage Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

8

Joe Edminster holds a frozen red squirrel while talking about what animals something like this might attract Friday, November 23, 2012 at his garage near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

9

A mounted bear sits among dozens of bear traps that Joe Edminster has collected then mounted to his basement's walls over the years Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

10

Joe Edminster checks out his traps that are prepared for the following day Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

11

Hundreds of traps wait to be used inside Joe Edminster's garage Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

12

Fresh beaver hides are stretched inside Joe Edminster's garage Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

13

A freshly trapped skunk sits at the feet of Joe Edminster Friday, November 23, 2012 in his garage near Grand Rapids, Minn. Edminster says just about every animal in the woods is attracted to skunks. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

14

Muskrat hides hang from the ceiling of Joe Edminster's garage Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

15

Castor sacs from beavers hang from a string inside Joe Edminster's garage Friday, November 23, 2012 near Grand Rapids, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo