Fur trappers feel chill from economic woes

Brian Cogill pulls on a green hoodie, slips on his hip waders, dons the hat made from a beaver he caught himself and drives out into the snowy woods in search of his quarry.

Tall, husky, barrel-chested, with a bushy, auburn beard and a rosy complexion, he tramps through the forest to check traps capable of killing an animal within five minutes. Stepping on to a frozen pond, he chips through 10 centimeters of ice, reaches into the icy water and pulls out a 20-kilogram beaver.

Five years ago, its pelt would have fetched $50. These days, it will likely yield half that amount.