The Colonial Fur Trade.

The fur trade in the New World it is said started back in the 16th century. If you arrived in the New World without a trade, short of labouring, getting into the fur trade may have been you're easiest option. If you could convince a trader to hire you and supply you with all you're needs, then you were off to a good start. Providing of course that you have had some prior experience with hunting and trapping, even if it was poaching back in the old country. If you had some equipment and a little money of your own, then you were set.
If you had a horse it made carrying the furs and skins a lot easier, but horses also made noise and left tracks and could attract unwanted attention.

If you had no horse as many did not, then you had to carry your game and or skins out on your back or use a sled when there was snow on the ground. I have as yet not found any documentation to suggest that a hunter/trapper would have used a travois, but I have done so in the past and it seems like a logical alternative to carrying it on your back.

Of course hunting and trapping on your own had inherrant dangers, you have to be constantly on the look out for danger.

Hunting and trapping in groups was far safer, and different jobs could be assigned to each man or woman. Someone had to flesh the skins and peg them out to dry. There were other camp chores to be taken care of also.

Farmers usually hunted and trapped to subsidise there earnings, and early on when they were just starting out they needed furs and skins to trade for crop seed. Trading posts were the place to go for all ones needs, from hunting tools or guns for family defence, to farm implements and seen corn, and even clothing and cloth.

Time had to be divided between the farm chores and hunting/trapping, usually the wife and any other family carried on the farm work whilst the man was away. Daniel Boone did more hunting and trapping than farming, so his family had to do most of the farm work.

But being away from home was not just a danger to the lone hunter/trapper, it was also a constant danger to the family left alone to fend for themselves. Both women and children had to be proficient at using the flintlock guns, and moulding the lead shot in an open fire.

But sometimes being aware of the dangers and being prepared just were not enough. Sometimes when everything seemed so quiet and peaceful people could become complacent, and that is when the Indians would strike, taking your family away to be adopted into woodland Indian society, or perhaps taking them into Canada to trade to the French.

But if all went well, then you could make a new life for yourself in this New World. One where you could own your own land and reap the profits from your own toil without having to worry about any Government taking it away from you. Unless of course you were Indian!!!