“Kids who hunt, trap and fish don’t mug little old ladies,” reads the bumper sticker on the back of Tom’s truck, and though the saying may be dated, it is a belief that Tom Berube of Poland holds near to his heart.
Tom was recently awarded the Walter Arnold Trapper of the Year Award by the Maine Trappers Association at the group’s general membership meeting in Waterville. The award is given to a member who follows strict ethical standards, volunteers and unselfishly promotes trapping and the organization.
Tom grew up a student of the woods in a forested part of Lewiston. He trapped his first animal — a raccoon — when he was just 9 or 10 years old, and has been trapping for nearly 60 years.
Not only is Tom an avid hunter, angler and trapper, the master bird taxidermist was inducted into the Maine Association of Taxidermists Hall of Fame, after practicing taxidermy for more than 30 years.
He is also my mentor.
Tom built his off-the-grid spruce and fir log cabin outside Monson in the 1980s. He felled the trees and peeled the bark himself. Not only does he know every animal track in the Maine woods, but he seems to know every flower and tree as well.
Tom recounted his most memorable trapping experience:
“It was in December about 10 years ago, and my last day to trap, so I was going to pull the two otter traps that I had set. The traps were set 10 feet apart from each other. There was an otter in the first trap, so I was pretty pleased; what a great way to end the season. Then when I chiseled out the second trap, I realized I had two otters in the same trap, for a total of three!”
Though Tom is retired from private taxidermy, he donates his time and skills mounting birds for Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the state of Maine.
In 2019, he mounted the great black hawk that flew to Maine from Mexico and spent weeks in the Evergreen Cemetery in Portland before it got frostbite and had to be euthanized. It can now be seen at the Maine State Museum.
Tom’s taxidermy studio featuring a display of 150 birds is open to the public.
Tom cares deeply and is passionate about wildlife and wildlife management. He volunteered for 17 years as animal damage control agent for Maine, trapping nuisance wildlife without charge.
He has worked with various research groups by donating specimens or providing detailed information including MDIF&W mink/muskrat subcommittee, a tick study with Maine Medical Center, a Echinococcus or tapeworm study at the University of Maine, and a fur trade genomics study with University of Oklahoma and Middlebury College.
Tom volunteers banding Canada geese with MDIF&W, and also tests new taxidermists for licensure.
Tom visits local schools, teaching students about wildlife, their behaviors and habitats. Through his hands-on teaching with skulls and furs, he discusses animal anatomy, growth and reproduction. He stresses the importance of wildlife management, conservation and habitat protection.
Tom is a friend and trapping mentor to me and to many others. Learning to trap is overwhelming. You need to learn the laws, learn to use the traps and decide where to set them.
Then when you catch something, there is the whole fur handling piece — skinning, fleshing and drying and the gear that comes with that.
Having a mentor like Tom who welcomes you into his fur shed and teaches you enthusiastically is invaluable.
“All my trapping accomplishments are insignificant compared to receiving the Walter Arnold Trapper of the Year award. I want to extend a sincere thank you to all who nominated me for this award. I will cherish this all my life.” Tom said.
Tom embodies the ethical trapper of yesterday, today and the future.
Congrats, Tom!
