Cecil M. Lunsford was recently inducted into the New Mexico Trappers Hall of Fame. Wesley Burris, of the New Mexico Trappers Association, traveled to Artesia to conduct a special induction ceremony.

Lunsford’s family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon at the Pecos Diamond Steakhouse in Artesia to honor the trapper and to hear Burris speak.

“Some of the most decent, upfront people I know are trappers,” said Burris as he began the informal induction ceremony.

Burris read Lunsford’s life story, written by Lunsford, aloud at the meeting. Lunsford said his first trapping efforts came while living in Alamogordo, when a friend needed help catching the predators that were killing his calves. Lunsford was born in Archer City, Texas, in 1932, but said he was “a young married man with three children of my own before attempting to trap the first time.”

“We had no experience, but asked around for advice on bait and what to do,” Lunsford said. “We were told to use torn-up blue jeans for trap covers and sardines for bait, but had no luck with those. Finally, we set the traps right next to the calf carcasses and caught 11 wild domestic dogs.”

It was 1968 before Lunsford gave any thought to trapping again. He said he was living in Fort Lyon, Colo., in an area where other active trappers were not willing to share their techniques.

“I learned by trial and error,” he said. “I bought a dozen brand new traps and used them right out of the box. Bait was rotten meat buried behind the set. Finally, I bought a book and learned how to dye and wax the traps … By the end of that season, I had caught a few coyotes and was getting better at making sets.”

In 1978, Lunsford said he spent one winter season trapping in Gunnison, Colo. In 1979, he said, “my wife and I moved home to Roswell.”

“Starting in 1985, I spent nearly five years employed as a full-time trapper for the Corn ranches north of Roswell,” he said. “It has been a way to enjoy the outdoors all over southern New Mexico and participate with nature. These have been some of the best years of my life.”

Although he is not trapping anymore, Lunsford said his family members keep him involved in their trapping activities.

“I also enjoy the trapping association seminars, doing set demonstrations and swapping stories with other trappers,” said Lunsford. “I encourage everyone to teach some young person to trap, so they might know the joy and success I have known from this.”

« Top »