Why I wear fur on my trapline and in everyday life

Fur was never really a part of my life growing up. I spent my summers fishing and my falls hunting when the temperatures were still mild enough that extremely heavy winter clothing wasn’t necessary. During the winter months, we switched to snowmobiles and wore the kind of gear built for riding — helmets, heavy parkas, waterproof snow pants, and thick mittens. The snowmobiles had heated hand grips, and the seats stayed warm from the engine heat. We were constantly moving and rarely spent much time standing still in the bitter cold.

The first time I truly noticed how warm coyote fur could be was during a coyote hunt one winter night under a full moon. Before thermal imaging and night vision became common, my brother and I would hunt coyotes by moonlight across the prairie. That particular winter brought an extreme cold spell, with temperatures dropping well into the -30s.

I remember there wasn’t much wind that night, but when temperatures reach -30 degrees or colder, it doesn’t take much wind to make conditions miserable. We had been sitting there freezing cold when I realized something surprising — for the first time all night, my head and neck were still warm.

I was wearing my first coyote fur trapper hat that I had sewn myself.

The thickness of the fur insulated my head and neck incredibly well. The fur blocked the wind from running down the back of my collar and into the rest of my body. The long guard hairs also helped soften the direct bite of the wind against my face. Even in those brutal temperatures, the hat held warmth in a way I hadn’t experienced before with many modern materials.

When we finally got back into the pickup later that night, I remember looking at the outside temperature display. If I remember right, it read around -37 degrees.

After that night, I started looking at fur differently. I realized I could spend time outdoors in extreme cold, stay comfortable, and actually enjoy being outside instead of simply enduring the weather.

Running winter traplines requires checking snares and traps on a regular schedule regardless of the conditions. Sometimes that means leaving early before sunrise or heading back out late at night after a long day when most people are already indoors. One thing is almost guaranteed during a North Dakota winter — the wind is always there.

That’s where fur continues to prove itself for me.

My coyote fur trapper hat allows me to spend extended hours outside while trapping in extreme cold weather. In fact, there are times I actually find myself getting too warm because the fur traps heat so effectively. When temperatures plummet and the prairie wind starts cutting across open country, staying warm is not just about comfort. It allows you to stay focused, keep moving, and continue doing the work that needs to be done.

Growing up, I always thought of fur as more of a fashion item. When I started Volk Furs, I wasn’t a master furrier and I didn’t have the experience to create elaborate fur coats or luxury accessories. What I did have was the desire to make practical, useful fur products built for real everyday use in harsh winter conditions.

I started with a raccoon trapper hat and slowly continued designing products the way I believed they should be made. Over time that expanded into fur coats, fur vests, fur blankets, and other cold-weather gear.

My goal has never been to create products that only get worn to fancy restaurants, formal events, or special occasions. I want people to wear fur in everyday life. I want these products used on traplines, ranches, ice fishing trips, chore runs, snowmobile rides, and cold winter mornings when warmth actually matters.

To me, fur is not about luxury or status. It’s about function, durability, tradition, and using natural materials that truly perform when winter is at its worst.