Hunting With Mrs. Anne

& The Legacy of Trapper Mike’s Outfitting

- BHM Staff

Mike Snihor retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the late 1980s after 25 years of service. “Mounties,” as they are often called in Canada, don’t ride horses much anymore, but are the federal police force in charge of enforcing the law in Canada. He was 48-years old, and upon his retirement, he and his wife, Anne, knew what they were going to do – they would start an outfitting business. Mike had a trap line that he started after he retired, so the name Trapper Mike’s Outfitting fit just right. He loved the challenge of trapping Canada’s thick-haired fur-bearing animals, and he wasn’t afraid of the cold. The challenge and discipline involved in being a successful trapper involved the same skill set and character that made him an upstanding law enforcement officer. These same things would lead him to success in bear outfitting as well.

Mike and Anne officially received the paperwork for their outfitting concession in 1989 and had their first hunters in 1990. They were located in Thompson, Manitoba, a region of Canada known for large and color-phased bears. Their camp was located about an 8-hour drive north of Winnipeg. For 14-years, the outfitting business ran like clockwork and was built with one happy client after another. With the help of his son, Blaine, Mike worked hard to get people a bear. The bear hunting coordinated by Mike and his son and the superb hospitality of Ann made them a great a fit for the job of outfitting. Anne said, “I loved to cook and bake and my husband loved to hunt.” This made for a great outfitting team. However, no one could have predicted it, but tragedy would strike during the spring of 2004 forever changing Trapper Mike’s Outfitting.