Tairāwhiti's Sam 'the Trap Man' Gibson has written a book about the bush and his adventures in it.
Photo / Strike Photography
Tairāwhiti's Sam 'the Trap Man' Gibson has written a book about the bush and his adventures in it.
Photo / Strike Photography
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
The best place to write a book about being a bushman is in the bush.
So says Tairāwhiti man Sam Gibson, better known as “Sam the Trap Man” on social media, who has put pen to paper to write about his life . . . so far.
Gibson says Sam the Trap Man: Cracking Yarns And Tall Tales From The Bush, is a book “that represents what we do here on the East Coast”.
Gibson was contacted in 2023 by publishers Allen and Unwin. They told him there weren’t many books about the outdoor space and were interested in what stories he could tell.
“I have plenty of adventures I have wanted to put down to paper and, naturally, you can’t tell these adventures without telling the stories of the plants, birds, and the work we do in the conservation space.”
Gibson, as the Trap Man, focuses on educating people about the importance of trapping pests and predators to protect native wildlife.
While on his adventures in and around the Waioeka, he saw first-hand the plight of the whio - the native blue duck - and created the Eastern Whio Link in 2019 to protect the threatened species.
In the book, Gibson writes that the classroom wasn’t a good fit for him, so he was allowed to go bush, where he discovered a place and lifestyle in which he could thrive.
Sam "the Trap Man" Gibson's book includes stories from his younger days such as when this picture was taken at age 25 in Burn Valley, Fiordland.
The book also features stories about his grandfather, who was also a bushman, his father, and mother, who’s a specialist in herbal medicine.
It follows Gibson’s early adventures in Te Urewera and Fiordland working for the Department of Conservation, plus his journey back home to Tairāwhiti.
“Some of the stories are pretty humorous,” he says. “There is a whole chapter about how to make a long drop - it is actually a refined ‘art form’. There’s a lot of pitfalls and things you need to do right.
“I also wrote about how I have been shot four times while in the bush.”
As well as the bush being full of physical adventure, it has also become an important space of solace where he manages his mental health.
“I have always found myself more comfortable in the bush. It’s my place where I can go to get away from town and things like that.“
“I did have my studio in the Waimatā Valley where I could look out at the bush and the Waimatā River, but I also would print off what I had written and take it with me into the bush.
“I found it was the most productive and creative time for me when just sitting around the fire in the hut.”
The hunting stories he shares aren’t “too gory”. They are more about providing for his whānau.
Sam is married to Roimata and has two children Rehua, 5, and Te Kōtuku, 2, who keep him busy, along with working full-time.
A book launch is being held this Friday at 5.30pm at the Gisborne Hunting and Fishing store in Gladstone Road where people can learn more about the book from the author himself, get a copy signed and enjoy a kai and korero with his friends and whānau.
