Trapping?

[3legged_lab]

If you're not already doing it, bait them with apple slices. Muskrats love apples.

Ran out and checked, all 12 are out now, had 3 rats.

[assateague]

Skin and clean the muskrat and stand overnight in cold water containing a teaspoon of salt to each pint of water. Parboil for about 30 minutes. Then fry the salt pork in the kettle in which it is to be cooked. Rinse rat with cold water, dry with paper towels and place on top of the salt meat. Add sliced onion, tsp rubbed sage, 1 1/2 tsp black pepper, and a dash of red pepper. Pour in boiling water to the depth of an inch and a half. Cover and simmer until tender, about an hour. Thicken the gravy with a tablespoon each of flour and butter creamed together; bring to a boil and pour over the muskrat. Serve with hominy and turnip greens.

[3legged_lab]

Property owner went with me today, he was pleased to see 3 more rats in the traps. That brings my tally to 11 in a week.

[QH's Paw]

Property owner went with me today, he was pleased to see 3 more rats in the traps. That brings my tally to 11 in a week.

Are you skinning and cleaning them?

[3legged_lab]

Negative. Just trying to prevent property damage.

[quackhead]

Went out and checked today - got nothin. A few of my traps were knocked over or had just fallen down.

Just jam sticks in the springs to make them more solid

[3legged_lab]

Went out and checked today - got nothin. A few of my traps were knocked over or had just fallen down.

Just jam sticks in the springs to make them more solid

Thanks, I'm definitely learning as I go. Trying to figure out how to identify "the right run" over ones that are duds. He's got one small pond that has a small island in the middle with a pit blind in it. The whole island is collapsing in from all the tunnels, but I couldn't find good spots to set so I put 4 traps about 10 feet from shore on stakes and baited them with apples. No takers on those yet.

[assateague]

Sounds like you need some float sets. CAtch two at a time that way.

[waterfowlman]

Jr still ha a bit to learn, after his skunk he has had fox circling his sets within a few feet, think he has scent issues still, getting better all the time though, had two snares undone with no critters

JE,
Once a fox is trap wise, they become much more wary. (usually means someone's trap has just missed snapping them). If JR is using dirt hole sets for a front foot catch, try removing the trap from the original trap bed and replace it with an empty sardine can lightly buried where the trap was. Move back 18" or so and set 2 traps for a hind foot catch, using stepping sticks to guide the sly dog's feet where he wants them.

[jehler]

Jr still ha a bit to learn, after his skunk he has had fox circling his sets within a few feet, think he has scent issues still, getting better all the time though, had two snares undone with no critters

JE,
Once a fox is trap wise, they become much more wary. (usually means someone's trap has just missed snapping them). If JR is using dirt hole sets for a front foot catch, try removing the trap from the original trap bed and replace it with an empty sardine can lightly buried where the trap was. Move back 18" or so and set 2 traps for a hind foot catch, using stepping sticks to guide the sly dog's feet where he wants them.

I'll have him read this WF, he's done for the year now I think, but next year I said I'd help him seeing he'll have his learner a permit and will need the road time anyway. Had rough weather this year, lots of warm freeze cycles that messed up his traps as well

[assateague]

Nothing's as big of a pain in the ass as constantly changing weather, both for the animals and the sets. Just effs everything up.

[TrapperDev]

Jr still ha a bit to learn, after his skunk he has had fox circling his sets within a few feet, think he has scent issues still, getting better all the time though, had two snares undone with no critters

JE,
Once a fox is trap wise, they become much more wary. (usually means someone's trap has just missed snapping them). If JR is using dirt hole sets for a front foot catch, try removing the trap from the original trap bed and replace it with an empty sardine can lightly buried where the trap was. Move back 18" or so and set 2 traps for a hind foot catch, using stepping sticks to guide the sly dog's feet where he wants them.

Hey this is jr thanks for the tip, I put some double leg hold sets out and instead of a dirt hole I tore up the area with skunk hands and put pieces of rabbit fur all over then I threw the front quarter of a nice rabbit in the middle of the set as some kind if flat set. I came back the next day and there was fox tracks coming within 3 feet of the set but he didn't want anything to do with it. I snared the fox twice but he pulled out thanks to the Michigan humane snares that only close to a four inch circle. I will have to try using some sardines or fish oil next season to change it up because fox closed last week.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363654347.947392.jpg

[TrapperDev]

Oh and those snares have a "relaxing" lock on them so when the fox or coyote pulls enough it release it so that it doesn't get hurt and can run off to live happily ever after. I ended up loosing a coyote because of this too.

[assateague]

Maybe it's just the pic, but those cables look big. For fox, I wouldn't use anything bigger than 3/32. May help with those stupid locks, too. Although deer stops are just dumb.

[Flightstopper]

Oh and those snares have a "relaxing" lock on them so when the fox or coyote pulls enough it release it so that it doesn't get hurt and can run off to live happily ever after. I ended up loosing a coyote because of this too.

Welcome aboard Jr!

[waterfowlman]

Jr still ha a bit to learn, after his skunk he has had fox circling his sets within a few feet, think he has scent issues still, getting better all the time though, had two snares undone with no critters

JE,
Once a fox is trap wise, they become much more wary. (usually means someone's trap has just missed snapping them). If JR is using dirt hole sets for a front foot catch, try removing the trap from the original trap bed and replace it with an empty sardine can lightly buried where the trap was. Move back 18" or so and set 2 traps for a hind foot catch, using stepping sticks to guide the sly dog's feet where he wants them.

Hey this is jr thanks for the tip, I put some double leg hold sets out and instead of a dirt hole I tore up the area with skunk hands and put pieces of rabbit fur all over then I threw the front quarter of a nice rabbit in the middle of the set as some kind if flat set. I came back the next day and there was fox tracks coming within 3 feet of the set but he didn't want anything to do with it. I snared the fox twice but he pulled out thanks to the Michigan humane snares that only close to a four inch circle. I will have to try using some sardines or fish oil next season to change it up because fox closed last week.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363654347.947392.jpg

jr,
I've done a little snaring but am partial to coilspring traps at a well made dirthole set for fox. A good quality 1+1/2 or 1+3/4 coilspring will hold just about anything that comes along first. If you have the possibility of a coyote snooping around, stick with the 1+3/4. Wish I was closer to you guys, trapping is right up there with duck shooting as one of my favorite things to do outdoors. Good Luck next season.

[TrapperDev]

I have some 1 3/4 and 1 1/2 but I went ahead and got a duke #4 4x4 so I don't think I will have to worry about misses or pull outs anymore with the coyotes or foxes

[assateague]

Work in that pan tension, too. Most pull outs either happen from a toe catch, or he jumps the spring. Both are from having too light of pressure, tripping it before he puts enough weight on it to commit. Very, VERY rarely will a pull out happen from a good grab. You want a fuzz over 2 pounds for fox, and make sure it's adjusted to trip by about 25 degrees down. If you haven't already, file the little tit which is on top of the dog flat, then readjust your traps, for both tension and throw. When you get it just right, wax them again, then leave them hang for next season. And wax them set, not sprung. Same goes for dying. If you do this, and get the weight and throw right, you'll have FAR less pull outs next year. I'd almost guarantee this is what's happening if you're losing some.

[BrewGUN]

Jr still ha a bit to learn, after his skunk he has had fox circling his sets within a few feet, think he has scent issues still, getting better all the time though, had two snares undone with no critters

JE,
Once a fox is trap wise, they become much more wary. (usually means someone's trap has just missed snapping them). If JR is using dirt hole sets for a front foot catch, try removing the trap from the original trap bed and replace it with an empty sardine can lightly buried where the trap was. Move back 18" or so and set 2 traps for a hind foot catch, using stepping sticks to guide the sly dog's feet where he wants them.

Hey this is jr thanks for the tip, I put some double leg hold sets out and instead of a dirt hole I tore up the area with skunk hands and put pieces of rabbit fur all over then I threw the front quarter of a nice rabbit in the middle of the set as some kind if flat set. I came back the next day and there was fox tracks coming within 3 feet of the set but he didn't want anything to do with it. I snared the fox twice but he pulled out thanks to the Michigan humane snares that only close to a four inch circle. I will have to try using some sardines or fish oil next season to change it up because fox closed last week.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363654347.947392.jpg

Dev, I lost 3 coyotes this year in that same exact snare. One broke the cable, one straightened the j-hook breakaway, and one knawed through the autumn olive i had it secured too. Also where are you storing them when theyre not in service?

[TrapperDev]

That snare was new and was ready to get washed the rest aren't out since our snaring season ended on the first. And you can't use them for damage control trapping.

[TrapperDev]

Work in that pan tension, too. Most pull outs either happen from a toe catch, or he jumps the spring. Both are from having too light of pressure, tripping it before he puts enough weight on it to commit. Very, VERY rarely will a pull out happen from a good grab. You want a fuzz over 2 pounds for fox, and make sure it's adjusted to trip by about 25 degrees down. If you haven't already, file the little tit which is on top of the dog flat, then readjust your traps, for both tension and throw. When you get it just right, wax them again, then leave them hang for next season. And wax them set, not sprung. Same goes for dying. If you do this, and get the weight and throw right, you'll have FAR less pull outs next year. I'd almost guarantee this is what's happening if you're losing some.

I have my pan tension at about 2 pounds but now it gets warm during the day and the trap gets covered with water/mud but at night the ground freezes so the traps are springing slow and ice gets caught in between the jaws and salt doesn't do much because it gets to cold at night.

[assateague]

Use peat moss. Get a couple bags this summer, and sift them into five gallon bucket, and keep them in the shed. When you go out to check the traps this season, use it to sift over them and bed them in. This works really, really well, but can be a pain, because you have to tote around a bucket of it. Won't freeze, and won't allow water to build up in it if it rains. They will geenrally trip like normal, even if they get wet during the day then freeze at night.

[BrewGUN]

That snare was new and was ready to get washed the rest aren't out since our snaring season ended on the first. And you can't use them for damage control trapping.

Unless your on private property
Whered you get that snare, gander mnt?
A couple things im going to do next year thanks to Assa, use a heavy duty spring where the anchor attaches, should lessen the shock on the breakaways and cable itself.
We'll have to get ya into Vinces next year and do some real damage. We need to do some critter control at his place too this summer (coon, possum, porcupine, skunk).

[waterfowlman]

jr,
You can also try to find some glycol or calcium chloride during the off season to use as anti-freeze in your trap beds. Either one will work just fine.

I have to post this picture here. These are my two sons close to thirty years ago, We had a little 12 acre "farm" (we called it a farm) in eastern NC that bordered the 300,000 acre Croatan national forest. For a few winters when they were young I would run a 200 trap trapline. Dark when I left the house in the morning and dark when I got home each evening. Ran half my traps by boat and the other half by truck. My boys claimed the trapping territory around the house and terrorized every living critter within walking distance of home. They actually caught the coons in this photo.
Some great memories of teaching them a few tricks and sharing time with them in the woods.

[TrapperDev]

Yes they are the ones from gander but i found them onlin for $20 a dozen rather that $35 a dozen at ganderI will have to try the spring that sounds promising

[TrapperDev]

jr,
You can also try to find some glycol or calcium chloride during the off season to use as anti-freeze in your trap beds. Either one will work just fine.

I have to post this picture here. These are my two sons close to thirty years ago, We had a little 12 acre "farm" (we called it a farm) in eastern NC that bordered the 300,000 acre Croatan national forest. For a few winters when they were young I would run a 200 trap trapline. Dark when I left the house in the morning and dark when I got home each evening. Ran half my traps by boat and the other half by truck. My boys claimed the trapping territory around the house and terrorized every living critter within walking distance of home. They actually caught the coons in this photo.
Some great memories of teaching them a few tricks and sharing time with them in the woods.

[TrapperDev]

That sounds familiar I just about ran the squirrels and rabbits to extinction this year and have seen very few coon since tracks last year. I have just about cleared every thing out except for the coyote and fox . I will try the anti freeze and try to get some of them

[assateague]

Quackhead, can't remember if you were getting fisher or marten. Here are the results that came with my paperwork for the last sale.

This one (Section 1) is fisher:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363803942.130774.jpg

And this one (fron Heavy 1 to Semi Heavy 1/Overall) is marten:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363804027.404907.jpg

[BrewGUN]

Yes they are the ones from gander but i found them onlin for $20 a dozen rather that $35 a dozen at ganderI will have to try the spring that sounds promising

Check out F&T trapping supplies, they're right here in MI, quick shipping and very competitive prices, I think I got those same snare for $18 a dozen. I also bought some cable stops, and other snare parts for rebuilding wrecked sets.

[quackhead]

Quackhead, can't remember if you were getting fisher or marten. Here are the results that came with my paperwork for the last sale.

This one (Section 1) is fisher:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363803942.130774.jpg

And this one (fron Heavy 1 to Semi Heavy 1/Overall) is marten:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1363804027.404907.jpg

Thanks I did find that some where. I saw the heavies averaged 180. Supposedly area are heavies typically. I guess I'll find out on this next sell. I'm sending a 22 in marten in for a guy. Does your paper show castor prices. I swear it was 30-50 depending on grade.