Going to give Trapping a try!

[First-light]

Got my first lesson today and was given 5 traps to place. Wish me luck!

[airedale]

Trapping is a lot of fun, I used to love checking my line, never knew what I was going to find. Good luck to you.

Al

[Doc]

Trapping was one of the ways that I bought my school clothes, back in the dark ages when I was a kid. I used to go to school smelling like a muskrat....lol. I was hooked on the challenges. I had a grandfather who trapped, and we partnered up and ran a hell of a long trapline (a couple hundred traps). The prices weren't any better then, but the money went a lot farther. I was buying all kinds of stuff with my fur money. 

Trapping had a lot of American heritage and history involved with it, and I think that was the main reason I got into it. There is a lot of matching of wits with the critters. A trapper has to have some very serious knowledge of woods lore and animal habits.

What animals are you mostly going after?

[greg54]

Do they still do trapping course at home? I think it was during covid they mailed the course to anyone interested.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Good luck to you, First-light. My father was an excellent trapper for many years. He always said knowing the animals traits and habits your trapping leads to a successful outcome. I still have several of his poles, traps and stretching boards.

[First-light]

My neighbor loves to trap and has many extra traps that I can use. He sat down with me and explained how to do it then we went outside and did a few mock traps. I passed! Can't wait to check! Thanks guys!!

[Doc]

Good luck to you, and I hope you are real successful. Do you have any specific animals you are after right now?

[First-light]

11 hours ago, Doc said:

Good luck to you, and I hope you are real successful. Do you have any specific animals you are after right now?

Egg stealers from the Turkey nests!

[Steve D]

I wish you good luck but have to say the current conditions are the worst...especially if you are targeting canines.

I enjoy trapping when the conditions are right and around here they haven't been good for a couple of months. 

Water trappers can probably do ok but I doubt land trappers are having much luck.

[Doc]

12 hours ago, First-light said:

Egg stealers from the Turkey nests!

So you're not doing it for the fur but trying to thin out some of the egg-eaters. That would be things like possums, skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and so on. Sounds like a big job.

[First-light]

Had 1/5 traps sprung. Nothing in it but it was moved like 2 feet. Something was there. 

[Doc]

Any snow so you could see tracks?

[bugsNbows]

I used to run trap lines back when I was in school. I remember my first mink catch. Totally exciting, but boy do they stink. I remember we got $35 for it (back in the 60’s). The muskrats did not pay that much but we caught lots.

Good luck with your project.

[First-light]

8 hours ago, Doc said:

Any snow so you could see tracks?

no not by this one. 

[Doc]

What kind of sets have you been making?

[First-light]

2 hours ago, Doc said:

What kind of sets have you been making?

Pretty much for coon, skunk and opossum. Leg hold traps with salmon/sardines as bait.

[Doc]

Cubby sets or dirt-hole sets or what? What size traps? You can get "pull-outs" if a big old coon gets caught and the trap is too small. Sometimes a drag is a more reliable way to anchor the traps because they don't have something solid to pull against.

[First-light]

4 hours ago, Doc said:

Cubby sets or dirt-hole sets or what? What size traps? You can get "pull-outs" if a big old coon gets caught and the trap is too small. Sometimes a drag is a more reliable way to anchor the traps because they don't have something solid to pull against.

So I've been setting up against trees and big logs. Cubby sets. Trap is anchored by a wire. Changed bait to sardines today. Not having any luck. May move some traps this week not sure though. 

Edited January 15 by First-light

[Doc]

Sardines are a great bait for coons, skunks, possums, and a lot of other critters. Strong scent and a fishy smell. Works good.

The best time for success is usually the first day or two. You are probably right to relocate the traps. Look around for sign....Scat, trails, tracks, etc. With this cold weather that has just set in, the critters are not going to be super active, and in some cases not active at all. However, foxes and coyotes will be on the prowl.

Any stolen bait?

[airedale]

One of the craziest things I had happen trapping, had a trap wise Fox digging up the trap around a hole set. An old timer showed me how to set a triangular triple trap set around the hole to catch trap wise culprits, theory was while digging up one trap carelessness would make for a wrong move and get a foot caught in one of the other two traps set nearby.

Checking the triple set one morning I found a Cottontail Rabbit got caught in one trap which apparently caught the attention of a Great Horned Owl who swooped down on the Rabbit and ended up stepping on and getting himself caught in one of the other traps, that was a three ringed circus.

By the way the triple set was successful for me several times on trap wise Reds.

Al

[Doc]

On 1/15/2024 at 9:48 AM, airedale said:

One of the craziest things I had happen trapping, had a trap wise Fox digging up the trap around a hole set. An old timer showed me how to set a triangular triple trap set around the hole to catch trap wise culprits, theory was while digging up one trap carelessness would make for a wrong move and get a foot caught in one of the other two traps set nearby.

Checking the triple set one morning I found a Cottontail Rabbit got caught in one trap which apparently caught the attention of a Great Horned Owl who swooped down on the Rabbit and ended up stepping on and getting himself caught in one of the other traps, that was a three ringed circus.

By the way the triple set was successful for me several times on trap wise Reds.

Al

How do you get a great horned owl out of a trap without getting pecked to death?

[airedale]

51 minutes ago, Doc said:

How do you get a great horned owl out of a trap without getting pecked to death?

My trapline dog kept his attention and I used my jacket to cover him up and pin him down so I could step on the release. With those big glaring eyes he was scary looking but he never tried to bite me although he had his mouth gaping and that sharp beak looking formidable, I was more worried about him hooking me with his claws which are huge and strong.

Al

[First-light]

I'm going to relocate the sets. In my travels I have seen 1 set of fox , squirrel  and a bunch of rabbit tracks. Doc I think you are right about the clod weather. They are not moving. 

[First-light]

Unfortunately I lost a coyote. I'm learning and made a big mistake. I attached the trap to a blow down. The wire I used was not strong enough to hold this animal. He destroyed the set and took off with the trap. Lesson learned I feel really bad about it. Tracks were everywhere around the set. Fixed all the other traps. 

[Steve D]

Unfortunately it happens. Trapping conditions now are at their worst unless you are a water trapper.

At least you know you can catch a coyote and that is a good start.