'Official' 2014 Trapping Thread

[ground level]

Ok what am I doing wrong?

Made a flat set yesterday afternoon, bedded and blended good


This morning I go check and something has dug the pan cover off about halfway



Looks like maybe coyote tracks but not 100% sure.
I am using a cut piece of fiberglass window screen for a pan cover

I am sure it was probably a scent that did me in but not sure if pan cover or maybe trap was the culprit

Gonna keep trying until I get it right though

Brian,
Looks like either a coon or a rat uncovered the pan. A few things I would change, (my opinion only), remove ALL the grass from the trap set area and the dirt as well and discard it several feet away. I usually 'pop' my kneeling tarp piece after I'm finished with the set to disperse the 'new' smelling dirt from the area scattering it when you pop the pad. You want to make your set to look as its surroundings or as near as possible. The sand sticks out and I use a dry barnyard dirt (pulverized cow manure) to bed my traps (doesn't freeze and all coyotes have smelt it before), then I use a wisk broom to sweep up some top ground litter in my dirt sifter to cover my trap up so it looks like the surrounding area. Your backing may be a little too large and you could cut down on the size of the guide sticks or try to use a natural backing such as a clump of grass, old bleached skull (cow skulls work well) I've used a piece of cow backbone, shoulder blade, cow patty, rock, charred stump, etc.

[Tuffbroadhead]

The end of the season is in sight just a few short days away.., I'm depressed....

All the traps are hanging in the shop except a few I have out on a coyote job....

Every coyote that I have caught in the past few weeks has been terrible nothing worth keeping or posting up.

Making the change over to just chasing coyotes for clients I have made my usual changes in my sets and pulled them away from brush lines and out into the open..and have not caught nothing but coyotes and the random boar coon..

I will have a small amount of coons to send to Groenwald for a test....

[ground level]

That dried grass, Polo Cologne and a match work wonders on coyotes and gray fox.

Set your trap as you would for any dirt hole or flat set, finish that, then with a pair of your baiting gloves, make a small ball of dried grass, put that at the edge of the bait hole or against your backing for the flat set, apply a very SMALL amount (two or three drops of Polo) and then light it and let it burn completely out.

First time I read about this I was skeptical, but the first time I used it, I was amazed at the coyotes and gray fox it was catching. I would use it maybe no more than two to three sets per tract of land depending upon the size of the property and existing coyote population.

[The Texan]

How do y'all keep deer out of snares along fence lines?

[Flint knapper]

Next step for me is to clean, dye and adjust triggers and put away for next season.

[BSOB]

That dried grass, Polo Cologne and a match work wonders on coyotes and gray fox.

Set your trap as you would for any dirt hole or flat set, finish that, then with a pair of your baiting gloves, make a small ball of dried grass, put that at the edge of the bait hole or against your backing for the flat set, apply a very SMALL amount (two or three drops of Polo) and then light it and let it burn completely out.

First time I read about this I was skeptical, but the first time I used it, I was amazed at the coyotes and gray fox it was catching. I would use it maybe no more than two to three sets per tract of land depending upon the size of the property and existing coyote population.

Can you explain how this works and what about it attracts them?

[Fergeris]

I feel y'all pulled the last trap this week. It's depressimg

[Tuffbroadhead]

I got a temporary stay....

Customer just called and said his biologist/ranch manager will not give the ok for more quail to be purchased until the coon problem is put into check...

I told him, you have until the end of March I will trap them for free. April 1st will cost you because of trap and release.

Me and Ryder went and knocked out a dozen sets, he asked Ryder how much each coon was going to cost him after April 1st and he told him.....

Manager did not even bat a eye, he looked at Ryder and said " I'm glad your getting a early start so it will cut down on my bill a bit", then the Little knucklehead replied with a little giggle.. " You have ALOT of coon sign"

[ground level]

How do y'all keep deer out of snares along fence lines?

You've got to check the crawl unders to make sure there is no deer hair on the fence wires since it is a for-sure catch on deer and no ones wants that plus it's so bad with the deer they usually are messed up really bad. Plus if you're trapping on another's property, the landowner more than likely doesn't take kindly to it.

Coyote, fox, coon and bobcat all have long hair or fur and you'll notice those long strands on the wires where they are going under or through the fence.

[ground level]

Some may tell you that bucks will not go under a fence and this is where they are wrong - bucks will go under a fence and some rather healthy bucks at that. Be careful where you set a snare on a fenceline, you could end up saving a deers life.

[hrdwrkncwby76]

" You have ALOT of coon sign"

Lmao that's awesome.

[Patton]

You've got to check the crawl unders to make sure there is no deer hair on the fence wires since it is a for-sure catch on deer and no ones wants that plus it's so bad with the deer they usually are messed up really bad. Plus if you're trapping on another's property, the landowner more than likely doesn't take kindly to it.

Coyote, fox, coon and bobcat all have long hair or fur and you'll notice those long strands on the wires where they are going under or through the fence.

At this particular property we are trapping, the majority of the fence is five strand barb wire. We have seen deer run under the fence. But we also have seen coyote tracks at these same crossings. We are thinking it is best to just leave the fence snaring alone, unless there is away to repel the deer from the snare, but attract predators

[rtp]

6 more coons bit the dust over the past weekend. That makes for 42 so far this year. Im going to be running my full set of traps this coming weekend. Hoping to get into the double digits in coon kills.

I didnt have time to run the full set of traps so I only ran half of them. I didnt get double digits but got nine of those thieving coons. Total of 51 so far on the year.

[Patton]

3 coons and a oppossom last night

[Tuffbroadhead]

Today was a rough day.. I spoke to two of my landowners and shook hands and said my goodbyes for the year, both said they cant wait till next year.

As I walked to my jeep one called out to me, "Hey....lets talk about some summertime pricing for ADC work" LOL I stopped dead in my tracks.

We had a great discussion, but nothing is set in stone yet..


Still have a lot of work to do, there is a pile of dirty traps in the shop floor, traps that need cleaning and dye work, and few that need tuning.

As far as the care package being sent to Groenwalds as a test sale, I will update when the pelts are done drying and ready for shipping on what will be sent as well as a quick picture.

Not to mention some summertime work on a fur shed to process pelts next year in a faster pace..