How long to wait to reset farms?

[17kiss]

been pulled on canine line for 2 weeks now. Line just sort of played out. Was down to 2 or 3 a day. How long before ready to set again? Wait til after deer hunters move them around or reset prior to deer hunters moving them?Took a week off then started messing around a little with blindsetting mink and they dont seem to be cooperating so getting edgy

[briankroberts]

I would wait till after deer season as I think that screws things up worse than anything.....B.....

[bobwendt]

go look at your old sets about ten days after you left and set up the ones worked or pooped on. I often do better the second time around, even as little as a week or 10 days later. Let them tell you when, they will.

[psb1011]

Hey kiss,just like B Wendt said.

[coyote]

that's really interesting!

this year, I set up one particular farm that's usually good for 3 or 4 fox (one year, up to six). It's on my way to work, so I usually waited until the nasty weather forced me from other locations to set this up.

THIS year, I set it up on November 7th and I'm doing CONSIDERABLY better there than ever before! I can't wait to see if next year's results are similar to THIS year's by again setting it up in early November.

[trappnman]

I often wonder- if coming back in 10 days-2 weeks adds canines.....how is it any different from just STAYING set up?

In total numbers?

[oso lento]

I was wondering the same thing trappnman. I've been a more of wait it out kinda guy. I'm going to try pulling some for a couple of weeks this year. Just to see for myself.

[PaulBurkhardt]

I guess the idea may be why keep checking empty traps? I figure you will catch as many if not more by staying setup. You might not catch as many per day but I think the over all will be more.

Paul

[17kiss]

I had a limited amount of farms that were trappable this year. About 40. The competition was stiff but they are all pulling or already pulled.The farms are spread out over about 140 mile loop so to keep running with less than 4 a day was a waste of gas. My thoughts were that after competition pulls out and deer hunters resituate the fox could go out for another couple of weeks and whack another bunch of fox in short order.the population is spotty but overall mange free this year , so think it may be worthwhile

[dj88ryr]

I never used to think this way Jim, but here in PA, it is smart to pull at least until deer season is over, with trap theft, disrupted patterns and most of all, the chance of getting shot by one of these morons, is more than enough reason.

[Zagman]

TMAN:

As far as staying set up, my assumption is that if you pull those farms, you have those same traps (figuratively, not literally) on new farms and new canines.

SO.....your numbers SHOULD be higher.

Now, if you set 50 traps on the same farms and never pull them for one month, then I still would think your numbers might be a LITTLE higher than if you pulled some of them (again, not putting them on new farms), as you are bound to pick up one or two here or there.

Clearly, I feel I am better off setting a farm for a week, taking the cream, moving on to new coyotes, and taking the cream there, and so on......

I did have one farm this year where the three traps I set at the opener were there for 4-full weeks. Highly unusual, but it is very close to my house and the farmer asked me to keep them in there.....

Got 4 coyotes there the first week.....then, over the next three weeks, picked up 2 more coyotes, one red, and one grey. I would think that would be pretty typical....

I did not move the traps or change locations.....they were in the same spot the whole time. Had one "fresh" set there that was never touched......

Moving them on that farm, I think, MAY have added a couple more, as the farmer was still seeing fresh sign on other parts of the farm but not necessarily at my location.....boogered some of them up, me thinks, and they started to avoid the location of death.....

Certainly, if the traps had NOT remained there, I would not have picked up those additional 4 animals.....

BUT, those same 4 traps (figuratively), being moved weekly to new farms, I think, would have faired far better. Well, I know they would have....

I always like going back to old sets and finding them worked.....the beds are already dug, holes are dug, the traps go in fast, and confidence is high.....it's like casting a lure to the spot you just saw a fish boil.....

Here, it does me no good to go back until after deer season, which is over three weeks long.....and then, I think you need a week-long cool down period.

So, now, we are pushing Xmas and the inevitable 2 feet of snow....

So, it's all for naught!

Thus, I trap early......

MZ

[Zagman]

..tried three times to modify that first sentence, wont change for some reason....

Supposed to say:

As far as staying set up, "my assumption" is that if you pull those same farms, then you will be putting those same traps (figuaritively, not literally) on new farms and canines..

Zag

[trappnman]

Good points Mark...but allow me to explain a little more...

Its not really costing me anything by leaving the traps in- not much in time (I set up new locations in between the old as land becomes available) and 2, I never ran out of traps, so that I WAS adding daily, just checking my "core" part of my line daily.

Some of this core is my best area- the area I told you I take 15-20 coyotes a year from. It was set up for 5 weeks. I took 4 coyotes from it in first week...then nothing for 3 weeks- yes, a couple of badgers, some coon, a fox...but no coyotes. Then the last week- took 7...giving me a years total of 11....so not too far off.

If I would have pulled after 2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc...only 4 yotes. Since the farms were on my way to others.... I continued checking them because I KNEW that when the crops went- the sets would be ready. Lori had one set that she made on Oct 20 that paid off with a big male on Nov 18- the set was refreshed a time or two...but same set... We needed to be ready when the yotes moved.

Time....does it take more time and/or energy to pull sets, clean the traps, and remake the sets later...or to drive by once a day?

Heck, I don't know....bottom line is if the sets are easy to check and on my way...I leave them in....it always pays off with more yotes.

I was just curious if the fact of LEAVING for a few weeks made increased activity and/or increased set working traits...for lack of a better way to say it... a abigger total catch FROM THAT FARM....

I don't believe so....I think that if you have good sets in good areas- that staying a week and moving on and coming back later would produce the same, overall, as staying there for a month.

Granted- activity around sets may and probally does make a difference if you are disturbing things on a daily basis...but when you drive down a field road past the set....activity SHOULD be meaningless....

[Zagman]

So, when you ask does it "add canines", you mean on that particular farm's total and not to your overall catch?

For me, traps that have been in the ground for more than a week and have caught fur seem to go "stale" even in my mind.....I pull into the farm just KNOWING nothing will be there......

Sure, one or two farms in the right place and not out of your way, why not?

But as far as an across-the-board approach to line management, we all know the answer to that.....otherwise we would all be leaving the same traps on the same farms all season.

Right?

Zag

[bobwendt]

I`m with zag, 3 nights on red fox and I`m gone. week to 10 days max. on coyotes. My sleep and family time is worth more than to be spent cking low production traps. I always make a second swing thru and ck. the old sets, and you know, I almost know which ones have been messed with since I was last there without even cking. A guy just knows. I think a person can overstay his welcome too, where even if they want rid of the critters about 2-3 weeks of seeing you coming and going they styart to think jees-0-peat, is the guy moving in on us permanent? We all have a good grass lane a mile or two from the house that we have to drive by no matter where we are going or trapping, and the owner lives 10 miles away, so sure I leave them out, but no others. Easier to come back later. I think the daily coming and going even if just looking out the window in a drive by does adversly impact things to some un-measurable degree. Say you getter a digger or stand offish one first time thru. Leave a couple weeks and when you set back you have one night to get him before his anamnistic responce fresshens his brain back up. I set those places up with my super duper modus operandi.

[17kiss]

Since the subject was broached , I also tend to move traps around on a farm after a few days with no action at sets. have had things pick right back up for a few then time to move again.It is one of those little mysteries why some fox use a certain end of farm and the rest use another area , and really gets interesting with the coyotes. Had sets on one plave where i set same location yearly for past 7 or so years , was dead for a week so tried another location and picked up 2 coyotes and a big male red plus a boar coon, then whole farm died. Less than 1/4 mile away at next farm banged 11 reds and 3 greys , across 2 lane road on same farm got 5 reds. Why?

[dj88ryr]

If you figure that out, you should produce a film, maybe call it "Extreme Fox Locating" ;D ;D ;D

[dj88ryr]

One of our members PMed me regarding my post where I described deer hunters as morons. He took exception to my description. I can only say that there was no intention of defaming the safe deer hunters that are out there. I never felt this way about deer hunters till moving here. I never had a problem canine trapping in NH, other than the usual change in patterns because of the traffic in the woods. It is a whole different story here. He also said that as a moderator I shouldn't be stating my opinion as I see it. That is never going to happen, I call it like I see it, and refuse to sugar coat anything to be politically correct or to spare someones feelings. My advice would be to get a thicker skin, or if you don't fall into that category, disregard the description. Here was my response to him.


First off, YES, I was reffering to deer hunters. Not you in particular, but from my perspective here in PA, that is what we have for Deer Hunters, MORONS. You may well be a very conciencious and safe deer hunter, I also never felt threatened while I lived in NH, during deer season. PA, is a whole other matter, there are some safe hunters here, but they are in a minority, most are morons.

[coyote]

it's all interesting!

the location I referred to earlier might be just an abberation, but if I'd have left after just a week (I'm talking red fox), I'd only have about 7 or 8 from off there. I stayed for 17 checks, and ended up with 16 reds. this was with three traps on one feature. I had the one triple, a couple doubles, an occasional empty check and the rest singles.

so...who knows for sure!

[Craig Todaro]

DJ88RYR,

As a resident and hunter of Pa, I have to agree.