All of a sudden pattern misses?

[ColdSteel]

The last 2 days I have been getting 5 to 6 pattern misses.I mostly use the stepdown set and have even went to guiding more and more and still getting them.The fox (mostly greys) just simply aren't working the hole.I am seeing one to 2 tracks in the pattern and thats it.My lure has been doing okay only thing I can think of its mating season.I am making 2 sets at each location one with a gland lure and one with a call lure and still getting same results any suggestions?

[edge]

Try something rediculously sweet down the hole;like the jellied part of cherry pie filling or cheap maple syrup,then stuff a grasswad on top.

Edge

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

dont know what your temps are down there but if cold you might want to change to a loud food base lure....grey fox something like jack mackeral,with some skunk...or sweet loud lure....if warm temps try the sweet lure...and the jack with no skunk....i dont use alot of jack but its a great change up for greys.....

[mac]

First try what Mr. Edge suggested.
Next buy a bunch of hot dogs or sausage.
Cook on the barbecue to just enough to seal the outside of the casing.
Dig a couple shallow holes close to sets and cover a couple pieces of hot dog etc. with duff.
Place several pieces of this new bait in the bait hole of your sets, or preferably newly dug in dirt holes. Cover oh so lightly if required by law.
I understand that most trappers believe that one always needs to use some type of commercial lure. Trappers often say "They ain't taking bait" When in fact they ain't offering any.
Try this on a small scale and let me know what you think. I have never trapped down your way but I suspect foxes still like to eat down there same as ours do.

Mac

[ColdSteel]

Tried the maple syrup still same results one or 2 tracks in pattern possibly I could have caught a couple had 4 today and 2 were very close to where I been mssing them.They just are not interested as to whats in the hole I have covered most of th ehole up with dirt clogs and grass so he has to work it but he isn't.Gonna give the hot dogs and jack mackeral a try for 2 nights then its over for me.Speaking of over working this 12 hour night shift and trapping is killing me.If your gonna be stupid you have to be tough ;D

[lumberjack]

I get that alot with greys here in Pa all season long. You will catch 2 on one farm then 10 miles away tracks everywhere but the pan (and the way I make the sets there isnt "much" room around the pan).
My lure and sets worked for the ones I caught and I didnt do anything any different where the ones were not caught.
Maybe try extra hard to get the sets lined up so they approach from downwind direction?
Ive always had some sets that didnt see any action or had pattern misses that I pulled and a few weeks later were dug out like groundhog holes. Maybe they just need time.
I got all the patience in the world for mink trapping but dont have any for fox trapping-I like results within a few days and pattern misses get frustrating, I know.

[foxtrapperpat]

make a new set the same way set traps where the fox are standing no lure or bait about 10 feet away

[bobwendt]

ok, here is the scoop but I doubt many will believe it. you are getting no more misses now than early in e season. so the exlanation? early there are 6 fox there, maybe 3 or all 6 visit before one finally is unlucky and steps wrong. you show up the next morning and assume the fox in the trap was the one and only visitor and he got caught first step in. uh uh. late in the season is the lowest population as most of the pups are dead or run off and likely only a pair to get lucky or unlucky ( and that is all it is), the 6 to increse your odds 3 fold are long gone. you are doing nothing wrong and the fox are acting the same as always. the incresed misses is just an illusion. to couinter it you set more traps using different stinks here and there. if he misses 2 or 3 he will get unlucky on the 4th. more work, yep. but that is late season trapping for skeleton populations. truth be known, it`s time to quit boys, season or not. they are all bred or breeding now. you are cutting your throat for next year. the supply is not limitless. they can`t come out of the ground like mushrooms. even the live trappers quit between now and may/june, if they are nort so greedy they would cut their own throats. this applys to fox only. kill/catch every coyote you can. they can take care of themselves.

[mikespring]

I agree Bob, but what if( talking Grey's here) the populations are are high, their fur is still good, whats the difference in taking a female before or after its breed,in high populations you would feel the same???

[trappnman]

You bring up a good point Bob- I often think the same thing.

Not only do you have whats left of an exploited population, but you have the "spooky" ones left, by and large.

[bobwendt]

populations are never hi in feb/march, even if NO trapping has occured. 2 fox can leave a lot of tracks in the snow. ma nature won`t alow 6-7-8 member family groups(fox) to stay togather still in late feb /march. she runs them off or kills them. we can do it or she can do it, but it gets done either way. any idea wildlife can be stockpiled is anti philosophy. I descimate populations on occasion, like mange areas as they will all die anyway, or adc situations (denning in sheep country), but never for fur. of course since new york has fox dens solid every 100 yards(50-100 fox /square mile) for 300 mile swaths, who knows? ;D

[Wiley]

BW: "I descimate populations on occasion, like mange areas as they will all die anyway, or adc situations (denning in sheep country), but never for fur."

You descimate SOME local populations SEASONALLY and ONLY TEMPORARILY!

Let's be clear! LOL!


~SH~

[bobwendt]

what`s the difference if it is at the time it counts? havn`t seen many reds taking december sheep. have you? you clean a pasture and for the most part, other than the rare true homelss bum, it stays clean all summer and into the fall even. by then lambs are grown, pups migrating andf most risks of a bad dude are gone by then. albeit, they all have teeth. i.e. he won`t bite or he won`t kick, well he has teeth and feet doesn`t he???

[ColdSteel]

Bob you bring up some really good points and I understand them but we all have different situations heres mine.I can't even start trapping until Jan 8th which is when deer season ends plus I have several farms I can't trap until after Feb 15th which is when rabbit season ends I have to work around dogs the entire 6 weeks.The reds look like crap now doesn't matter I am selling them live plus grey fox prices are hot not gonna stop until the season ends which is Feb 28th.I did a little better last night had 7 canines to come in last night out of 28 sets caught 2 reds 2 greys and a black coyote (my first one) got to get my neighborto show me how to post pictures

[bobwendt]

don`t skin that blackie. it`s a $200 bill on taxi. net. get a good pic and then freeze it, or skin with head and 4 feet left in. those greys hold their prime way way late, like a badger or cat. If I was in your shoes, I`d probably do the same as you. p.s. those live guys will go $200 on a live blackie too. knuckleheads. lol, we ought to just die them all black. I think that is my latest scam. I`ve got a deep horse tank, cages and a quart of black cheapo wally world hair die. crap, now it`ll be like the live biz and taxi and skunk scent. there will be thousands of blackies all over. my bad.