defending baited buckets.

[thorsmightyhammer]

I'll start it.

For coon I dont care if I ever use them again.

For fisher and cats someone is going to pay he@@ to take them away from me.

But I am not going to go out against the guys that use them for coons.

To sit on a high horse and say give it away. Or to say go to a 160 is asinine.

I'll bet if you ask the majority of trappers in wi tomorrow if they want to get their 220's back they would.

[trappnman]

I'll get on board with you steven. I haven't set a 220 the past 2 years- but feel just like guns, any harm they cause is in the hands of the user.

used where they should be used- you aren't going to catch Joe Citizens dog.

If you are ina real populated area, where you just can't get away from dogs, then you can't use them. Even with wire cages over them- you are going to get dogs.

Private land, or no use public land is where you need to go. and if you have trapped a farm a time or two- you KNOW the dog patterns. Set accordingly

so- know your areas uses, know the patterns, use common sense- and you will have no problems.

[coyotewhisperer]

A little common sense can go a long way with them. And no I'm not giving them up without a fight either.

Jeff

[trappnman]

and- this is exactly why I'm so unhappy with the protocal and methods used in the coon bmps to essentially pave the way to restrict or eliminate 1.5s for coon. Very short stretch to get that to include ALL footholds on coon-

bad methods don't provide good data.

GIGO

[thorsmightyhammer]

Private land, or no use public land is where you need to go. and if you have trapped a farm a time or two- you KNOW the dog patterns. Set accordingly

Steve sooner or later by the end of season I'll have 30 to 50 buckets out for fishers and cats. Probably over 95 percent on public land.

Wanna know how many dogs I've caught.

I'll bet you can guess the number right on money.

There arent many numbers between zero and zero.

I should mention though this isnt upland bird country and I dont set near houses. Or if I do the bucket goes up off the ground.

Its a common sense thing and no matter what tools they take away from us common sense cant be legislated.

[trappnman]

Exactly steven- thats why I stated "no use" public lands.

If the public lands were hunted all day long like some of ours is here, you couldn't use buckets until after seasons close....just common sense.

[thorsmightyhammer]

i got ya

I inferred no use on public land.

Reading too fast.

[Kyle]

Did Wisconsin recently lose its use of the 220?

[thebeav2]

No we didn't lose the right to use 220s on dry land. But the restrictions placed on their use has severely handicapped their effectiveness. But we still have them.

You all have stated good arguments for 220 use. But seem to forget that for every ethical trapper out there using 220s safely there are 20 that don't give a dam. And that is what Is going to lose your 220s.
There Is the mind set, That If I have permission then to hell with the dog that gets caught In my trap. Well guys that isn't going to cut It, and you all know It.

[shagnasty]

yep, beav is right, dont matter if a few have common sense, there are a truckload more that dont care, dumb, or are not familiar with the dog patterns of the land they are trapping on. it would be nice to have the option of setting 330s half in the water but everyone in power is scared of killing dogs, so no dice. the main argument is lured 330s near dams or shallow banks where a hound will cross or travel and will stick its head in the trap.

[thebeav2]

In parts of the country DOGS come before FAMILY And RELIGION.

[ColdSteel]

Trouble around here with dogs is mostly deer hounds.I am not concerned about catching someones pet I can avoid that and I can avoid setting near houses and public land.What I can't avoid is someones hound chasing a deer for 15 to 20 miles and wandering in my set out in the middle of nowhere.Most hounds have tracking collars also which is double trouble.We have so many people rabbit hunting now because of so many rabbits I have even got away from setting 220's for coons and bobcats in trails.All it takes is ONE bad experience with a conibear and you are labeled for life.For those of you that can use them they are a great tool to have and me not using them cost me fur every year it just isn't worth the risk for me

[trappnman]

Dogs aren't the issue per se. Dogs have been hunting coon, and chasing bunnies and on the farms visiting the neighbors for decades and centuries before those little squares were invented.

If my dog was killed in a stupidly or illegally set trap- I'd end up in jail.

I refuse to defend stupid trappers. Yes, I understand that what stupid does, reflects on us all-

trapping associations spend a lot of money pretty foolishly at times. Since most states have less than 5,000 trapppers- MN has 6-7000 a year (down from 27,000 at peak of fur boom), why not send a flyer to each lic trapper.

This still wouldn't help, because many if not most of the 220 incidents are done by illegal most likely unlics trappers.

Everyone that sells a 220- give out the same flyers...

up awareness...

and it would help, but all it takes is one bad apple...

and here is another thing that not helping- trappers enabling others to trap stupidly and illegally......... You see a 220 set in the ditch in front of the state senators house that likes poodles- kick it over, call the guy, call the warden.

NEVER pass an illegal trap without reporting it-

too harsh on your fellow trappers?

hardly- your fellow "trappers" are shoving it to you and you let them.

not meaning turn into a trapping nazi- but its obvious when something is done by an honest mistake mistake or by an idiot.

I've literally seen 330s set on popular hunting areas game trails. When I was running a fd ch beagle. They are now mine 330s. I'd gladly call the owner, but he negleted to leave any id tag. Oh, did I say it was my dad's farm?

my editorial for the day.....

back to 220s- only use them where you are 99% sure you aren't going to hang yourself. You can never be 100% sure....you can only do your best.

And those that use 220s in improper areas aren't trappers, they are idiots.

[trappnman]

I understand your feelings about the dogs- but you have done the only thing you can do- accept it, move on, adapt.

We are lucky here in that while we have a lot of dog hunters- the majority of them are duck dogs, with pheasants coming in at #2. Not very many at all own coonhounds anymore- too much work. Rabbit hounds was never an issue up here. No interest in hunting rabbits around here. those that do are jumping them. I've hunted beagles for 45+ years, and except fro my friends that I sold dogs to (and none of them still have beagles) we never saw another hound out and about.

For sure, you got a lot of rabbit hunters, 220s are out.

and thats understandable. We can't use 330s on land here, but in some states, they can based on populations and land use. 220s are going to be the same for some states.

Why don't I use 220s? Simple- I catch more coon in footholds. I've given up on 220s in trail sets and even buckets- because I just get way to many refusals in them...now snares......coon killing machines.

[shagnasty]

it matters not where you trap here, you are in heavy dog zone, and i mean heavy. i rarely set 220s on land anymore and even the ones i do set, bother me to some degree. even steel traps are heavily frowned upon here and i dont care where you trap here you are going to catch dogs and a lot of them, so do we quit trapping? quit trapping in freezing weather? quit trapping during dog seasons? when does the trapper get a turn? with that said, i believe baited bodygrips to be a poor choice in this area even in the enclosed box.

[Stef]

here we have no choice.
Only traps allowed for coon are the 160 and 220

Now, with our early snow.... coon trail trapping with 220 don't last long.

So...

We have no choice.... baited cubbies, buckets etc... work for us.

Even if we could use foothold for coon... our early ice make trapping coon near the water almost impossible in most places.

Stef

[trappnman]

shag- I don't think I'd land trap by you. Down there, you problaby catch as many dogs in a day as I do in a season. Last year, I caught 3- 2 farmers dogs, one ?. and catching a dog just ruins my day.

I guessing you have long and extended season for hunting. Is there any possiblity, that the state could close some hunting areas for a short period for trappers?

[shagnasty]

not a chance on the hunting being decreased, just a few years back the rabbit dog season was extended by two weeks into mid february. deer hound season in seven weeks starting mid nov. bird season runs all the way into february. coon season is year round now as is fox season. bear season is a month or so, it never ends. I catch so many dogs some days I get sick of remaking my sets. many occassions i have had 3-4 spinning in close proximity. It really sucks. The whole state is not like this but the vast majority is. The only way I have found to cut down on dogs is trap in between peak hunting weeks, set on sundays and pull thursdays, etc. pain in the arse but helps some but there is no solution except to quit all together. I mainly use 220s in the water or real close on steep bank trails where a dog will not go.

[trappnman]

do you still have any hounds? I remember way back, you were once talking of coming up and doing some coon hunting...

If I set a trap on every farm that wanted me to trap, I'd catch a lot more dogs. Fortunately, I have plenty of farms that have no dogs. that is one nice thing about setting up in the middle of bare fields on waterways, etc....dogs rarely go there on their own, and hunters don't at all.

[shagnasty]

no hounds anymore. unfortunately i dont have the time to do it all so i gave up coon hunting for now. i am kicking around the idea of training a hound or two on bobcats one of these days. with a good hound or two, a man could have some real fun here running cats.