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Post by dj88ryr on Jul 19, 2006 6:08:54 GMT -6
My mink sets are all set up as drowners, if I get a coon, he is usually drowned, yes, it is a PIA to get them dried out, but my leaf blower comes in handy for that.
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Post by trappnman on Jul 19, 2006 6:16:12 GMT -6
its not really all that hard to dry them off. Once I get into water, its cold out. I lay the coon on newspapers in the truck, and also overnight at home. The next day, the coon are either dry or just damp- in either case, easy skinning. Hang up, brush, freeze.
Lots easier in my opinion then having ones frozen solid in conibears
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Post by dj88ryr on Jul 19, 2006 6:22:43 GMT -6
I lay the coon on newspapers in the truck, You want me to put them wet muddy bastads inside my new truck!!!!! ;D
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Post by thebeav2 on Jul 19, 2006 6:29:40 GMT -6
Two things that help In drying wet fur.
1- wet/dry vac
2- air compressor
I vacuum the wet coon, that gets most of the water out of them. I then use the air compressor to blow out any left over water. Blow with the fur.You will be surprised how quickly the fur will dry out. Then hang In front of a fan over night. I know that wet fur placed In the back of a open truck box will be dried by time I get home. Just protect it from freezing down to the box.
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Post by trappnman on Jul 19, 2006 6:31:12 GMT -6
get a trapping truck dj! ;D
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Post by dj88ryr on Jul 19, 2006 7:42:34 GMT -6
Actually, like Beav says, I hang them, hit them with the leaf blower for a few minutes, and they are totally dry by morning.
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Post by rk660 on Jul 19, 2006 8:35:27 GMT -6
On the trap Mark shows, I'll side with Steve. Unless powered well, Ive found laminations to lose a lot of coon, a slipperly foot combined with a wide jaw surface and the taper of a coon's foot doest do much for holding coon. If your going to laminate, better power up. A little bite on a coon trap aint a bad thing. Most stake solid coon lines are ran every day, so lamination from a foot friendly point of view isnt that big of issue. Lamination will not stop them from chewing under the jaws. If on a slide wire lamination isnt really doing you anything either, as he is down and dead in a short time. The 1.5 victor Ive always found to be about the worst of the 1.5 for holding coon. I think they hook those big levers pushing ff trap a lot. I ran a bunch of Bridger no 2 once with my normal no 3 music wire, but pulled out the lanimated ones reserved for coyote work. I lost a pile of coon the next day from them. I think I ran a 50% loss. I either pulled and replaced, or added whatever old springs I could find in the field making them 4 coil. Just the extra jaw surface of lamination allowed them to slip the foot out of the trap as it didnt "bite" as hard. I dont mind a rounded rolled jaw on a coon trap, but I'll never laminate another coon trap that Im going to use in the water. The trap pictured would fair poorly on NE coon, whether on a slide wire or staked solid.
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Post by bnolan on Jul 19, 2006 9:09:29 GMT -6
So how can I make all of my Victor 1.5 coils any better for that occasional coon? I have held coon in them before at water sets, but I don't get as many as all of you. I now wonder if I plan on setting more water traps this year I want to be able to hold as many coons as I can. So would replacing the springs to the 1.75 size help? In my first post I stated that I would set up a dozen Blake and Lamb 1.5 coils on four foot fox drags, do you for see any problems with this?
Thanks CHT
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Post by trappnman on Jul 19, 2006 9:26:56 GMT -6
Rich summed it up.
I think the Victor problem is a lever position problem- the coon push on the levers and with a coil you don't need much.
you can go with 1.5 music wire springs- but for the occasional coon, I wouldn't worry about it- I'd buy some Dukes (the humble 1.5 stock is as good a coon trap as is out there) if you have areas where you have a few more coon.
Don't get us wrong, you can take plenty of coon in 1.5 victors...but by gosh if there is an empty trap on the end of a slider or a pulled out coon..seemed it was a victor more times than not.
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Post by mmwb (Andrew Parker) on Jul 19, 2006 10:12:54 GMT -6
In terms of drying, a good roll in the snow seems to help get most of the water out. If I leave 'em hang over night the rest is taken care of. This is a low humidity area.
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Post by markymark on Jul 19, 2006 10:25:51 GMT -6
I think it goes without saying the second a lam is on a trap the springs need to be powered up.
Now I'll give a little plug for Steven Gappa. I purchased several dozen 1.5 Montgomery RJ's. I emailed Steve and picked up 3 dozen 1.5 springs for these traps. The springs that he sent were first class. Very stought springs, price was right and shipping was fast. After meeting Steve this weekend he's better to understand in person than from keyboard. We even broke bread ;D
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Post by rk660 on Jul 19, 2006 12:41:54 GMT -6
put no 2 music wire springs in them, i always replace with music wire as much superior to standard springs from the trap maker. I have a good supply of no 2 & 3 music wire springs if needing some. that will make you a much better coon trap. If targeting coon more so than mink, i'd consider a different trap. No 11's, duke or sleepey creek 1.5's, bridger 1.65 w/ no 2 music wire for staked solid traps. You can step up to a larger no 2 on slide wires for more kill area. I was pretty impressed with the new sleepy creeks springs I looked over last year. the old n.w. no 1.5 and 1.75 were great traps, but since they are all 15 years old I'd put new springs in every one of them. personally I wouldnt laminate a water coon trap, if you do laminate for coon, I'd suggest going to 4 coils. Just what Ive found to make them hold satisfactorly for me.
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Post by buckfreak on Jul 19, 2006 12:50:40 GMT -6
If all you have to work with is the victors do the Bud Hall trick and shear the ends of the levers off. I did this to the ones I use and powered them up with number two springs. I ain't afraid of losing a coon out of them now. I have a question on why most guys on here don't laminate or are against it. Alot of people like Gerald Schmitt, O'gorman and Red O'hearn all recommend it. I think they got it from Ron Hanson. Not stirring the pot just wondering. Could it basically have to do with toe caught coon and keeping them there til they get down the cable?
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Post by trappnman on Jul 19, 2006 12:59:06 GMT -6
As many laminate as not laminate. I personally don't like it in water, never saw a need for it and thats my philosophy- it it ain't broke, don't fix it. I feel I lose more coon in a laminated trap IN WATER- and a toehold with a regular trap will still be there. Others prefer lamination. yes. marky and I did break bread- and thanks for the plug-
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Post by bnolan on Jul 19, 2006 14:20:35 GMT -6
OK, thanks for the help with the victor 1.5 coils. Is their any problems that you see with using the fox drag on them? Will you have as many pullouts or chewing with them? I just have a few streams that are rocky and will be setting them up for this reason.
What about the older #2 Victor coils, should they only be used on drowner's even when set for mink? I know there is alot of room for chewing on them. I like to use these for mink but was wondering for that possible coon what is the best set up with this trap?
Do have and use the sleepy creek #11 double jaw in areas were I have alot of coon, I just like to find the best use for each of the traps I have for the best situation.
CHT
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Post by trappermike220 on Jul 19, 2006 15:12:52 GMT -6
Marky, How long does it take you to switch the pan set up?
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Post by trappnman on Jul 19, 2006 16:12:02 GMT -6
I saw in the work I did with #11 double jaws, that the trap erpfroms the same as any other coon trap. The myth that there is less chewing in them, is just a myth.
the get a few more snapped traps than other coon traps, but will hold any coon that gets in them.
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Post by lumberjack on Jul 19, 2006 17:29:57 GMT -6
To address your question about long chain and grapples, thats all I run for mink, coon and rats, on 1 1/2 victors. Most coon will be up on the banks a short distance from the set tangled in brush, which acts like a shock absorber and he will be biting at bark more than himself provided you have brush.. 99% of my mink will be drowned in very little water with this set-up-any alive I credit to just being caught. Muskrats are 75/25, most being drowned. I am amazed at the amount here that run all drowning sets, I cant seem to find over knee deep water at most of my water sets.Thats not to say that I cant find deeper water, its just that my style of pocket setting and blind setting finds me in shallower water but that is the way to go if you can to eliminate losses.
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Post by trappnman on Jul 19, 2006 17:36:47 GMT -6
lumberjack- I choose my set locations solely on water depth (on a 3 day check)
on 24 hour check, I set where I want.
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Post by braveheart on Jul 19, 2006 17:45:26 GMT -6
Ilike the old pinch pans.With levers cut down and no.2 springs.They make a great coon trap set at full pan tension.And you will catch most of the mink also but prefer it pulled down for mink to catch them all.When I took lessons from Mr.Mink he had a variety of traps.I got lucky and found 200 pinch pans with new springs and levers cut down and I bought them all.
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