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Post by shagnasty on Dec 20, 2006 14:22:32 GMT -6
you guys think way different than me. a major to me is a mile or two long corn field that i can drive alongside and dink them in the trails. a minor is a dinky stream in a wooded area or small grassy culver along a road with no food source to speak of that may produce 1-3 coon in a 3-4 night run. i look at the big picture for numbers. thus the running and gunning, maybe a day or two extra on prime ground versus ho hum ground. doesnt take a rocket scientist to know when the fur is dried up. agree with you bob on the challenge factor.
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Post by trappnman on Dec 20, 2006 15:54:46 GMT -6
Is trapping a sport? Its something I love- all aspects of trapping- it pays more than hunting or fishing do- its the total outdoor experience.
Is is a challenge? Not in the overall scheme, but certainly in a myriad of small, seemingly inconsequential events throughout the year.
Our geography is different here and most of the deeper water sites are also slower moving and that means more nights when the trap is not operational.
You are preaching to the choir. I often have sets under ice for a week or two. The secret is, is finding places that open up nice if they do ice in- places where the center doesn't freeze for example. Heres a tip many might not know. After first ice- you can somewhat control new ice formations on a flowing stream. You will find odd things attack ice- remove them, Up and down stream- breaking off ice in an angular pattern can direct current. Finding deep water here is a problem also. And I will not put in a drowning set for coon in under 3 feet of water if fast- 4 or more is preferred. I got 7 coon this check- I'll post a pic and you can see the size and condition of these coon, all down and out.
yes, 5 foot are way too short. I use 12 and 15. I love setting the shallow right on top of a hole. The shallow with current, tends to keep ice away, and you can toss the whole cable into the hole with a weight. I use mostly chicken wire and rocks.
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Post by bblwi on Dec 20, 2006 16:43:11 GMT -6
Steve, Thanks for the information. I have several dozen 5 footers. I used them for about 6-8 years on my early November line. They worked pretty good, but started the drag system with longer chains and that was faster and easier, especially with my methods of say 1 week or less at a spot. I need to review my streams and see how many locations meet the criteria and I can make up some cables that will fit my needs. I have some spots where the sand bars come up and the water is fast and shallow and the deep water is close enough with longer slides to make those doable.
I am reviewing and jotting notes on my first year trapping w/o a full time job. It is amazing how much time I spent this summer working on projects that really were not trap line productive or I did not get them setup properly. Does not matter how much prep time one has before the season, one only gets so much GOOD season and I am learning better the things to do to use those times more wisely.
Bryce
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Post by thebeav2 on Dec 20, 2006 17:31:39 GMT -6
Since I check my traps each day i never worry about making drowning sets, I just want my coon away from the set and off the bank. So I run 5 or 6 foot slide cables or the same length drowning rods. My rods have two staking points at the bank so I don't have to even get out In the water to make a set with the rod, no deep end staking.
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Dec 20, 2006 18:05:31 GMT -6
Bob I dont want to start this into a making money on coon thread.
But...How much would it take for a average on green skinned coon for you to start hitting them?
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Post by mustelameister on Dec 21, 2006 9:45:37 GMT -6
Excellent question! One that I've wondered myself since following the [glow=red,2,300]Bob Wendt can't make money on 'coon [/glow]threads.
I'm guessing Bob would have to average $28 apiece before he'd go back to handling the greasy, nonchallenging, low-lifin' sportless 'coon.
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Post by bobwendt on Dec 21, 2006 11:59:10 GMT -6
28 bucks in the round I could do 1,000 in 30 days and net about 22 grand on the deal and it would figure out to about 35 dollars an hour for a hard smelly dirty job most would not do at any price. at 14 bucks in the round I`d be close to $20 an hour, less than any decent job with bennys.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Dec 21, 2006 14:20:34 GMT -6
I have some spots where the sand bars come up and the water is fast and shallow and the deep water is close enough with longer slides to make those doable.
Perfect. Put in a pvc, add a trap and go. I use many similar sets.
For those that don't use a lot of drowners on coon- start the slide as low as you can get. Coon go into the water hard, and the farther down you start them, the better the location is saved and you don't lose your pipe.
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Post by bblwi on Dec 21, 2006 16:39:34 GMT -6
Thanks, Steve, Beav, Mike and all for the good information and continued discussion.
My thoughts on some drowner's are leading this way. I am trying the PVC in the bars with bait right now and my drags. Getting about a coon per day with the 12 sets, not so hot but will see what the weather change does the next two checks. I am thinking this later season coon line would be December while I am doing canines and thus like Beav would be daily checking. The drowner slide to not drown, but move from set would be good there too and open up more locations due to being able to use more shallow set locations. I can see some advantage in making a good ground sticky type bait to fit in the pipes. I am using a T bar stake to push down through the PVC and hold it more solid on the bar, works good so far.
I may have a few locations that will work with the every other day and or 4 day drowning check regs. Mike, I am assuming you are on an every other day check, am I correct? Beav, what is the length of your drowner's? Mine are all 5 feet long and they are fairly heavy, I can't remember the number size but upgraded to the heavier cable after using a couple dozen of the lighter gauge stuff. How are yours for kinking up? I have a ton of rebar stakes from 18 to 24 inches that can fasten them down.
Bryce
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Post by Steve Gappa on Dec 21, 2006 16:44:12 GMT -6
If I am checking daily, I won't drown. I always found it to be an advantage to have that big torn up pocket. When it gets too big, I just moved the set over a little. Using that upright guide eliminates the misses with the big pocket- plus, in a big worn out pocket, dig a bowl so trap is a few inches below rest. Only time I bother to dig a bed for coon.
I do understand you might have locations where you need to protect it, but don't fear the big slick smelly, interesting pocket remakes make. The only reason I drown is so I don't have to check daily.
My little local daily route is all double staked traps on short chains with the coon held in the water.
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Post by mustelameister on Dec 22, 2006 8:27:30 GMT -6
Bryce--since I can't quit my day job yet, I drown everything. And yes, most of it's on a 2-day check, 2 separate lines, though the two weeks prior to gun-deer season I try to get a third line in so I'm checking each line every third day.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Dec 22, 2006 8:33:52 GMT -6
I used to run 3 lines, but had changed my style. I now set up and run one long line- right now its about 130 miles- takes me 7+ hours to run in a nice loop. Next day, check a few local traps, skin rats and mink, 3rd day check a few local, skin coon and any beaver. I have one small sub loop to set up and one location on it is a big location, so that if this is set up concurrent to my existing line, I can't run in a day so will split the line for a short time until I pull a similar loop on the other end of the line. One location I HAVE to pull before deep snow, and the other I can't get into until snow, so it usually evens out that I pull one, then set the other. Both of these little loops have a walking, 20+ set stop on them, and it takes me 30-45 minutes to check. But worth it... ;D
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