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Post by furman on Sept 16, 2007 17:43:19 GMT -6
Most of my coons are the same open country coon with some small coon coming for mink sets
Johnson fur? T-man
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Post by bblwi on Sept 16, 2007 18:53:00 GMT -6
Bob I am using the "money cut" or "belly cut" or a modified version of that. I see some increase in length but I can not make 30 inch coons go to 32 on the 7.5 inch NAFA boards w/o loosing some density and thus some grade. I probably have not been tightening the pelts as much as I can or should based on what I am reading. I have some board modifications that I can do that will be helpful, but I still won't be getting much increase if I trap early and where I see signs of litters. This year may be something new again. My half time job forces me to miss the first 5 days of the season, so I will need a different strategy no matter what I do. All I know for sure over the last 4 years with the coon that I have caught I have done considerably better put up and shipped 3 of those 4 years and enough better the 4th to pay for the time and effort.
Bryce
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Post by bobwendt on Sept 16, 2007 19:32:23 GMT -6
bryce, you can get away with a narrower board,at least I`ve been able too, shipping to nafa. they look like otters, but it flys ok.
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Post by furman on Sept 16, 2007 19:37:13 GMT -6
Bblwi If you can make a coon go from 30’’ to 32'' do it don’t worry about fur density the money is made by the square inch
Stretch the living hell out of them but keep the skirt nice and straight
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Post by robertw on Sept 16, 2007 19:39:35 GMT -6
Furman & BobW know what they are talking about folks, it is all about the size.
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Post by bobwendt on Sept 16, 2007 19:42:33 GMT -6
yepo, I never got docked for narrow or density or even stretching the butthole ring. I use it all. gary armstrong got me doing it that way about 25 years ago and it`s made me lots and lots of money.
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Post by furman on Sept 16, 2007 19:48:32 GMT -6
I took some fur up to NAFA to see how they grade and I took three different size coon boards up there to see what one they recommend. The man picked the narrow of the three.
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Post by cowman on Sept 16, 2007 20:17:49 GMT -6
I use all 7 1/2 in. boards, even the jumbo coon go on them. You can get the 5X size pretty easy if you stick to the narrow boards and pull with the pliers. With heavy fur and leather they measure 8 in wide after you take off the boards so all is ducky!
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Post by robertw on Sept 16, 2007 20:20:46 GMT -6
My narrow boards run 6 1/2" & 6 3/4"
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Post by rk660 on Sept 17, 2007 20:17:31 GMT -6
I guess my take is no matter what you do you will probibly lose a certain % of value from snaring coons, may be only 5% or so once a certain level expertise is reached but you will always lose some. The flip side of this coin, is certain conditions snaring will far outshine other methods of taking numbers of coon. So, if due to conditions, and snaring allows you to harvest 50% more per day, and you lose only 10% value on the fur, snaring becomes more profitable use of a days time.
Trappnman-my advice on original question would be stay with cam locks for damage. yes they do pull a little fur into them at times, but they remain about best lock for killing systems explained on this board by me, Steve C, and others over the past couple years. Youve been quick to start using these snaring systems, and are learning to hang and kill your coons, and I have no doubt you will get better at it as you skill level increases. Experience, we all know is the best teacher. Youll find yourself getting more neck and one leg thru captures, and a good feel how to hang them up off ground quicker and higher. Here is where the cam lock will shine in faster dispatches and and less damage. Other locks that dont lock as positive will have higher damage even when hung as they are alive longer. As you are not in a "cable restraint" state, I would see no need in dropping down to Reithart lock, that would probibly be best choice if restraining, maybe something to try if you cant kill them in very open terrian. The micro locks did a nice job of killing coon for me last year also when coupled with a choke spring and hung. worst choice is old 90 degree washer locks that dig into body and rub a large patch of fur down to the skin. Small locks that lay flat agasint their body and dont slip seem to be best choices. I'd really like a slim lock if they would lock better for me, but my experience on coon with them is they let cable slip and get real bad cable burn due to slippage. I want to try heat treating some like Steve mentioned on a thread a while back this year, and see if that will improve their preformance. Once you get a real good feel for wrapping them up high, you might try some 1/16 1x19 as it does seem to kill quicker, but can be chewed easyer if youdont get them hung.
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Post by trappnman on Sept 18, 2007 7:11:32 GMT -6
thanks rk and others- I'm getitng a few ideas. Had a phone call that gave me a few tips, and one thing he mentioned, was that "neck" snared doesn't mean neck so much, as neck and an arm, like rich mentiined.
You would think, or at least I thought, that the big washers would cause less damage- but yes, they give you the most damage.
the coon I am snaring are upland snow coon, and I don't even want to try to keep footholds operating- bad enough keeping some canine traps going. And those 220s in snow, just get too many refusals for me.
5% even 10% I could live with- I'll keep working at it!
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Post by JP on Sept 18, 2007 19:37:10 GMT -6
RK, could you talk a little bit about conditions/locations that would "hang a coon high"? does that just mean overhead cover that they can get to and wrap around? Would a high log crossing by considered in this type of setup? How long is your snare? The micro locks that I used last year did not have have a kill spring, but even without, they seemed to cause very little visible outside fur damage. In my opinion, like Steve, I find conibears in the dead of winter to be a waste of time other than around openings in old building. In those high ridge trails along the bluffs, just too many taking a path around them. JP
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Post by rk660 on Sept 18, 2007 20:53:10 GMT -6
you need a long snare most of time and tie off 3 even 5ft off ground, most of mine are 10 fters any more as it gives more length to reach tie off. I usually choke snare right above limb to keep from sliding down tree. Best is creek banks that have scattered smaller trees like 3-6" dia, not too thick. What you want is for them to be able to reach another sampling taking out as much cable as possible from tie off, that has some limbs 3-6' off ground. You can kill them wrapping up on the tree you tie to, but it makes a mess of your extension which i try to avoid. Ill go up or down trail and use best spot for my purposes. sometimes on one single nice brsuhy tree I know they will climb right up, Ill just stake snare with just enouhg slack cable to get them up in limbs. If too thick of cover they wrap p closer to ground which keeps them alive longer. when all i got is super tight brush and cover i run a shorter snare straight up and take out all the slack i can so its almost taunt down to my loop. dead brussh piles with more horiszontal brush also work real well for hanging them. When you get good at getting more neck caught, your gonna see most are only wrapped around gallows limb once or twice, hanging dead with very little sign of chewing on wood, nice fash clean kill. Takes a little experience to get to that point, both in picking you gallows wrap up and getting more neck and one leg thru holds, once you get good at both, you'll feel like you should be wearing a black hood when setting, as you know about exactly how the outcome will look.
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Post by SteveCraig on Sept 18, 2007 21:01:00 GMT -6
"once you get good at both, you'll feel like you should be wearing a black hood when setting, as you know about exactly how the outcome will look."
;D ;D ;D ;D LOL!
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