Who catches weasels?

[dabrock]

I've never caught a weasel buy made some box's and plan to try
catching some this winter, am wondering what to use as bait.
Thanks for the help.

Dan

[lumberjack]

I live in about the same geographical region as you and catch 0-12 weasels a year, almost all in blind sets made for mink or coon. Only ever caught a couple on purpose, generally using what they slaughtered the night before.
I would imagine beaver, muskrat, rabbit, wild fowl and even fish all to be good baits. I think you may find we dont have the population that the upper midwest has.

[dabrock]

I agree, fact is I've never seen one in the area, except one caught by another trapper. But have some new area to trap this fall that was clear cut a couple years ago and there are some nice piles of dead wood that might harbor some, so thought I'd give it a try. Thanks for the advice on bait.

Dan

[garman]

I by far am no expert, but I have caught a handful, meaning @ 4-5 or so this winter, which is the only time a piddled with them, I set around 6- 8sets for a couple weeks and caught a few. Anyway myself and the guys I know around here and north that take big numbers use liver. Beef or chicken, and beaver meat. Something really bloody and lure with a combo of anise and weasel gland. That is all I am told and what few I caught. Matt Westermeyer has a great book out if you are interested. Cumberlands sells it for sure.

[thebeav2]

Like Garman said LIVER and a good strong gland based Mink lure will work.

They tell me that you should place your bait on a piece of wax paper that way if you have freezing weather and you want to change bait It won't be froze down to the box.

[garman]

I used old tuna cans, I got this from the book. You can make them up ahead of time and just exchange as needed. but wax paper would work.

[trappnman]

me next year- bought one of Rob weasel boxes- a wrok of art- and won another. will make 10 more this summer and give thme a whirl

[northof50]

So are these wooden weasel boxes the ones that are designed so when the wooden rat trap goes off a slider closes a tin door so no mice get in and destroy the caught one, with a hindge lid. There was plans in the Alberta trappers magazine a while back. Double hole entrance so the weasel is lined up for neck capture. The Royal Royce of weasel box traps I consider.

[musher]

I never have had a mouse chewed weasel in a trap.

[youngandtalented]

have never had a mouse chewed weasle either, but i know that i do get A LOT of mice in my traps before i ever get a weasle , hard to keep them active sometimes.

[trappnman]

be interesting to see if shrews will chew them- they will chew any rat or mink that is 110ed on land here

[Timber]

I play around with weasels on most my traplines. We have a good population and they are easy to catch. I like to use liver or beaver meat and a strong call lure or skunk scent. I have used wooden boxes, crushed coffee cans, milk jugs, ect... to catch them but I like rat traps the best. Fast and easy. You sure have to wade throught the mice at times but if you set on sign, they are easy to catch. I trap a lot of under road culverts and cattail swamps for them.

I've never had any get chewed but they do stain themselves with urine after a catch and that can be a b**** to get out.

I also get a few each year calling that come a running and end up close enough for the boot. Brave and fierce little animals, they stand up to the dog, but not for long.

Tim

[youngandtalented]

we always pick up a few each year in the buckets we have set out, belisle super x 120's don't allow them to go anywhere. All of our buckets are on teh ground too so when they get caught they are on teh ground and i haven't noticed any chewing form the shrews or mice either.

[wildman]

ive made a pile of wooden weasel boxes and use old 1 1/2 longs for the trap and like others have the mice clean out the bait, so ive thrown a handful of hay or dry grass in the back of the box along with a pile of bird seed or corn. the mice go in pee & poop all over creating a stink the weasels cant resist. also for those interested ive made them out of plastic folgers coffee cans, hole saw a 1 1/4 hole just under the lid, 2 small holes back by the handle to wire bait to and a small slit near the bottom to run the trap chain out. these work mint and are lightweight to carry. the biggest trap is a #1 jump laying on the bottom. a 1 1/2 jump wont fit. i just lay a flat rock or log on top so they dont tip it over. best places are stone walls,brush piles,dry culverts and cattail swamp edges for me......good luck

[rob906]

Jul 21, 2008 20:17:14 GMT -6 trappnman said:

me next year- bought one of Rob weasel boxes- a wrok of art- and won another. will make 10 more this summer and give thme a whirl

Thanks a lot about the kind words on my boxes.. It does mean a lot to hear good feed back from my boxes that i have made.

I have done a lil weasel trapping Last year i used chicken liver with some of Weasel all call lure. You can use any type of bloody fresh meat. I have even heard of some fish being used but cant say that i have done that. Mice is another thing if you get some in your box just cut it in half and drop em in the back.

I did pretty good last year but i hope to do a lot better this year.


Rob

[musher]

A couple of weasel boxes.


coffee can type


notice the bump out so the trap fits. Aslo notice the mittten sized handle!

[musher]

Whoa! That's a little bigger than it should be. The host site changed it's program and I can't resize them.

If anyone can help, please do!

[BrandonH]

Incidentals.......

beaver meat and "dogpaw's" candy

[Bob Jameson]

Ok , now I wonder where all the musk pods went. At least you could have sorted them according to the time of year when they were caught. Looks the like the group on the right were early season catches

[musher]

Looking at the colours I'd say that was part of a season's incidentals. Do you freeze them whole and sell to the taxidermy market?