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bears
Jun 8, 2017 18:23:08 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 8, 2017 18:23:08 GMT -6
As usual, spring found me thinking of trapping bears. So I gave it a go and things worked out. Bear trapping is a lot of work with not a huge monetary return so efficiency is a must. By going through all the hoops I could tag 20 bears. I have no interest in that but tagging the quota of 4 from the trapline nearest my home would make the cottagers happy and give me my bear fix. Near means my first baits are less than 10 minutes away by truck. I could trap bears on my woodlots that are even closer on foot but I don't really want bears that close to the house. The season started on May 15 and I was baited then. It took a few days to get a hit. I do not set until the bears are hitting the baits. Out of 7 baits 2 had action. The first spot was a location where I had a bear last year but did not trap it due to size. It was a wee thing that would not eat much. I saw it a few times. By wee I mean 35 pounds or so. A 1.5 year old that wasn't with mama for whatever reason. I set up a game camera to see if it was the same bear. Probably. It wasn't big but it was bigger and it was just as close to the cottages. I set an m-15 bait bucket. That was when things got interesting. It had torn down the installed, trapless bucket earlier. Now it would not go near it. I have a couple of dozen videos of this bear coming to the baits several times a day. It ignored the baited bucket. I tried lures, sweets, breads and meats to no avail. I also set an aldridge foot snare on its trail. But I choked and missed. Blackie then knew what a footsnare was and avoided those, too. Meanwhile, a second bait 4 km away got hit. A game camera showed two good bears. For whatever reason I cannot post videos or transfer them to the host site, Too bad because they are good videos. Those bears were slappy bears. By that I mean they slap buckets toi get the food inside them. They learn this because buckets full of holes are often used by hunters and in their wandering bears of size have seen them lots of times. So back to footsnares there, too. In the photo you see an aldridge and a Ouell. It was my first time trapping with a Ouell. They cost a hundred smackers compared to $25 for an aldridge. A hundred bucks is too expensive for my taste but a guy lent me one to test.
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bears
Jun 8, 2017 18:50:40 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 8, 2017 18:50:40 GMT -6
The first catch was a big male. I haven't caught a nicely furred, large sized one like that in a while. I put a pulp hook through the lower jaw to haul them out. A fresh bear is tough to drag because there is nothing to hold onto. They are also very loose. I got it out and into the truck after a drag of about 20 feet! I would have preferred having help with this one. Wee bear was still regular and avoiding stuff but the videos had shown me something. He was a picky eater. He really liked pecan tarts! No bread, no flaky pasteries, no cake, no meat, no jujubes, some fat and loved old grease. French fry grease and pecan tarts were the thing. So I made a big obvious cubby and filled it with meat. I guarded it with an aldridge. I then blind set another aldridge on a trail near the cubby. The bear was already avoiding aldridges blind set on other trails. And I scattered a dozen tarts. Got him that night Not a big bear but the fattest spring bear ever. It was a guesstimate of 200 pounds with a very thick layer of fat all over. It also has an ugly rub on the back. Not a high dollar bear.
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bears
Jun 8, 2017 19:06:09 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 8, 2017 19:06:09 GMT -6
Wifey had taken the highway south to bring the grandkids up for the weekend sans parents. Between fishing, going to the park, cooking with Grams, and everything else I tagged #3. A small male that Just showed up where I was still set for large bear #2 that I had sen on a video with bear #1. The other baits still hadn't been hit but the other big one came back. Not a great catch. But it all worked out. I much prefer this.
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bears
Jun 8, 2017 19:11:58 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 8, 2017 19:11:58 GMT -6
So 4 bears in a week. Not my best but it will do. The Ouell caught 3/4. I like the trap but not the price. It also also harder to hide than an aldridge. But it is a good design. The location that produced 3 bears is pretty torn up. The rope-a-long made getting the big boys into the truck alone possible. Thanks for reading.
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bears
Jun 9, 2017 6:32:40 GMT -6
Post by Steve Gappa on Jun 9, 2017 6:32:40 GMT -6
very interesting indeed- I'd imagine 20 bears would be a bit more work that a guy wants to do.
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bears
Jun 11, 2017 6:26:50 GMT -6
Post by redsnow on Jun 11, 2017 6:26:50 GMT -6
Neat. Never heard of a Quell trap before, looks like it works similar to an Aldridge. I made up a homestyle type of trigger, for a foot snare, I know that it'd work, similar to a spring pole, but it's illegal to use here in WV, for big game.
I figure that last bear was a handfull loading. That's a nice bear!
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bears
Jun 11, 2017 8:25:43 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 11, 2017 8:25:43 GMT -6
Neat. Never heard of a Quell trap before, looks like it works similar to an Aldridge. I made up a homestyle type of trigger, for a foot snare, I know that it'd work, similar to a spring pole, but it's illegal to use here in WV, for big game. I figure that last bear was a handfull loading. That's a nice bear! The thing about a Ouell is that the bear must place its foot in the trap before setting it off (sounds stupid, I know!). when the foot is in the trap the snare is around the foot. BUt a big bear has a big foot. That last bear would not have been there as long as the first one. Also an aldridge can pull a snare under a foot if the snare is not elevated. A Ouell has notches to elevate the snare. I use wood pieces with Aldridge type traps. But if the bear is off center you can miss. The first bear was the largest by a good fifty pounds or so. It is difficult to judge with only a glove and pulp hook for reference. I didn't dilly-dally with the camera. I knew another big one was around due to the videos. Wish I could figue out how to post them.
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bears
Jun 11, 2017 17:24:21 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 11, 2017 17:24:21 GMT -6
click on it. Tell me if itworks!
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bears
Jun 11, 2017 21:30:19 GMT -6
Post by bblwi on Jun 11, 2017 21:30:19 GMT -6
What are the allocations or the number of permits or bear a person or registered trapper can harvest? Are these ADC type bear and if so how do they monitor or give out permits on the registered lines that trappers have?
Bryce
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eedup
Tenderfoot...
Posts: 36
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bears
Jun 11, 2017 21:47:09 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by eedup on Jun 11, 2017 21:47:09 GMT -6
Can you post a pic of the 25 dollar Aldrich up close please ?
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 3:56:06 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 12, 2017 3:56:06 GMT -6
What are the allocations or the number of permits or bear a person or registered trapper can harvest? Are these ADC type bear and if so how do they monitor or give out permits on the registered lines that trappers have? Bryce Bears are considered as big game animals and furbearers. When you buy your trapping license you have "X" amount of bear tags attached to it. The quantity depends on the zone you trap in. Your tags are good for a specific registered line. You have to register bears after they are harvested. They are not ADC bears. They are considered as furbearers. There is a fall and a spring season. The tags are good for a year. If you tag all of them in the fall you have no tags for spring. You can buy a bear hunting license or a trapping license over the counter. There are no limits to the amount of licenses sold. However, trapping of furbearers is for residents only.
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 4:04:42 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 12, 2017 4:04:42 GMT -6
Can you post a pic of the 25 dollar Aldrich up close please ? Check out in my previous threads. There is probably one there in a bear thread. It is the trap to the left of the black trap over the grilled wire holding the jujubes. The candy was on an m-15 trigger that is not in the photo. Does the video work?
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 4:12:32 GMT -6
Post by mustelameister on Jun 12, 2017 4:12:32 GMT -6
the video worked for me Musher
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 4:23:04 GMT -6
Post by braveheart on Jun 12, 2017 4:23:04 GMT -6
Neat thread Musher!!!! I could get into trapping a bear but the shooting of one never interested me. Good Job!!!
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 4:37:21 GMT -6
Post by redsnow on Jun 12, 2017 4:37:21 GMT -6
The video won't open for me. Might just be this computer?
Looking at the Quell trap, I noticed the notches, now the black part of the trap just sits on the ground right? You just need to dig out a little hole for the "pan" to fall, is that right?
I'll tell you when Dad was using the Aldridge type traps, about the only way that you'd get a (fairly) consistent catch, was to have the off side of the snare up above ground level, like you said above. We'd usually cut a twig with a fork, push it in where you wanted it. You could use a piece of tie wire, with a little hook on the top.
When the DNR first brought that batch of traps, there were no 2 of them the same. They were handmade copies, the snares were all different lengths, the catch ratio was very slim there at first.
If a feller would use a double ferrule on the snare, that would speed up the works, lighten the snare up a little bit.
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eedup
Tenderfoot...
Posts: 36
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 7:27:51 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by eedup on Jun 12, 2017 7:27:51 GMT -6
I couldn't zoom in enough to see if they're like the old Aldrich or these knock offs their trying to pass for Aldrich. What supply dealer did you purchase yours from ? Thanks
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 8:44:51 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 12, 2017 8:44:51 GMT -6
I couldn't zoom in enough to see if they're like the old Aldrich or these knock offs their trying to pass for Aldrich. What supply dealer did you purchase yours from ? Thanks I've been trapping bears for over 40 years. I bought my first Aldridge in the early 80's. I bought some new, most second hand. Some have pans as triggers, some are homemade ......They all work. All that to say I cannot tell you because I don't have a clue. I would not know an original from a clone. Some broke, some got lost with a catch ....
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eedup
Tenderfoot...
Posts: 36
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 10:09:26 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by eedup on Jun 12, 2017 10:09:26 GMT -6
I've only got 13 yrs doing it. I own about 100 Aldrich from the 80s . I don't like the new styles, heavier, don't have the bend like the old ones. Trying to find someone to build some like the old onesi have. These have been well used and the coil part of the spring is sprung. I don't like the fact that the cable has to sit on top of the 'dog' now. We use split vine maple sticks to hold the snare up off the ground and have very few misses.
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 14:42:50 GMT -6
Post by musher on Jun 12, 2017 14:42:50 GMT -6
100 bear traps! I have less than a dozen with maybe 8 m-15's. And they are never all set.
You must haul a lot of bait.
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eedup
Tenderfoot...
Posts: 36
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bears
Jun 12, 2017 16:38:37 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by eedup on Jun 12, 2017 16:38:37 GMT -6
Took over damage control contract. Doesn't take much bait as we're on location for timber damage. My mentor had 30+ yrs. Ralph Flowers taught him. I have 30 m-15's. Always trying to learn and refine techniques. Was excited when I saw your post about 25 dollar Aldrich. I have one quell and one ursa. Haven't tried the quell just too much material when an Aldrich is so effective.
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