less than a month to go.....

[trappnman]

Starting to really feel and look like fall. Kind of chilly in the mornings, typical early fall days. Leaves are just starting to turn- you can see the yellows and off green starting pretty good, and the early maples are turning red pretty quick. This past week, corn chopping has been in full swing, and I bet I see some beans starting any day. Beans got in early are already just stalks, and later beans are just starting to turn color.

Most guys got their last hay crop off, but a few of the bigger guys will get 1 more crop.

Last gopher push starts today- we have 7 farms,to do, none of which are going to be huge setups, so should be done end of week.

So that gives us 3 weeks before we start. Plenty of time to get all the fall tasks done before we start setting.

I still need to order lures and urine, but other than that for once am perfectly ready.

I'm pumped for this season- feel better than I have in years. This season can't be worse than last year- never had so much snow so early. I mean...oct 15 and 10" of snow? To start the season? Yuck.

Badger and coyotes, but will take any reds. I got all mine tanned, and sold them for $60-$75 and could have sold more. Sleepy Creek Tannery in Iowa did the work- very pleased.

what are your plans for the season?

[musher]

I have started goose hunting and am finishing duck banding this Sunday. Grouse starts this Saturday and duck the week after.

Three out of 4 lines have all the marten boxes inspected and ready to go. Beaver are on the lakes because the small bodies of water dried up. Equipment has been ready since June.

Really glad fall is here. Spring and summer was too hot and quite long.

[braveheart]

Hey Musher have you ever used Martin glands on K-9's? And if so what was the reaction.

[trappnman]

Saw the first bean field being combined yesterday- the more beans out the better. Usually, ,by season all beans out, and a lot of the corn. Last few years, most beans in at start, same with corn. Harvest is a blessing and a curse for sure.

got 99 traps set over 5 farms- should be a bunch of gophers today for sure. We should get the last farm set today, maybe tomorrow at latest.

[musher]

Sept 16, 2021 4:21:42 GMT -6 braveheart said:

Hey Musher have you ever used Martin glands on K-9's? And if so what was the reaction.

I haven't. Never even thought about it. Maybe I'll collect some this season.

[mustelameister]

Hey Steve, good to hear an upbeat physical report there.

Muskrats. Period.

Mink on the side for the trinket trade, but 'rats, 'rats and more 'rats.

[trappnman]

well, countdown continues- 2 weeks from today will be skinning coyotes.

put on 190 miles yesterday talking to farmers, and giving things a cursory checkover to see what might have changed from last year. THese are mainly my farmers I don't trap gophers for- those farmers I tough base with this summer. Still have a couple of guys I need to call, farmers I've been trapping for for 30 years so more of a whats new call.

I can't say enough how nice those property apps like OnXhunt are. I got 4 new farms yesterday- farms that I already trap for the landowner, but didn't know he had bought other farms over the years. All 4 look good, 2 had fresh scat where we would be setting, so thats promising.

We've made a method change, in that we are only going to use 4 lures- 4 with 2 baits, will give enough combinations we think- and cut down on confusion as well.

Grandson got his lic requirements done, so we will be running a 10 stop or so 35-40 trap little waterline- mixed bag cause at 13, its al lexciting no matter the $$.

I'm really getting pumped for coyotes this year- its been such a dry spell, I hope it continues for most of the season- if we get any break on weather, this could be "the" year.

Been low 80s this week, and crops getting almost too dry- yesterday we saw a bunch of beans starting- I thought more would be out by now but it seems its begun in earnest at last. The packs still taking sweet corn out and haven't seen much combining corn, but all the big guys are well into chopping.

Haven't put up skunks in quite a few years, but after our success in tanning and then selling fox, I think we are gong to put up the skunks as well and get them tanned for resale.

I'll take any big coon I get with coyotes, but except for the little waterline won't target them, Same with mink.

[musher]

"
Grandson got his lic requirements done, so we will be running a 10 stop or so 35-40 trap little waterline- mixed bag cause at 13, its al lexciting no matter the $$"

That is great news and will be a good time.

Weather is still fairly warm here. Dogs are starting to shed .... Game butcher says he scrapped two moose that were brought in tainted.

I'm still into feathers - not fur.

[blackhammer]

Going to concentrate on rats and mink. Basically not using bait in the water anymore because I don’t want coons Trap a few red fox because they are my favorite animal and try to get a limit of otter. Be forced into trapping a few beaver but the hatter market even looks like a 5 and 1 dollar deal. They take to much time and energy which would be better served trapping rats and mink. Wishing everyone a great season

[trappnman]

I don't know what happened up here on our creeks. For decades, I could take 4-500 rats ,and 80-100 mink year after year after year with no changes in populations. Now- I doubt I could get 75 rats, or 30 mink on te same creeks. Most of it I blame 100% on the DNR- all that rip rapping and straightening streams for trout, has decimated the rat population. And part is the constant floods over past few years. Part the all year number of raptors- Mn has more eagles than any state other than Alaska and a vast quantity call these hills their year round home. I throw out a coyote carcass, and in 2 days its spine and skull. I've counted 10-20 eagles coming off a site numerous times.

but whatever it is- and farming practices if anything have gotten better vis a vis chemicals, we just don't have the rats. Streams that went dead, and the rest, with the exception of that little watershed I trapped last year, don't have the numbers they used to.

Good luck!

[blackhammer]

Agree flooding is a big factor. This year I expect some of the small rivers I sometimes trap may actually have some rats for a change. I’m sure a few small creeks may be dry but I prefer dryer years in regards to rat populations.