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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 20, 2007 18:25:24 GMT -6
on coon, etc- drys quicker hung so water goes with hair direction.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 20, 2007 16:12:27 GMT -6
Hey- no need for me to always be designated driver but that hasn't happened for 15 or more years...
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 20, 2007 16:28:27 GMT -6
coyotes urinate for a lot of reasons- and one reason is I believe nothing better to do.....
That is- something about your set bothered him- enough to put him on guard, but not enough to spook him. He took the time to make a few kickbacks (Z must be finally riding that sled or he'd chime in ) and urinate a couple of times while he was thinking the situation over.
You could well put in a "blind"set at these urination posts but with frozen ground- it would be obvious as to something "added".
Since the coyote wasn't spooked, I'd open up the set and relure...
Going back to the thought- do coyotes act the same i snow- I believe ...kinda...
I really do think that much of what we see occur in snow- occurs on bare ground. Sometimes I think its good we don't trap on snow all the time, or what we would see...would make us cry...
I'm a believer in bad visuals- and believe that such makes a coyote cautious, but I also think familiarity breeds contempt- and if the attraction is there, sooner or later he will work the set.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 20, 2007 16:19:08 GMT -6
If you belong to FTA- my essay this month in Fur Takers was on just this subject.
I think the moon phases are overrated.
So many mitagating things factor into the equation.
For example- full moon.....
add/subtract clouds, wind, temp- to me all things that have more effect on animal movement than the moon itself.
something thats interesting to observe, for you night drivers- is what conditions makes animals move. Might surprise you.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 20, 2007 15:53:56 GMT -6
I work under a timeline.
so many days set here, then so many days set there.
I most likely err on the side of staying too long.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 8:47:49 GMT -6
well, anyone can catch a cat...... didn't you see that picture of the 3 year old on here a while back...pick the location, set the trap, caught a cat first night....
Last few years have been running 60-70 canine, 25 or so coon- last year (and future years) ran 100-105 canine and 20-25 coon.
Thats enough for me. Thats a 125 mile loop.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 8:42:21 GMT -6
I'd suggest a good stroll through the archives.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 25, 2007 12:44:30 GMT -6
seldom- I understand what I think you said- and that does explain it.
I should back up a bit- freak said it better a pan that JUST stays up for yotes, one that free falls for coon/mink.
Freak- Think I am going to end up with about 3.5 pounds or so due to using steel screens.
Do you mean you are going to increase your tension because you are going to use steel screens or do you mean that your pan tension will be increased because you use steel screens?.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 13:16:31 GMT -6
lol dont think I' ve got ANY traps that wouldn't fire WELL under 1 lb with a free falling pan...and that's with HUNDREDS of #2 and #3 coils...maybe it's just our "western" traps...or heavier air out here... lol lynx
I absolutely don't believe that- and think that you are not testing accurately. Its 100% contrary to my results.
Take a pan, adjust the resistence of the pan shank bolt or whatever you want to call it so the pan JUST falls down on its own- set the trap and if you put a reliable test instrument on that pan- the pressure needed to fire that trap - will be in the 2-3 lb range.
I'll back that up anywhere and have shown it to be true many, many times at my booth in demos to show just that.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 13:12:31 GMT -6
the resistence of the jaws on the springs- 2 coiled or 4 - is going to give you a certain amount of pan tension.
Look at it in reverse- take off the springs- set the trap- any pan pressure? zero.
There is only so low you can go with strong springs- those talking about zero pan tension aren't talking zero pan tension but zero pan resistence- in other words- a free falling pan when lifted up (unset of course).
In testing many traps with a tester- that ingrained spring resistence tension is about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.
And yes, tighting the bolt has a direct effect on tension points.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 8:51:11 GMT -6
I think its a rare trap that doesn't give you 2.5-3 lbs just on a loose pan (coyote trap).
I like 2 coils- they work just fine for me but without a doubt- if you were serious about a cold weather, winter line- 4 coils have the extra power to come through stiff ground, snow when the steel is cold and slow.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 8:58:01 GMT -6
as to your original question-
you really can't. Its a case of doing the best you can. Even with dry dirt- you aren't going to be able to bed it solid- becasue its light and doesn't compress.
That coal shale mixure is dense- and that did give a FAIRLY stable trap.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 8:55:58 GMT -6
you can buy sand or even potting soil, and dry out in the oven. I did it one year. Open up the windows though- you are going to get a lot of humidity.
Put it about an inch deep on a cookie sheet- low heat worked best- about 175- 200.
you can use peat moss, hay chaf, cattail fuzz as alternatives.
Dried manure works also. Chop up grass.
If good snow- just use snow for a bed and covering.
As suggested- under bridges, under cut banks- can give you dry dirt.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 18, 2007 15:13:38 GMT -6
well, I DO see where the sunlight makes it look like a lion...
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 8:41:23 GMT -6
1 qt peroxide 1 cup baking soda 1 teaspoon dish soap
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 19, 2007 13:31:25 GMT -6
there is discretion allowed, at least here in MN. If projects are under a certain amount- the trapper can be chosen by the project manager, without a bidding process. In Mn if I'm correct, its $2500.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 17, 2007 8:28:37 GMT -6
Don't let all the old info on stuff throw you.
you certainly can mix a canine lure into fish oil to give you a new canine lure. A good skunky lure works well. I've also mixed pikuabua, a minty sweet type of cat lure with fish oil and that odor comes out good.
More so than mixing canine lure with fish oil, I'll just use a little fish oil in conjunction with a lure- say fish oil in one side of a 2 hole punch set and a lure on the other.
Fish oil with beaver castor in it- would probably be as universal a lure as you could make. Would attract all the water animals as well as the land ones.
I just think a good call lure works better specific to canines....
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 15, 2007 21:16:47 GMT -6
stef can answer better than I.
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 15, 2007 20:07:50 GMT -6
It does look like hay-
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Post by Steve Gappa on Jan 15, 2007 19:10:30 GMT -6
no hay set- a walk through flat set in a close cut hay field, set on a weed clump. Some taller grass was milled up- but no imported hay.
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