weasels

[trappnman]

talking to the Porters at the UP, and now watching their video (very informative weasel trapping video, some things I never knew on setting up boxes) I've been thinking more and more of running a small, say 12-15 box line later this winter. MN has legalized 1.5s as a 3 day check if in boxes. If I have any success, I might hit it hard the following year.

for those that trap weasels, I have a couple of questions-

I know a lot depends on circumstances, so I'm asking in a "general way".

if there are weasels in an area, how long do you stay?

with limited boxes, would I be better to saturate an area, or put 2-3 here, 2-3 there?

can you over trap weasels?

any thoughts, appreciated.

[Gibb]

Steve I do not thing you can over trap weasels. I think that they have big population swings depending on the mouse or small rodent population.
Weasel are a under utilized resource in most areas. You can have different results depending on the amount of rodents around from one year to the next. I use to set a rat trap for them on the running poles for my marten sets. I preferred to catch the weasels before they set off my marten trap.
For the effort you could catch more weasels then mink easier and the price would be close. When rats average in the 5 dollar range weasels are a better deal.
Most trappers walk right by weasels everyday they trap.
I wonder how much different there is in boreal forest areas compared to trapping weasels in farm country?
Jim

[trappnman]

I'm thinking a lot!
LOL

but I have a lot of backwater marshes/sloughs with dry land among them- call them bog areas I guess- I don't know what are populations are- i've caught a few in mink/rat/gopher sets, and know a guy that took like 20 two years ago with little effort, so i'm thinking I might have more than I think.

and Gibb- now this is ironic- I know I can do much better at auction, so plan on sending any weasels i get, but a sundry of a few other items to FHA, just for fun-

and now you left!

[stickbowhntr]

What DVD ar eyou talking about ? I have an interest in viewing some weasel ones .

[trappnman]

its a 2 video set by a father and son team out of northern WI

George Porter and his son ( I can't remember his son's name right off hand, but he did a demo at the NTA this year)

I have the contact info around here somewhere- I'll try to find it later. if any WI people know it, post it please.

a couple of things in it to reduce misses I've never read or seen anywhere- if you want A to Z on weasels, they do the job.

[stovewood]

www.porterstraplinelures.webs.com/

[bblwi]

George and Bill will be doing their weasel demo at the WTA on Saturday this year. I have asked them to do a long and short line approach as there is considerable interest from those wanting to set out a few traps also. 715-579-5076 would be George's land line. Bill's cell is 715-927-0774

Bryce

[thorsmightyhammer]

When rats average in the 5 dollar range weasels are a better deal.


Gotta say I disagree Jim. Whats your 10 year average on weasals.

We have alot of weasels in MN and its easier to catch a 1000 rats than it is 300 to 400 weasels.

Most trappers walk right by weasels everyday they trap.

[musher]

I won't go out of my way to trap a weasel. But I won't walk by them, either. Place your sets where you are going to anyways.

If you use coffee cans or boxes it's quick to set them and pick them up. They do take room in the truck but you have lots of room since you're skinning your yotes in the field!

[trappnman]

this would be long after I'm done on yotes musher- I'm thinking late dec, and january.

[musher]

Aug 16, 2011 6:51:30 GMT -6 trappnman said:

this would be long after I'm done on yotes musher- I'm thinking late dec, and january.

You're still chasing something. Set your weasel stuff there or on the way there.

[trappnman]

are they all white here before thanksgiving?

if so, i might set a few- but we got a three day check w/1.5s in boxes, so figured I'd run them along with my winter waterline.

[musher]

Aug 16, 2011 7:26:27 GMT -6 trappnman said:

are they all white here before thanksgiving?

if so, i might set a few- but we got a three day check w/1.5s in boxes, so figured I'd run them along with my winter waterline.

They are not all white here at that time.

[makete]

Ours up here are all white or almost all white.
Heres one grey back, almost all white.
Caught on 11/17/2011

[trappnman]

aren't the mottled ones, worth less?

[musher]

Much less.

[trappnman]

thats what I thought-

so mice are the #1 food? or are bunnies just as important?

[musher]

They eat anything and everything. They are quite fearless but overhead cover is important to them. Think mink without the water factor.

[trappnman]

thanks for the tip on overhead cover

[TrapperRon]

Those brown ones are still weasels ... once they turn all white they are ermine.

Most of the ermine that I have harvested in the past were in my 120 marten boxes with pan triggers. Now I will go to boxes with the rat traps specifically designed to catch ermine. They will be placed on the ground or on a block of wood at my marten set locations. Even with the tremendous snow load on my line under the big spruce trees in November and December when I trap the traps will still be serviceable.