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Post by thebeav2 on Nov 8, 2011 22:39:37 GMT -6
Back from my rat trapping adventure. Very very successful.
Great trapping great weather and great people.
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Post by TurTLe on Nov 9, 2011 0:04:42 GMT -6
I was wondering why it was snowing outside this time of November. Now I know, your back. LOL
Glad to hear you had a good time. Since it was Very very good, I assume you surpassed your goals?
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Post by fishdaddy on Nov 9, 2011 0:37:09 GMT -6
numbers?
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Post by RdFx on Nov 9, 2011 6:25:27 GMT -6
Numbers, numbers, why? It was said he had a very good time, so presume what very good time could mean.... Semper Fi Beav!
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Post by trappnman on Nov 9, 2011 6:53:46 GMT -6
heck, if beav even caught his age in rats- hes done well.....................
welcome back Gary- you taking a short break, or going to start running WI right away?
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Post by thebeav2 on Nov 9, 2011 8:45:46 GMT -6
Numbers?
close to a 1000 a few mink and some beaver. The beaver were favors done for some land owners. The mink were Incidental In colony traps.
Man I love those colony traps. I was a first timer using them. The first culvert I checked had two 9" inch colony traps. One trap had 8 rats In It the other one had 3 In It. Oh ya to set the record straight I wasn't trapping In WI. The problem was there were very few culverts but we found a few and did well.
Still have to work out the stool trapping. Did well using them but my system needs a little refinement.
The numbers would have been a lot higher but didn't have enough traps. My mistake I really didn't know what to expect. I also dropped the ball by not gang setting In all locations. But then again I was short of traps and didn't have enough stools made up.
So all In all It was a learning experience.
The old body took a real beating especially the knees but I still have a few years left. Then I'll go to coyote trapping where I can just walk 3 feet from the truck. By the way the coyotes I did see (trapped) were really nice and I mean really nice. Might go out a bit earlier next year and set up a coyote line.
Huge coon but had too concentrate on trapping rats I don't think you can run a mixed line and make any money. Especially when your short of time and your away from home.
Like I said coon were big but still were In my opinion way short of prime.
Now I have to get some fur put up and then after deer season I'll get In the water and run a extensive rat and coon line.
Life Is good.
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Post by mustelameister on Nov 9, 2011 9:23:20 GMT -6
Nice job Gary.
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Post by mtcbrlatrap on Nov 9, 2011 14:08:26 GMT -6
Beav when you say short of traps, how much short were you?
If you had fewer traps for rats and run a shorter line you still don't think it would pay to run a coon-yote line say before doing the rat line?
Good job and thanks for sharing. Looks like you were average 50 rats or better a day.
Bryce
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Post by thebeav2 on Nov 9, 2011 17:23:54 GMT -6
It didn't pay to move the line. You could keep trapping the same pond and take rats every day. There were times when I was taking a rat out of a trap and I rats just about swim right up to me.
I think If I would have had 150 more traps I could have just about doubled my catch. Never got started until 8 or so and was always done by 2 or 3 In the afternoon.
The DOT road crews couldn't have been more helpful. They all begged us to come back In the spring. Lots of road damage caused by those rats.
I really don't think you can run a coon line and a rat line. Now you could go out a week or so before the rat season opened and set up your rat line( you can pre set and pre stake) then once that's done you could start a major coon line. No closed season on coon. And you could run a pretty good coyote line at the same time. But you have to remember those coon and coyote hides take up a lot of room In your freezers. And Like I said before those coyotes are real nice. Much better then our WI coyotes.
It was a blast.
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Post by motrapperjohn on Nov 9, 2011 17:25:07 GMT -6
I think Gary outlasted me. It is rough on the knees mine are still painful. And will agree short on traps and seen some nice yotes
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Post by motrapperjohn on Nov 9, 2011 17:29:21 GMT -6
The guy from way south caught plenty of BIG COON in his yote sets
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Nov 9, 2011 19:20:23 GMT -6
Were you gone?
I ran short on traps once in my life, it wont happen ever again.
You can buy 1.5 dukes for 42 bucks a dozen all day long and there is no reason why a guy shouldnt own 400 of em.
You should have called, I got 10 dozen brand new powder coated dukes in the box just waiting for the day I run low. Only a couple hours away ya know.
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Post by thebeav2 on Nov 9, 2011 20:35:51 GMT -6
Ya and now you tell me. LOL
It won't happen again and you can bet on that.
I know what your talking about Carlis. I feel your pain It's hell to get old.
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Post by motrapperjohn on Nov 10, 2011 19:22:45 GMT -6
No Chit, and wont be caught short of traps again
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Post by calvin on Nov 12, 2011 8:13:26 GMT -6
Nice to here the colonies worked for you (Yes they do). and finally got into some real rat territory where even a seasoned guy runs out of traps and screaming for more. I did the same and had some run out to me. You now seeing the value of those thin, compact fiberglass stakes?
Too bad we can't run grease zerks in our knees.
Tire of skinning rats myself and will start on coon when I get this mess cleaned up.
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Post by Aaron.F on Nov 12, 2011 18:08:52 GMT -6
Nice job. I am curious, could you describe the stools you are using?
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Post by GaTrapper on Nov 12, 2011 19:05:04 GMT -6
PIX
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Post by thebeav2 on Nov 13, 2011 8:05:48 GMT -6
I left all my stools In storage.
But I'm going to build some more with a few Improvements. I'll post some pics when i get one done.
Right now I'm up to my elbows In rats.
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Post by mnarcher on Nov 15, 2011 18:56:54 GMT -6
so where did you go beav?
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Post by rk660 on Dec 1, 2011 21:52:38 GMT -6
Ya cant be serious. Ya mean guys actually leave town with less than 300 legholds and 150 colonies when heading to rat heaven? Huh, Ill be dammed. LOL.
Partner caught a coon on a rat board. came back to show me and get my dog. Christ, we walked for 5 minutes to get to the damm thing. "Let me tell you the new rat trapping rule, DONT WALK ANY FARTHER THAN THE LENGHT OF THIS G.D. TRUCK TO SET A FREEGING RAT TRAP!"
TYPICAL IRISHMAN, they think there's a pot a gold if's ya walk far enough, LOL. Takes em a while to figure out you aint gotta walk to the OTHER END of the turnip field to pick one. Just pick the closest ones, LOL.
I was heading out one morning to grab lunchables and muchies at grocery store, and this Irishman tells me he had lunch covered, and hands me like 4 turnips "think of it as an "ole timey lunchable"
No wonder the British been busten their balls for 500 years, LOL.
Figured out, a little reverse mind games (physcology or whateve), works wonders on the Irish:
I was beetching at my Irishman, "can we drive a little faster, and watch the G.D. corn grow AFTER rat season? Then they drive slower. So I says one day. "Your gonna have to sit and drink a beer in town, cause I gotta drop a log as soon as we get there"
NOW, the truck moves!! freagging 90 MPH!!!
True story!
Someone prolly saw me break my own rule here a few weeks back, and actually walk 30 yards down a high bridge bank to set a damm muckrat trap. NEVER AGAIN. Got my "twine lowered rat board" deal in the works to save from any more stupid walks.
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