Post by mustelameister on Feb 5, 2012 14:13:14 GMT -6
Low water conditions in the marshes down here combined with increased competition this year has me about finished for awhile. That and the doggone otter that sure do rootin' out every last dry 'rat hut.
Here's my "sled" that I've been pulling sets out with the last week. Can a river trapper have enough different boats and canoes?
This sure was a hot hole for awhile. Only open stretch in this part of the marsh for quite aways. But they did come up on the ice to feed often. Wonder how many got snatched by the eagles in that nest in the background. Pole set took 8 or so.
One of the last huts to give up 'rats. Had a carcass pile going on behind it.
New wrinkle with the slant pole sets this year. Tied a bright green tape around the pole between the top two tater nails. Don't know if it made any difference. Numbers seemed about the same with or without. Anyway, gave it a try.
Ice was easy on the body this year. Didn't get over 6" in most places. This week it's been about 4" in most places, softer in the afternoon than in the morning.
Also pulled most of the colony sets. Suckers must be getting ready to make their run. Mostly all females full of eggs.
Here was my #1 bottom edge colony set. Produced three mink and 8 'rats over the course of six weeks.
There's a log slanting down into the creek on the right hand side that's underwater.
Now with the marsh grass lifted up and you can see it's snugged tight against the log. Last year I had a #110 in the same spot and several 'rats were eaten. Too many predators.
This was a pretty spot. Two mink and assorted 'rats over the course of six weeks or so. The beaver were already trapped out. Too close to the road.
Thick, mature willow stand with rivulets of flowing water ebbing through it. Had a couple colony traps in here. Look in the background and you can see the tobacco lath sticking up.
And closer yet.
No mink, but a handful of 'rats. The marshland wanderer, indeed!
This was a fun spot. You can see the lath in the main feeder stream and another in the bleeder to the right that enters into it. Both spots produced. Not much, maybe a rat or two a week. Enough to keep 'em there.
This little bleeder is fairly deep, maybe two feet. The key to successful colony traps in these marshes is to look for current. Dead water was just that. But flowing water holds the 'rats and they sure do hug the bottom.
The day I pulled this one there was another 'rat. In these smaller 5x5 collapsibles I usually had just one 'rat, sometimes two, and only once had three. They were wedged in so tight all in one end it was tough getting them out.
Most of my colonies were set in pairs in the wider runs. This sure was a nice sight to see this winter.
#1 'coon set this winter. At the junction of the main creek with a large branch coming off of it. That colony trap is downstream in the branch about 10 yards. It was a pocket set 'till the water dropped then I switched over to the pipe in a clump.
And yes . . that's a#11 double jaw. 'Cause I don't know any better, that's why!
Opposite bank has a pocket set with either 'rat carcass or sucker stabbed into the back wall. Also a great producing spot.
Looking upstream there are a couple more pipe sets, which produced not nearly as well as this last one. One night had 3 'coon in a row here. Mostly males.
A much different winter than last year, for sure.
Here's my "sled" that I've been pulling sets out with the last week. Can a river trapper have enough different boats and canoes?
This sure was a hot hole for awhile. Only open stretch in this part of the marsh for quite aways. But they did come up on the ice to feed often. Wonder how many got snatched by the eagles in that nest in the background. Pole set took 8 or so.
One of the last huts to give up 'rats. Had a carcass pile going on behind it.
New wrinkle with the slant pole sets this year. Tied a bright green tape around the pole between the top two tater nails. Don't know if it made any difference. Numbers seemed about the same with or without. Anyway, gave it a try.
Ice was easy on the body this year. Didn't get over 6" in most places. This week it's been about 4" in most places, softer in the afternoon than in the morning.
Also pulled most of the colony sets. Suckers must be getting ready to make their run. Mostly all females full of eggs.
Here was my #1 bottom edge colony set. Produced three mink and 8 'rats over the course of six weeks.
There's a log slanting down into the creek on the right hand side that's underwater.
Now with the marsh grass lifted up and you can see it's snugged tight against the log. Last year I had a #110 in the same spot and several 'rats were eaten. Too many predators.
This was a pretty spot. Two mink and assorted 'rats over the course of six weeks or so. The beaver were already trapped out. Too close to the road.
Thick, mature willow stand with rivulets of flowing water ebbing through it. Had a couple colony traps in here. Look in the background and you can see the tobacco lath sticking up.
And closer yet.
No mink, but a handful of 'rats. The marshland wanderer, indeed!
This was a fun spot. You can see the lath in the main feeder stream and another in the bleeder to the right that enters into it. Both spots produced. Not much, maybe a rat or two a week. Enough to keep 'em there.
This little bleeder is fairly deep, maybe two feet. The key to successful colony traps in these marshes is to look for current. Dead water was just that. But flowing water holds the 'rats and they sure do hug the bottom.
The day I pulled this one there was another 'rat. In these smaller 5x5 collapsibles I usually had just one 'rat, sometimes two, and only once had three. They were wedged in so tight all in one end it was tough getting them out.
Most of my colonies were set in pairs in the wider runs. This sure was a nice sight to see this winter.
#1 'coon set this winter. At the junction of the main creek with a large branch coming off of it. That colony trap is downstream in the branch about 10 yards. It was a pocket set 'till the water dropped then I switched over to the pipe in a clump.
And yes . . that's a#11 double jaw. 'Cause I don't know any better, that's why!
Opposite bank has a pocket set with either 'rat carcass or sucker stabbed into the back wall. Also a great producing spot.
Looking upstream there are a couple more pipe sets, which produced not nearly as well as this last one. One night had 3 'coon in a row here. Mostly males.
A much different winter than last year, for sure.
