what type of trapper are you?

[trappnman]

I'd be curious as to know, how you operate as far as what species to target?

I trap for everything I have here, all in its time and season- hitting both land and water for multiple species.

Reason being, I have a variety of fur.

Are you a land or water trapper, or both, and why?

Do you concentrate on one area, and dabble at the other- or hit them both the same?

Do you plan the season based on whats hot and whats not, or do you try to do the same every year in what you target?

Do you trap land and water together? That's something I hate, cause its all too confusing for me to change mindsets back and forth from waders and water to dirt and coyotes.

For those that do, is it random, or just a change of pace here and there?

no real reason for asking, but just to trying to get a little discussion going.

comments welcome.

[kelly]

Back in the 70's/80's I would trap hard for whatever species were available. Water line for muskrats and beaver, land line for fox, coyote and bobcat.

Now have been just doing the water line for mink and muskrats but with the new place in N Wisconsin I might try for some coyotes/red fox in deep snow conditions(my favorite way to trap them) Haven't set a dry land trap for canines since 1995-my knees just can't take the kneeling anymore. Also will do some under ice beaver trapping too which I haven't done since the late 80's.

[rionueces]

Are you a land or water trapper, or both, and why? Land only. Target species are coyote, bobcat, coon and feral hogs. ADC work only. Fur isn't worth skinning in S. Texas for me.

Do you concentrate on one area, and dabble at the other- or hit them both the same? I work on whatever the landowner requests. Its almost always coyotes, but some years its coons or wild hogs depending on their level of damage.

Do you plan the season based on whats hot and whats not, or do you try to do the same every year in what you target? Its the same every year...
.

[redeagle]

My top priority is dry land and I go after bobcats first, but I will set for fox, coyote, and coon where I run across sign. There's a lot of animal overlap as far as sharing habitat, so I can catch a variety of incidentals in my bobcat sets. I hold off on water trapping until the regular trapping season is over, and then hit the beavers. (No muskrats here to speak of.) Regular trapping season ends Jan 31. Beaver season runs until the end of March, so that means two months of water trapping. I really like using CRs in streams that are too shallow for drowning with footholds. It's a simple matter to set them up at pinch points and dam crossovers, and nail the beavers as they travel up and down stream. Footholds are better suited for lakes in my area. There are not a lot of beaver here; my beaver trapping is basically ADC work for frustrated landowners. A guy may have anywhere from a lone animal up to a colony, depending on the situation. So, it's not like the big time beaver trapping opportunities that some guys have.

[racer]

Well been at it for almost 70 years. Will turn 80 in June. Do mostly snare trapping for coon 154 this last year. and 145 rats a few mink and what red fox i can catch in my coon snares. Put up all my fur,About all went to NAFA. Think i will slow down next year.



Russ

[mtcbrlatrap]

The last 4-6 years I have taken an early northern WI canoe rat run for 3-6 days.
I then come home and do about 4-6 days or dry land coon
I would then trap my sloughs, streams and ditches when the water season opened do that for two weeks maybe a few days more.
I would run building and barn coon line during deer season
I would run a 7-10 day canine line in December after our deer season.
This would get me about 100-110 coons, 150-250 rats, a handful of mink and canines along with the assorted grinners, skunks, etc.
My plan is to change that quite a bit as my working hours will decrease. I will explore the canoe and rat options this fall. If sign is low I may do a longer early season for coon at home. I will be trying to utilze a 4-wheeler for the first time and will work my permission more completely than in the past.
I also plan to do a canine dry land line along with my stream and water line for 2-3 weeks in early November. ( know that will take organization and planning but do want to try that.

My after deer season December line will then be more multiple species as well, some water in specific areas and canines.
More time on the line and more diversity, which will be nice but more difficult to manage. May need to change things if my plans unwind.
A friend and I spent a year talking with County agents, land owners, wardens etc. from SD an ND with the idea of tring those states when we retired but with all the political crap and fighting we dropped those options. We are exploring other options and will see where they go.

Bryce

[trappnman]

I'm kind of like redeagle-

I start on coyotes for 5 weeks. I used to run a fair amount of coon sets at same time, but have cut down on that drastically the more I get into pure coyote work. I set only 20-25 coon sets on the most productive areas, trying to take as high a % of coon as I can, yet devote minimal time to doing so. I don't set delibatetly for fox, taking what I can as incidentals- but every canine set, is a coyote set, not a fox set.

I trap 100% permission land, so I can, except for the tresspassers sneaking in (opps me bad as one longliner told me last year when I asked if he had permission) have my water permisisons wait for me until I'm ready- usually the week after Thanksgiving.

Then I either set up coon sets first, or mink, depending on the weather. If still fairly warm, I'll get the coon sets out, then start setting up mink, if cold I'll do the opposite.

mink and rats are consistent throughout the 2-3 months I trap them, coon ebb and flow depending on the weather. Since I run a 3 day check, in winter on my streams, options are low for drowning, thus again, it becomes where can I set to have the highest %, without trying to maintain tons of sets through ice and snow. I used to set up 'tons" of coon sets, but found that over the years, most of those traps, although adding numbers of traps to the line, added so few coon, that it simply wasn't worth the time. Maintaining water sets in Mn during winter, even with the hills, is still mega work. No reason for me to run extra traps, just to have extra traps.

I too have few beaver off the river, and I trap what are there- usually about this time, have a few ADC beaver jobs as well, and thats a bonus.

[Griz]

Are you a land or water trapper, or both, and why?
Do you concentrate on one area, and dabble at the other- or hit them both the same?

Both. All of my trapping is on permission ground and I trap whatever is available while focusing on raccoon and anything desired by the landowner.

Do you plan the season based on whats hot and whats not, or do you try to do the same every year in what you target?

I tend to focus on raccoon and fill the other species in around the coon line. Later in the season the emphasis shifts to coyote and mink while keeping coon sets out and functional for those warm periods when the coon run.

Do you trap land and water together?

I just wear hip boots most of the time and waders when needed.

[jtm]

We mostly go after the bobcats. We have for the last few years used the exposed set almost exclusively, which I find out is not always the best idea. A lot of our best coyotes have been going close to $100 each. It costs the same amount for me to check my cat sets as it would to check coyote sets. I will catch the occasional coyote in my cat sets, usually only after a significant snow. But this year at our sale I was talking to a fellow trapper who does not ever use the exposed set for cats. He only uses dirt hole coyote sets, he also said he does not even use a cat set per say only coyote sets.

I am going to change my trapping style this year. Very little if any exposed sets. I will take all my cat traps, I use Bridger #4DLS traps and will make dirt hole coyote sets. I can catch a coyote or cat in a dirt hole type set, but can catch very few coyotes in my cat sets. Cats are still our big money maker, but I will consentrate more on the coyote this next season.

With the price of coyotes going up, if I put as much effort into trapping coyotes as we do cats I should be able to almost double my fur check.

We do a fair amount of fishing and I came up with this analogy. I can fish all day long and catch 1 or 2 trophy lake trout. Or I can fish for the Kokanee salmon and catch 50-100. I compare that to catching 1 cat a check or maybe 5-10 coyotes a check. I like to catch fish and fur.

[irnhdmike]

Trap multiple species. Prefer land animals. Try to target what's has best market.

[mustelameister]

I live for the water line. Plans for the coming season:

Opening of 'coon season through ice up: Three separate lines of 80 DPs each (240 total) all hooked up to drowner cables run on 3-4 day check. Most sets will be two DPs on their own drowner cable to one terminal stake. So looking at 40 set locations per day. Interspersed will be blind sets. 'Rat marshes will take priority in setting up before the DP lines are established as they get hit hard down here and first come first served means getting in there at 4:00 am on the opener and cranking 'em in fast as I can.

After ice up:
Every open water creek will be set up with pockets and pipes, #11 DJs hooked up to drowner cables. Again, two traps per location cabled to one terminal stake.

Collapsible colony traps will be packed into these creeks and other open water areas and set up for the "wandering 'rats".

Water levels permitting (which they didn't this last season) slant pole sets for 'rats on the deeper huts.

Ice out:

Chase some beaver.

[RdFx]

Muskrat, i always disliked wet coons. I hang them up to drip dry and then put on cardboard with fans blowing and turn once or twice which takes at least a day. Prefer dry coons.... whats your drying method on coons?

[mustelameister]

Shop vac each of 'em then hang to dry with three fans blowing on 'em. Dry enough the next day to skin. Not a big deal.

[bfflobo]

Apr 3, 2012 6:34:52 GMT -6 racer said:

Well been at it for almost 70 years. Will turn 80 in June. Do mostly snare trapping for coon 154 this last year. and 145 rats a few mink and what red fox i can catch in my coon snares. Put up all my fur,About all went to NAFA. Think i will slow down next year.

Russ

My hats off to ya Russ. I'm 61 and can feel the slow down coming on.

[Cal Taylor]

I am a full time Gov trapper, so it's 99 percent coyotes for me in this area. There isn't any water trapping here anyway.

[trappnman]

I don't even do that mike on wet coon- I just lay them on newspaper overnight, might or might not flip them in the morning with fresh paper, by evening they are more than dry enough to skin (meaning no dripping water when skinning).

I do however think its important to dry them as much as possible on site. I alwasy hold by front leg against my knee, then squeegee the water off of al lsides, pretty easy and quick to do. Then squeeze the tail out, give it a snap or 2 and you got a good start to drying.

Cal- I'd love to be able to make a living trapping yotes all year-

[bblwi]

I like the shop vac also as it really takes a lot of water off the skin and allows air into the pelt. I have even totally washed some mostly dry, dirty coons and used the shop vac and they dry pretty fast with good air movement. I need to work more on my air movement system this fall.
Shop vac for wet rats really speeds up their drying too. Especially on those no wind, humid cool and damp type days.

Bryce

[cflann]

One thing Dusty Hough showed me for drying fur in the shop. He hits them with a leaf blower and I was actually really surprised how much it helped when he showed me.

[mustelameister]

shop vac trumps leaf blower IMO

water can be removed from fur shed via shop vac versus blowing it around (unless done outside)

[RdFx]

I use air to fluff up and removes sand or dirt fm bvr hides after i take them off boards and really makes them look nice and not that flat pancake look.