what type of trapper are you?

[thorsmightyhammer]

I used the leaf blower on rats some this winter, got the idea from Dusty as well.

Not a lot of water in winter rats and it worked pretty good.

I havent done wet coons lately but I'd bet if you shop vac em than hit em with the leaf blower it would be the ticket.

Like lee says the blower will help blow out any dirt or sand and fluff the fur. My rats will get some peat in the fur sometimes that is a bear to dry and the blower kicks it right out.

Another nice thing about the blower is every once in awile when you are in the shop you just grab the blower and give em a blast.

[trappnman]

no reason to skin coon same day, no reason to do anything but let them air dry for 24 then skin.

skin the previous days catch each evening- same with beaver-

Wasted time & effort to force em dry.

what do you gain?

a few seconds at the catch site, saves minutes in the shed.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Biggest waste of time is skinning coyotes in the day light hours hands down.

I dont trap in the dark and i dont need to sleep much at night so I can dally in the shed.

I quantified I dont know squat about coons but for rats I'd use the blower over the vac any day.

Reason being is the blower will blow out the peat that is hard to dry. If it wasnt for the peat I'd using nothing when it comes to rats and I use nothing for beaver.

[thorsmightyhammer]

BTW as concerning what type of trapper am I?

I'm a money trapper. I keep everything pretty much ready to go at a moments notice.

I just like to trap so I dont care what animal I am catching whether it be a rat, beaver, otter, etc

One thing I have been doing the last couple winters is zero in on one thing.

Blackhammer says I am obsessed with rats and I may be but right now I dont see any reason to trap much of any thing else unless rat season is closed.

My only exception is fisher. I just flat out like em. Dont ask me why they are dumber than a box of rocks but I only take out maybe ten hours a season to do it. Maybe ten.

[trappnman]

I guess if someone is taking 100 coyotes a day it would be a time waster. but then, I'd guess he'd have a hired skinner so the point is moot......

but no one reading this is skinning more than 10 a day average- and I only know ONE here catches that or more on average, and he doesn't skin most of them-

so everyone else running 100 traps at 7%-10 that means 7-10 coyotes per day--- and that under an hour skinning time hot- vs not only harder work, but longer hours taking them home.

taking 7-10 coyotes a day- he has no time to spend an hour skinning? plus not hauling carcassess, and blood, and flies, and work?

so don't tell me how its so much wasted time hands down-

classic case if you don't know......

I haven't heard of anyone, that got themselves a good on site skinning rig, that hasn't loved it, that hasn't wish they would have started years earlier, that goes back to shed skinning on a regular basis. Its day and night.

The time and effort saved is incredible-

and if one truly runs dark to dark to take that 7-10 coyotes-

truly does so-

why then, its still worth an hour at one end or the other a headlamp, to be able to skin hot, and not have to handled cold stiff caraccess in the dark at home

guess this is one of those have to have done it to understand.

skinning coyotes at home was one of the biggest time waster, and energy diminishing things I ever did. Plus the mess alone- not having it would be well worth checking traps an hour in the dark!

my point was on Time & Efficientcy- whats a waste of time to some, is a nesecary component to others.

and its all relative, its all what we prefer to do-

all how and why we rationalize and justify everything in life, including our trapping methods and beliefs....

To suit US.

[thorsmightyhammer]

The time and effort saved is incredible-

Effort?

Aint any effort in skinning a coyote at home. None, zero, nada.

Of course I built a machine years ago lol.

taking 7-10 coyotes a day- he has no time to spend an hour skinning?

so don't tell me how its so much wasted time hands down-


I dont have to tell you how much day light its wasted every day. You just did it for us.

An hour is a lot. Two to three more stops every day on a 45 day season that should get a man another 10 to 20 coyotes in the light.

To each his own though.

[trappnman]

no wasted time skinning at home?

first of all, you need to have room in the truck for all those coyotes- even in a full sized truck, you got tme laying in a pile- then you have to take them out at home, bring them into the shed, skin, take back outsdie and either pile up to morning (otherwise blood pools in the truck) or carry to the truck, pick up the next one and so on. Then the next day, either have a dump close to the first stop, or carry skun bloody stinking coyotes around and toss them here and there- meanwhile finding roon for the ones just caught.

and even on a machine, you need to open up the back legs and around the legs to hook up- and thats the hardest part on a cold coyote. Plus the sucker is stiff and a pain to work with.

vs 5 minutes in the field, and no blood mess in truck, shop, etc?

and its the same hour whether checked under a lamp, or under the sun....

yup, each to their own.........

[thorsmightyhammer]

Do you trap much in the dark?