Badger story

[Possum]

As long as Steve is in a story mood, I'll tell one as well. Most of the farms on which I have permission also have deer hunters. So I try to trap them towards midday. Yesterday, I was driving a field lane out to a set and the hunters saw me. One truck pulled in and blocked one gate, another was heading around the section to block the way out. They had me trapped! When I got to the first trap it held a badger. Those are protected here in IN and can be a bitch to lock onto with a catch pole. I catch one or two each year and turning them loose alone is always an adventure. I looked back to where the deer hunter was, drove back to him. Was the landowner's grandson. I introduced myself, he called Gramps and all was okay. I told him, "Glad you are here! Follow me and you are going to get a real adventure." Alls well that ends well, but I did notice they didn't stick around to help me fill in the bomb crater!

[jim]

Set 16 coyote traps two days ago for a four day line before I put out a mink/coon line. Took a friend to check yesterday, was telling him we could get a badger, and how we would see a pile of sand. Sure enough first set there is the sand pile he says is he in there. Poke around with my yohoo and find the chain/cable and pull up the critter. We are allowed one a year, he is on a board now. Will have him tanned and sell him ,if it wasn't for the long nails they would be almost worthless here.

No coyote yesterday, chances not good today it froze last night.

Jim

[trappnman]

oddly enough, I had the first badger pullout ever today- and thats catching a few in gopher traps- was a #3 offset, and he dug a series of holes but must have just been toe caught.