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Post by trappnman on Dec 9, 2014 20:25:50 GMT -6
I'm very disappointed in the state of my creeks . I have never, ever seen them overall in as unsuitable for fur conditions as they are overall this year. My daily curse is going to be "Damn you TU and DNR stream engineering!" and if they think it makes these creeks better trout streams, then they are pretty piss poor and more flash than substance trout fishermen. Seeing a couple of them almost brought tears to my eyes they were that bad- streams where 26-30 rats a season for 20 years were the norm, some locations didn't even get a trap, some just got a mink set or two. These creeks have been stable in populations for 25 years I've been on them- uniformly, this is the least sign I've seen at EVERY location there, off my soapbox....  blackhammer, what are you seeing? Friday set a few locations around home and saw very little sign, checked 15 traps sat and had 1 rats- but things did go up a bit, saturday set out more traps, ran them sunday and with seeing zero sign had 1 m mink, 6 rats and a coon from about 30 sets- so that was encouraging. Set up a few more yesterday, finished up today so will run everything tomorrow and while not expecting super catches, will take enough fur for a few weeks at least if not longer, but overall quite a few less traps set out as so many FU locations and so little sign. hope this is not the future...... I'll tell you this- dressed in neoprine from head to toe wading creeks, is much harder than yote trapping- but from here on, its only every three days. how are the rest of you water trappers doing? |
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Post by trappincoyotes39 on Dec 9, 2014 20:49:38 GMT -6
Tman is the end result of what they are doing for trout fishing or fur? asking have no idea? did they do a bunch of dirt work and bank cutting? Could habitat above the water line be changed for the betterment of the streams for fishing?
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Post by trappnman on Dec 9, 2014 21:35:05 GMT -6
they claim its an erosion thing- but I've seen it for years that once clear rock bottom streams, become silted. They rip rap the banks, many times covering the rock with mesh or chain link, cut off most streamside trees brush, etc
the end result is suppose to improve the streams for trout fishing- but its hard to find any truth in that
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Post by ColdSteel on Dec 9, 2014 22:31:48 GMT -6
I am going to remove some problem beaver for some landowners but I dont see me running much of a 330 road line for beaver I havent contacted my country buyer yet but he got burned bad last year so dont think his prices will be high anybody sold any beaver and otter green skin yet
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Post by braveheart on Dec 10, 2014 4:35:42 GMT -6
Tman they are doing the rock and then pouring concrete over the chain to keep in place.I set in the water for a week and most of the coon are to small to sell.I did well on the mink and rats.Most of the coon I had in my Dp's are all nice coon.Ran into some coon with rubs and piss stains from the 2 plus weeks of snow and below 0 temps.
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Post by lynxcat on Dec 10, 2014 4:45:27 GMT -6
Interesting all over the country. Here in Idaho we got over 1/2 our yearly rain fall in about 10 days in AUGUST!! Being a high mtn desert we normally get 1/2" or less in Aug and 9" or so for the year.. got OVer 5". It started all the weeds etc that were dead for the year RIGHt back up... also caused millions in damage to crops.
lynx
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Post by blackhammer on Dec 10, 2014 7:33:15 GMT -6
I'm sesing lots of rock.  It's spotty on rats. Some place pretty good others nothing. Do believe in some localized spots otter spend a lot of time in they can and do kill every rat. Had a bridge where I have caught rats for thirty years without one and otter in there heavy. On the other hand have many places this year where rats have done very well. A lot of yoy rats and most spots have a few. Looking at twice as many at least than last year but last year after our floods was as bad as I have seen it. Trout stream work wrecks it for all wildlife but trout. Be nice to see a beaver dam on every stream.Ironically I believe there are fewer trout fishermen at least down here than thirty years ago. The last couple weeks have been good for me in the water and the season as a whole very good. But the prices??? We stay away from floods and barring disease I think the future for rats looks good in most areas down here. I think next season noone will be trapping much of anything and this season more pockets of fur will be left alone because of prices and they are not handy to reach. Unlike last year. So populations should rebound. But the prices.  |
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Post by trappincoyotes39 on Dec 10, 2014 21:16:20 GMT -6
Locally paying 8.00 top on green rats and many of what I saw sold not monster sized at all.
Coon market well in the tank , coyotes ok, otter market off,
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Post by blackhammer on Dec 11, 2014 7:31:53 GMT -6
Right now rats from buyers here are at 7,5,3,1.
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Post by trappnman on Dec 11, 2014 9:15:22 GMT -6
had a nice rat check yesterday, so some hope-
$7 tops whats the average $4?
I'll sell my beaver, etc cheap, but my coyotes and rats are not going to be sold cheap-
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Post by trappincoyotes39 on Dec 11, 2014 17:43:36 GMT -6
What I saw last Sunday was MOST rats sold brought 6-8 each green not a lot but what the buyer bought I thought he paid well for Missouri rats. he wants deer hides lots and lots of them, said that will be his real money maker this year, I suppose he has a fast market and turn around unlike fur.......... he had a massive pile of deer hides he got from another buyer in the truck loading it down nicely  |
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Post by trappnman on Dec 17, 2014 10:42:21 GMT -6
have to admit this weather has been nice- broke some ice on set up but ice free ever since and mild. been finding decent enough numbers of rats on some streams, and coon have been running good. color seems abnormally nice- silver colored and big coon.
going to sell some Thursday, not liking what I hear sounds like rats dropping almost daily. good thing is all my rats are caught in last 10 days so decent rats, and only a couple kits and damaged. Same with the coon- except for a couple dinks, overall very nice color and all multiple X coon.
so at least I have that going- whatever is top, should be what I get
will sell rest of coyotes and hopefully that is bright spot. last 3 weeks of coyotes got some real nice coyotes..
Anyone selling anything?
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Post by ColdSteel on Dec 17, 2014 22:19:35 GMT -6
Not me I got to find another outlet my country buyer got burned last year and he has threw in the towel. I may be sending what I catch to NAFA looks like a good year to let my beaver and otter rest plan on messing with some bobcats after deer season I like catching those things I rate them right up there with the song dog
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Post by trappnman on Dec 20, 2014 18:43:35 GMT -6
still have about 50 blind sets out, my grandson wanted to go water trapping (think he thinks its a lot more walking and a little more boring than coyotes) so today was a family day with Cody, Lori faithful companion Buddy and grandpa-  |
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Post by blackhammer on Dec 20, 2014 19:08:11 GMT -6
Great pic!
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Post by northof50 on Dec 25, 2014 13:53:45 GMT -6
nice smile for end of day
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Post by musher on Dec 25, 2014 14:22:34 GMT -6
It is a great pic!
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Post by trappnman on Dec 26, 2014 7:09:39 GMT -6
he love to go trapping- whether gopher or coyotes or water-
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Post by ColdSteel on Dec 26, 2014 19:38:10 GMT -6
Great picture with prices so low I may target a few mink never caught many and never set for them to be honest we dont have many around but I think I could catch a few
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Post by trappnman on Dec 29, 2014 10:30:28 GMT -6
starting to get into the very cold range, and with prices, pulled a few locations yesterday that will freeze up quick- in higher prices, I'd mess with them but not this year.
Have been doing better than I thought on rats and on coon- hurts to have a couple of my very best locations way below average, but the rest are picking up the slack. more coon than I thought based on the lack of them coyote trapping, but what worries me is the predominance of boars this year. hadn't seen many mink, but in last week got 12 of them, so they are starting to move. Getting springy however- seems early but the inside of rear leags its apparent.
still have out 57 sets, will run those for a bit yet.
exmadator- were those coon hand selected to eliminate any dinks. weak sows?
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It's spotty on rats. Some place pretty good others nothing. Do believe in some localized spots otter spend a lot of time in they can and do kill every rat. Had a bridge where I have caught rats for thirty years without one and otter in there heavy. On the other hand have many places this year where rats have done very well. A lot of yoy rats and most spots have a few. Looking at twice as many at least than last year but last year after our floods was as bad as I have seen it. Trout stream work wrecks it for all wildlife but trout. Be nice to see a beaver dam on every stream.Ironically I believe there are fewer trout fishermen at least down here than thirty years ago. The last couple weeks have been good for me in the water and the season as a whole very good. But the prices??? We stay away from floods and barring disease I think the future for rats looks good in most areas down here. I think next season noone will be trapping much of anything and this season more pockets of fur will be left alone because of prices and they are not handy to reach. Unlike last year. So populations should rebound. But the prices. 
