Trapping

[John Smoot]

I have never trapped but wondered what you guys do with the meat. My buddies dad used to trap and they always ate the coon. roasted or in a stew. It was pretty good.

I didn't really want to admit it, but yeah, I've eaten alot of coon, muskrat, and (don't laugh) beaver. Believe it or not, some really good eatin'! Muskrat was like squirrel, but not as tough. Racoon was like beef when BBQd in a pot, and beaver was like beef brisket.

We got so many coons when we were young, we got picky about the ones we ate. And, we gave away lot to others that liked them.

I would not touch a possum. And, mink are in the weasel family, same as a skunk, and they have the musk glands. They stink, although not as bad as skunk...but what is?

[loo10]

I would not touch a possum. And, mink are in the weasel family, same as a skunk, and they have the musk glands. They stink, although not as bad as skunk...but what is?

SKUNK DON'T STINK THE WORST

BUT THEY STINKS THE MOST.

[Oldschoolcane]

lilley,

I used to trap when I was in high school, used to spend the entire day running a trap line in the winter. Brings back some pretty good memories, nothing like spending the day outdoors in and out of the water. Have trapped everything except coyotes, they always avoided me. If you have a chance to trap some beaver, take your kids and go for it. Nothing like pulling a 40lb beaver out of an ice set. Muskrat are great for the kids to learn on, the beaver are the big game. I always used Conibear type traps for each, the large ones can hurt you though.

This mink hole set involves building/finding a hole in the bank right at the water line, place the sardines at the rear of the hole so that the mink has to enter a shallow water entrance to get the bait. When it does it'll step in the legset trap (maybe), then if your water set is done properly it'll spring back and the wire line attached to an anchor or stake in the deeper water will pull it under to drown. I'll try and find an illustration for you, back later.

jman

[Oldschoolcane]

Lilley,

Go to this link it'll teach you all you ever wanted to know about trapping.

link for the website:

http://www.mntrappers.com/educationmanual.html

http://www.mntrappers.com/pocketbankset.html

Pocket Set The pocket set will take mink, muskrat, and raccoon quite effectively. An upward sloping hole with its base a couple inches below the waterline is dug into the stream bank so that the back of the hole is above the water. For mink and muskrat the hole should be about 6 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep. Pockets for raccoon can be made as much as twice that size, but it is unnecessary. Use either a body-gripping trap of appropriate size or a foothold trap with a drowning wire or a heavy drag. The pocket is baited with fish or a honey-based bait and an appropriate lure. In areas where free-ranging dogs may occur, the trapper should avoid meat baits and raccoon gland lures. Locating the set under low hanging cover, like branches or exposed tree roots, and keeping the trap well inside the pocket are also helpful in keeping dogs out of these sets. Muskrat muskrat and beaver castor are excellent lures for pocket sets.

jman

[John Smoot]

Journeyman has some good info. Here's my take:

I like to find a pre-existing hole, crawdad holes are great. The hole is ideally just above the waters edge. Dig out the entrance to the hole so that the trap will be completely submerged and right at the opening of the hole, and, set flat (or mostly). You do not have to worry about trying to conceal the trap if it is under water. The water also eliminates any scenting issues that will keep the wily mink out of your trap. The optimum river bank to make this set is steep...30-45 degrees or so, and preferrably slick mud or clay. With a this steep bank, you do not have to worry about the dogs or house cats getting in the trap...but the coons and mink will have no problem. Use a stick (NOT YOUR HAND...Scent) to place a sardine up in the hole a ways. Sprinkle some of the sardine oil around the hole on dry land. I like to tie a trap wire off a stump, root, something, and this is used as an anchor line. Then use a weight...an old window weight is perfect, or a 10 lb rock...and tie this off to the trap, also. The trick is to set the trap and pre-set the weight so that when critter gets in the trap, he'll give it some jerks, or even try to swim away. When he does, the pre-set weight will dislodge, roll into deeper water, and take him under. When you check the trap the next day, all you need to do is to go to the anchor wire you tied to the stump and 'reel him in'. If you don't do a weight, a raccoon sometimes will chew their leg off. If you could be sure that mink were the only thing to get in it, the trap has sufficient weight to drown them, most of the time. A mink will also sacrifice a foot for freedom. The pre-set weight makes this the ultimate set.

What's nice about this set is that you can catch one, and the next day re-set the same spot, as the critter didn't even tear up the joint, because 99% of the time, their first move is to deep water...and you know what happens next. Simply re-set and re-bait (if necessary).

You only need about 1 or 2 of these sets per mile of river (both sides) and you have got the place covered...the sets are that effective.

Oh, almost forgot...If you see that ultimate 45 degree bank, and there are no pre-existing holes...make one. I used to like to use a shortened oar handle...perfect size and you could really ram it in. It makes perfect holes. Just angle the hole UP slightly...like 10-30 degrees.

Makes me wish for the old days just talking about it...

Good luck!

[Oldschoolcane]

Lilley & John,

OK, now you've got me thinking about getting some traps out again! Maybe I should?

Tim

[Bill Babler]

Journeyman has some good info. Here's my take:

I like to find a pre-existing hole, crawdad holes are great. The hole is ideally just above the waters edge. Dig out the entrance to the hole so that the trap will be completely submerged and right at the opening of the hole, and, set flat (or mostly). You do not have to worry about trying to conceal the trap if it is under water. The water also eliminates any scenting issues that will keep the wily mink out of your trap. The optimum river bank to make this set is steep...30-45 degrees or so, and preferrably slick mud or clay. With a this steep bank, you do not have to worry about the dogs or house cats getting in the trap...but the coons and mink will have no problem. Use a stick (NOT YOUR HAND...Scent) to place a sardine up in the hole a ways. Sprinkle some of the sardine oil around the hole on dry land. I like to tie a trap wire off a stump, root, something, and this is used as an anchor line. Then use a weight...an old window weight is perfect, or a 10 lb rock...and tie this off to the trap, also. The trick is to set the trap and pre-set the weight so that when critter gets in the trap, he'll give it some jerks, or even try to swim away. When he does, the pre-set weight will dislodge, roll into deeper water, and take him under. When you check the trap the next day, all you need to do is to go to the anchor wire you tied to the stump and 'reel him in'. If you don't do a weight, a raccoon sometimes will chew their leg off. If you could be sure that mink were the only thing to get in it, the trap has sufficient weight to drown them, most of the time. A mink will also sacrifice a foot for freedom. The pre-set weight makes this the ultimate set.

What's nice about this set is that you can catch one, and the next day re-set the same spot, as the critter didn't even tear up the joint, because 99% of the time, their first move is to deep water...and you know what happens next. Simply re-set and re-bait (if necessary).

You only need about 1 or 2 of these sets per mile of river (both sides) and you have got the place covered...the sets are that effective.

Oh, almost forgot...If you see that ultimate 45 degree bank, and there are no pre-existing holes...make one. I used to like to use a shortened oar handle...perfect size and you could really ram it in. It makes perfect holes. Just angle the hole UP slightly...like 10-30 degrees.

Makes me wish for the old days just talking about it...

Good luck!

Boys, excellent trapping info. Sounds like you guys have slung a little steel in your time. Trapped pro for about 6 yrs. just after college. Mostly Western land trapping. Did however stay at home and run about 200 sets a day for coon, mink, fox and water edge critters, Nov thru Dec each year.

Special criteria for taney is you have a water rise and fall of about 3ft. per day. makes water edge tough if you want water sets. Also its no problem to catch coon! The problem is keeping them out of your mink sets.

You can use no bait or no scent or you will have them. Spoke to one of my buddies that has trapped over 1000 mink on taney in the last 30 years and a blind set is the absolute only way to catch them and keep the coons out. Any hole and I mean any hole baited or unbaited will be checked out by the coons.

He uses a tunnel set with a 3ft. length of 4in pvc that has been trap dyed black. Sets it at water edge or at a narrow with a 110 conibar on each end and camos it with flat big rocks to hold during rises. If you get a big rise you just won't catch them. He also said he would catch just about as many during the day as the mink work taney all day, so you are ok on the blind tunnel. The pocket will catch a mink if he comes by befor a coon can find it. He says the same day you set it befor dark, cause at dark you will have a coon. You can't use a foot hold cause a coon will still look thru the tunnel and get in it. Sometines you can put the connie in the middle of two pvc tunnels and be ok. Also one must remember that nowadays you can use no killing trap larger than a 120 about a 5 in trap, above the water.

As for the coons narring off their pinkies the no. 11 double jaw has really almost entirely eliminated it. Espically south. Around lake of ozarks and north where it freezes every night the exposed pinkies will soon numb and have no feeling and the critter biting at the trap will keep working at it till its free. Coons can't think like that. it just happens, from biting and twisting. Usually the wrong size trap and unswiveled along with cold.. In this area using a double jaw 11 which is a size 1 1/2 the exposed toes on an unbroken leg don't freeze and he is just sitting there waiting for ya.

When you are trying to make a living from fur, which I did, you can't loose critters and you can't make a career out of each set. Using an 11 with 4 swivels in the 1ft. trap chain prevents any loss from either bone breakage, twisting and rolling or jerking as he has no room to run and jerk. Drowning sets are great but take tons of time and make a mess of fur. Without a doubt they are the best for hiding your catch and dispatching it quickly. If your just going to put out a few sets and recreational trap they are great.

Nice fluffy dry critters on a short leash are best, when your trying to look at a couple of hundred sets per day.

Boys there is alot of outdoor woodmanship that will be going down the drain when we go. It's great to hear from you. Bill Babler

[John Smoot]

Bill,

Sounds like there are some new traps out there...never heard of the 11 double jaw, but I haven't trapped for about 28 years. I always favored the old #2 double springs for coons. It sounds like the double jaw has some advantages that are valuable.

You are definitely right about the time involved in making a drowning water set, but, it only takes a few good sets to keep you in business.

200 SETS?!?!? That sounds like a whole bunch of work! BTW, isn't there a limit on number of traps out for an individual? I thought it used to be like 20 or 25 traps, but I grew up in Kansas. And my brother and I had to check and reset our traps before school...we usually were running about 20 total between us.

Are any of the pelts worth much?

[vonreed]

Bill Babler and I set our first traps on Taney yesterday. Bill is an old trapper from his college days so he had traps and know-how. I got the dirt.

We only set 9 traps - had 5 coons and 1 red fox this morning. No one has trapped on upper Taney for years so there's alot of fur running loose.

Babler wants some mounts for his lodge. I just want the pelts to hang in the shop.

Hello Lilley, I was just curious on the your trapping success. Me and my dad started out monday the 26th and pulled our traps today and was surprised to see that someone had beat us to the furbearers. I was curious how many of everything you totaled up on. we ended up with 40 coon, 4 possums, 13 beaver, 1 otter, a few muskrats, and 8 red fox. we expected a lot more coon and otter until we got started. did you trap the backwaters mainly? we seen where something had been caught across and downstream from coopercreek and shot. I was sure surprised at the lack of otters. well good luck on the trapline.

[Phil Lilley]

We set most on the main water along the school's property- one on the bluff side. Bare in mind we only set 8-9 traps for 4 days total. We did set one in the back water but it was in the last slew down and across from Cooper. We caught 2 possuums and a coon there. Total I think we kept 7 coons, 1 possuum and 2 red fox... let a possuum and 2 coons go unharmed... well with a sore leg.

Sounds like you work alittle harder than we did... and set good traps. We were hoping for beaver and otter but I don't think we set the right traps in the right places. If you want to sell any skins, let me know. I want to hangs some in my shop. I think Babler may want a few too.