Any Trappers out there?

Jason_AliceMae Farms · October 15, 2013, 11:07:49 AM

So I have never trapped before but decided this year I might get into it so I took the New York State trappers education course this past weekend so I could get my license.

Are there any trappers on the board? If so, where are some places you like to buy supplies from and what do you like to trap for? Even though more expensive I liked the looks of KB foot hold traps (American made is a plus and even better NY made) any experience with them? I have also thought about the Lil' Grizz to try them out for raccoons.

Any advice or good stories is appreciated.........I am also curious to see how long it takes before someone posts their recipe for opossum or raccoon and grits :D

beenthere · October 15, 2013, 01:02:28 PM

See member Trapper, as he likely is one that can share some stories.

I use the "coon aide" to get raccoons and give them to a friend who traps beaver, coon, chuck, and muskrat at the least. Coon aide is a "cool aide" mix of fly poison with soda (non diet like Pepsi, Coke, Mtn. Dew) and the coon is partial to it and drinks 'til he/she dies.

Raider Bill · October 15, 2013, 01:48:17 PM

Quote from: beenthere on October 15, 2013, 01:02:28 PM
See member Trapper, as he likely is one that can share some stories.

I use the "coon aide" to get raccoons and give them to a friend who traps beaver, coon, chuck, and muskrat at the least. Coon aide is a "cool aide" mix of fly poison with soda (non diet like Pepsi, Coke, Mtn. Dew) and the coon is partial to it and drinks 'til he/she dies.

I'd be interested in more info on this mix please. Is fly poison a farm product?
What's the ration?

beenthere · October 15, 2013, 02:03:03 PM

Farm product.
Sent a PM

chain · October 15, 2013, 07:04:04 PM

You might look up Sullivans trapline.com . Trapping forum, supplier, professional advice..a straight shooter, he's been around a long time, no bull allowed unless it is by Mr. Sullivan. Minnesota trapping supplies is another but should be many good suppliers in N/E I would think.

I have not trapped in several years, the drought took out a lot of furbearers plus, fur prices not so good except possibly bobcat, otter, may be worth the effort. Live trapping coyotes for dog hunters is profitable if allowed in your state.

clww · October 15, 2013, 07:45:00 PM

Most all the traps I got years ago I bought from Burnham Brothers, out of Texas. Our local Ace Hardware in Highland sells them, too. Prices aren't bad either.

pappy19 · October 15, 2013, 09:07:10 PM

Also get a subscription to Fur-Fish-Game magazine as it is all about trapping and has much information you should read. It is also a great outdoors magazine with interesting stories from regular dudes instead of paid writers.

Clark · October 15, 2013, 11:07:09 PM

I enjoy trapping and try to take a week off every fall to trap. I've been thinking I should make a post complete with pictures on here, I figure some will enjoy seeing how it's done and others will probably be brought back to when they used to trap as a youngster.

Clark

fuzzybear · October 16, 2013, 01:42:34 AM

Set snares....lots of snares. My father was going through his logs for the past 65 years and I was impressed with amount of animals he trapped with just wire snares and dead weight traps. He has trapped over 4000 lynx, and 100 live lynx that were sent to Colorado and turned loose.
We have a very specific mixture of spruce pitch, willow, birch, and blueberries, that we boil every snare in to remove all scent.
The largest of the over 400 wolves he ever trapped weighed in at 232lbs.
My dad is my hero, he lived off the land hunting, fishing, and trapping. He raised 13 children that were not his own. He never had a dog team or a skidoo, he walked. Even at -50F, he walked. "Because it had to be done."
FB

Jim Timber · October 16, 2013, 05:53:00 AM

If you're after coon, I've had tremendous success with the duke dog proof foot hold traps using feed corn and marshmallows.

I put half a giant marshmallow under the trigger, the other half over it, and top it all off with the corn. They get used to reaching in for the corn, get that first marshmallow taste and BAM! when they go for the second. ;D

I tether them to trees with a regular 1/8 cable and a swivel clip - makes for super easy sets. I used to screw them to the roots of trees, but find not needing to drag the screw gun out with me is a much better solution. Bark damage is minimal even when you get one that manages to not choke itself out and tie off the wire. Our coon season opens this weekend, so I should be able to get some pics for you soon.

The only problem I've had using this method is with field mice looting the bait. Those little 8!@#%^&* will even make off with the marshmallows (I've caught them eating on rocks near my traps). I've also managed to nail a chippy, but that's the only non-target catch to date using the DP's.

I find trapping very rewarding for predator management. I don't have a freezer to store the pelts in yet, and don't care enough to flesh them out myself, so I only trap coon for management. The last two years (as long as I've been doing it - I'm a noob too) I've gotten 26 coon, and have already seen a notable increase in the bird population in my woods. 2-3 coons a night for 4 sets is my average, so the success ratio is pretty high. I don't trap as much as I'd like to (not up there enough in season), but enjoy whacking the little nest robbers when I can.

Jason_AliceMae Farms · October 16, 2013, 07:52:23 AM

Fur-Fish-Game Magazine is definitely an enjoyable read. I enjoy the outdoor magazines but much more prefer hearing stories from the "old timers"

Snares are not legal for use in NY so I won't ne setting any of them. DP Traps (foot encapsulating), foot hold traps, and body grippers are what are in the tool bag for NY Trappers. I would love to be able travel somewhere and trap a wolf someday, I think they are beautiful animals. This year for me it is going to be coon and then they opened up an experimental season for bobcat in my county so I am going to get the special permit for that to and give it a go.

As far as the dog proof traps the instructor had both a duke and a lil' grizz, so far I like the feel of the lil' griz a little more but will probably end up trying both out. For the bait and other critters stealing it we had a good discussion about that. Have you tried putting something like a corn cob or even an expired egg over the opening of the dp? That would help to keep some of the weather out of your trap and the marshmallow or other bait. The raccoon will take those off and then go in for the dessert but a field mouse or chippy might not be strong enough to get them off.

I envy the old timers and they way they did things and how tough they were. From hunting/trapping to working in the woods I would be honored to have just half of that grit and toughness.

Jim Timber · October 16, 2013, 08:55:47 AM

I used fresh eggs my first year, and then skipped them and tried rocks and other "caps" the second. Coons are creative problem solvers so the lid isn't an issue, I just haven't come up with a good one yet. Mice would dump my rocks, or maybe it was squirrels?

Coon love eggs, so I considered it another bait and part of the process but didn't find they helped attract any better than the grain and sugar.

Dr Grant Woods uses soup cans over his traps. I like leaving my triggers pretty close to firing, so I would prefer not having something which could spring the trap before the coon got his mitt in it.

I only have experience with the Dukes, but the Alcatraz look good and I'm sure there are others which work equally as well. Dukes are available locally, so I can grab them when I'm shopping for other necessities.

chain · October 16, 2013, 11:37:13 AM

To solve the mouse issue in my dirt hole sets..I bait with half-dried beaver meat, I took a 3"X 3" piece of 1/4 wire mesh and folded a couple times in a square around the bait and affixed a cable anchor and drove into the hole just where the bait package showed. The mice and field rats would nibble away..which is a plus, plus to have mice around 'yote trapping.

But water trapping was my favorite especially when I could use body-grip traps, I like my trapped critters good & dead when I pick 'em up.

The BGs can be used in many ways and once before the law was changed I placed a 330 on upper end of a 1"X12"X10' wood plank about a 45 degree up to a tree trunk, the bottom about a foot off the ground. Was after bobcat; I waited for a severe cold spell with snow thinking most non-targeted critters would be denned and then baited with venison placing on upper end of board so as the 'cat would stick his head through the trap. The next morning I had a surprise as I had two very dead 'possums that apparently raced up the plank neck and neck to their demise. :-\

terry f · October 16, 2013, 12:54:46 PM

Fuzzybear, if your dad is still alive there are stories or a book to be written. Its like the old time loggers, the people today don't know the work involved to get things done, even as little as 50 years ago.

Jason_AliceMae Farms · October 16, 2013, 01:51:15 PM

Fuzzybear - If you have any pictures of your dad's hard work that would be fun to see. I would love to have a wolf pelt someday. And I agree a book or short stories should be written I am jealous, envious, and in awe of what the old timers were able to accomplish.

Chain - somewhat along the lines of why you liked water trapping....during the course we got into the discussion regarding the best/most humane ways to dispatch the animals. Using the body gripping traps at the end of a legits (spelling?) pole to cleanly and quickly dispatch is something that I liked. No damage or blood on the fur from a bullet.

trapper · October 16, 2013, 10:33:02 PM

I like the z-trap for dp. this year best producing coon lure in dp has been a standard marshmallow under trigger with molassas poured on top of the marshmallow. Muskrat opens Sat. I like #1 stoploss for them but sounds like they may not be legal by you. Join your state trapping organization it will pay off in knowledge and good prices on supplys at the conventions.

Jason_AliceMae Farms · October 18, 2013, 09:43:33 AM

Trapper and all, thanks for the advice. I am getting a late start with this being my first season since I am just ordering a couple of traps now. I am not expecting anything crazy this year, just enough to get my feet wet and to spend some more time out in the woods/fields.

How long of a trap line do you run Trapper? I am just planning on trapping my 90 acres for now to get comfortable, probably only a dozen traps at most this year

trapper · October 18, 2013, 09:29:06 PM

Hope to put out 60 muskrat traps tomorrow when it opens. used to run 200 when I was younger. The DNR has drawn down the marsh I trap in and it has severly reduced the muskrat population. What it needs is the old deceased guy that use to toss a lit railroad flare in it every few years. Waiting to hear what will happen in the Horicon nat refuge. Was supposed to auction off sections for trapping two weeks ago but the fed shutdown took care of that. Last year it was dry and was one of the worst years in history for it.

beenthere · October 18, 2013, 10:00:47 PM

trapper
Glad to hear you are trapping.
The feds should have let go of their part of that Horicon Marsh a long time ago. Turn it over to the state and be done with it.

ryguy777 · November 01, 2013, 10:19:45 AM

wow sounds like were not far from eachother. for coon I stick to creeks and mostly do trail sets. if you have a corn field along a creek, that's where you'll have the highest coon traffic. on dry land in the trail try to make blind sets. in the trail going into the creek I set the trap about an inch under water. as far as traps go, ive found that the sleepy creek number 11 long spring double jaw is incredibly veritile. holds coon, musktrat, mink and i think it would hold a fox without a problem. a dog proof trap that i really like is called the coon dagger. its similar to the lil griz but the inventor basically took the lil grizz and made it better. i had a conversation with the owner of the company at a trappers rendezvous... I set these traps in any high traffic coon area, somewhere they can see it and i like to bate it with something smelly like jack mackerel. i also make a lot of cubby sets and pocket sets along the creeks. you will catch muskrat in the water trail sets along with coon. two old awesome books to get are " raccoon trapping" and "mink and muskrat trapping" by Stanley Hawbaker. good luck on your trap line!

ryguy777 · November 01, 2013, 10:24:21 AM

back in the depression my great grandpa bought a brand new modle A ford with trapping money. and back in the 80's my dad bought my moms diamond engagement ring with trapping money

Jason_AliceMae Farms · November 01, 2013, 02:07:02 PM

ryguy - I saw your other post but figured I would just responds to you on this one. Sadly while I am at work in Virginia I am not able to set out anything up in NY so I have not gotten anything yet this year. I still have to look into a Virginia license and do some trapping on a couple of the bases that I work at.

I was looking at both the coon dagger and lil grizz....they do look very similar so that makes sense. I like that they are both US made since I try to buy US made as much as I can.

I would love to me able to one day have a story like your dad's and great grandpa's......