Thanks everybody for all the great tips. Your's could be the info that will help make someone's day instead of breaking it.

The best tip is always remember to release the safty catches on the coni's. If you dont smoke it is still a very good idea to take a book of matches or lighter with you on the line. A warm fire makes getting soaked to the bone a little easier and dry's your clothes. So you wont freeze. if carring matches always carry them in something water proof.

HA learned that'n the hard way .....

but i did however bring more traps with me on the next day......

but some very good tips here!

From experience.Make sure the ground isn't frozen before you walk down to a creek. You could slide all the way down and in.
Use a walking stick to cross creeks and dams.
Always be willing to adapt to new situations.

spend as little time making a set as possable,get in,get out and don`t fool with the set everytime you check it,give it time

Location is by far the most critical step in attempting to make a catch.

Never leave home without a chain and jumper cables. You'll need em at some point!

Always stake or secure your trap to hold the largest fur bearer in the area. Big critters find the smallest traps set for little animals. If you have enough traps, set two at the spot. If you don't think it is good enuff for two you may need to look for a better spot.

TrapperKent

Instead of using tape to hold up your socks with waders, I always pull my socks over my pant legs to keep them up and my pant legs down.

Remember that just because something is legal, that doesn't automatically make it ethical or smart.

Example would be: setting road-side ditches or using bodygrip traps right by somebodys house! Or maybe setting traps near a park where you know folks walk dogs. The above might be legal-by-the-book, but they aren't ethical/smart decisions.

Use your head, think, and remember that what you do reflect on all other trappers.

-Skunkly-

never walk up to the back side of a skunk!

always where gloves when u r gettin an animal out tha trap!!!!
u can get it right 1,000,000,000 times,but it only takes 1 mess up 2 ruin everything....yeehaw

Learner this from my trapping instructor. When setting 330s for beavers using lures, put the lure on a cotton ball and tie some fishing line to it. Then tie the other side to the bars on the 330 so when the trap fires, the cotton with lure on it flings into the water. If not done, then after catching a beaver, another beaver will come and check out the lure then leave, but it won't come back to smell it again, but if the cottonball goes into the water, the lure smell goes.

wow ... thats awesome .... i need to member bout the catapult cottonball set !!!

1)If the site is good for one trap it's good for two.... 2)Get a trash bag to put your catch in and use a bug killer on the catch be it Coon Cat or Yoto they ALL have BUGS>>YOU>>DON'T>>WONT..use Black Flag or somethink like it ..and tie the bag closed so no bug gets out. Do it RIGHT after you make the kill!!!The kill gets cold and the Bugs go looking for somthing alive and you are it !!!

right theres some good advice

I use Jhon Wain paper ,or batter knowing as paper taols it has more uses then just to wipe your back side.

until you learn to recognize a good location by looking the area over set on sign

keep it simple.

dont try different sets and lures at every location. learn the basics and locations first before you start lure experimentaion and crazy labor intensive sets.

when something goes wrong or right, you wont know which factor caused the result.


also, set alot of traps. This is more for blind sets. Lots of sets will help you learn about the animals behaviors quicker. Then when you find that location that works, stop and think about why it works.

Sometimes I learn backwards. As in I make the catch and then it dawns on me why that was such a good location.

When setting your traps,(foot holds) keep your hands/fingers under the jaws and pan. Don't set the pan and dog with your hands above the jaws.

I learned the hard way, and it was a bloody mess.

"There is more to what you are seeing than what you are seeing"