Interesting

Never set your larger body grippers without using a safety setter.

Concerning landowners, send them a Christmas card. In the off-season, if possible, drop off a bag of bluegill filets, a few morel mushrooms, venison, etc. Also stop and show your catch to them once in awhile. Always take time to just talk.

Many trappers do not wax their bodygrip traps. I do, I only wax the end of the spring attached to the jaws, and jaws where the spring slides up and down. The wax reduces the friction and makes the trap very fast and smooth. Be careful not to get wax on any other parts of the jaws. By only waxing that area I have few if any problems with the trap going off in my hands.

experiment and expand your knowledge each season ... for instance .... if ya can construct a certain type set to take a beaver in a foothold, learn to also use snares and conis in similiar sets ..... this will help out when depth of water, laws, view of public, etc .... as well as will teach you more about the specific animals .... would share more with ya but ... hey .... whats the purpose ?? lmao

Watch the animal, study it and let it show you how to catch it..

Billy Y,

And it is amazing how many landowners get bent out of shape simply because some trapper drove across their planted pines.


Snaring tip: I use brown, OD, or black duct tape for whammies on most of my snares these days. I also use a box knife to cut around the roll in the center of the tape. This way I can peel off a narrower strip, and don't have to mess with tearing the duct tape down the center of its length to get narrower strips. Only have to make a quick tear for length.

I have seen some folks using black electric tape for whammies. IMEx, black tape gets hard to work with in cold weather.

Adios,
45/70,

Last year was my first year of trapping, but I learned a lot from my mistakes.

1. If there is a dam on the property, set traps in any tire/animal tracks that go over the dam.

2. Same thing applies to any paths, tracks, trails else where on the property. The animals will follow the path of least resistance while traveling, especially when snow flies.

3. Use those skunk carcasses for the buried skunk set. It can keep on working for years. You can find this one in the archives.

Read as many trapping books as you can get your hands on. theyre cheap and if they teach you just one new trick to put fur in your trap they are paid for.

To cut your screen pan covers get one of those paper cutters that are used in schools, etc. One can regulate the size quite accurately and cut a lot of screen pan covers in short order. And yes, I am talking about the metal screen, too which is the only type to use IMHO.

The only other tip I would give has been told ad nauseaum but bed your traps soldily. More problems occur and animals missed from improperly bedded traps, regardless be they land or water sets, footholds or conibears.

Well I've only got a few years of trapping under my belt but set on sign and don't worry about theft when the area is hot. Outdoors folks like us are just like the rest of the population in that only a small percentage are thieves. Passing up a spot that gives up 6 coons and 3 minks for fear of losing $20 worth of footholds just doesn't make sence.

Little "white lies"...

When you gain permission from a landowner to trap, because he wants the coon, fox, coyote, muskrat...ect, ect,....GONE
I always "beef" up the count a bit. If the farmer wants rid of the coon, and you catch 20 off his farm, I'll let him know, if he asks, I caught 25. You're not hurting anyone, but not only putting a big smile on the farmers face, but ensuring your right to be there the following year. Is this ethical or ritchious....probably not, but then again, what's it hurting?

Also, keep a bandade or 2 in your wallet.

Years ago I was trapping a colony of beaver that got wise quick! They were tripping 330's regularly. One day while checkin traps I was standing on the bank checking a 330 when a beaver came swimming up the run towards me. This bugger was makin some time under water and b4 I new it he swam right THROUGH the 330 without getting caught !!!!!!! Hit that 330 square and swam through it - couldn't believe my eyes!!!!!! After that I thought about how I could slow them down before they hit the trigger. I decided to lay a really fine branch(someting they don't care to eat) with lots of twigs over the 330 and several feet b4 it to camo it and slow beaver down b4 hitting trigger. It worked and have used this ever since. They are used to swimming underwater through branches and food cache. Why wouldn't they slow down to protect their eyes and face.

Today you should begin scouting and getting permissions. Make up business cards. My son did a beautiful job on mine: Todd Lund, responsible fur trapper, member of WTA and NTA etc etc with pictures of critters on the borders. Include phone number and street address. Take one of each kind of trap with you that you will be using or would like to use. Some landowners are skittish about the killer effect of conibears and will only let you use footholds or wait till January for cable restraints season on canines. I have more weasel areas than I can trap. I take along a weasel box with the wooden rat trap in them and most folks say"I'll be darn" and give you permission with the understanding that you will show them a catch. Most of my effective weasel trapping is after deer season and into January so even those "leased land" owners who use the land for deer hunting and turkey hunting only will let you on to set weasel boxes or restraining devices for yotes. That time of year you pretty much have the woods to yourself. Anyway, my point is to get busy on this stuff now.

ttt