Lessons learned
#5293134
11/30/15 09:38 PM
11/30/15 09:38 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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This going to be a thread that I hopefully will keep up with. But it is basically going to be a list of things I learned my first years trapping. Feel free to add your own lessons if you want.
BTW- I snare, and I live in NJ, so majority of my post will be about snaring and winter conditions snow and ice. Hope this will still help you steel setters.
1. Set on frozen streams, as fox run them. 2. Don't bother with store bought meats for making sent trails. 3. Don't set conibears under ice without a good way to get them out. 4. It is hard to snare coon in areas with no known trails. (they like to wander) 5. Catch it, hang it to dry, skin, and freeze until ready to flesh. 6. The best way to make your own stuff such as wooden boards and snares is to buy a couple pro ones and copy it. 7. Alum tanning is the cheapest easy way to tan. If garment tanning, vegetable tan after alum tanning. 8. Remove ALL the meat from the hide while tanning. 9. If someone pays you to get rid of an animal, you get payed by the animal removed. Not by how many times you went out. 10. Know your area so you know what traps to buy. 11. Don't buy a fleshing knife for less than $30, unless you really are that broke. Even a lawn mower blade is better then a $10 knife. 12. Short fillet knifes are good skinning knives. 13. Trap before school.
To be continued...
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5303149
12/06/15 06:51 PM
12/06/15 06:51 PM
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,849 northeast mississippi
TennTomTrapper
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,849
northeast mississippi
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........"K.I.S.S.!!!!!!!!!" ........"Don't fry bacon with your shirt off!!"............Trust me!!
Celebrate today 'cuz tomorrow ain't no guarantee!! .....Live each day to the fullest!!.....
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5303792
12/06/15 10:39 PM
12/06/15 10:39 PM
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Haggard
Unregistered
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Haggard
Unregistered
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Don't try to wrestle with a badger. They are very slippery.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5306071
12/08/15 10:48 AM
12/08/15 10:48 AM
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 608 Ohio
Hunting G
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 608
Ohio
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-don't get sick during trapping season -invest in connabear setters -box cutters work wonders -if everything is frozen and snowy put your trap in the corner of a trash bag and put a dusting of light snow on top
-Lydia
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5306932
12/08/15 08:25 PM
12/08/15 08:25 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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- Hunter Girl, when I got sick I just sprung all my snares, the local officer said he was ok with that, otherwise find another trapper to check them - mink love to check out abandon muskrat huts - If your worried that some animal right activist going to give you a hard time- "What do you do?"... "I am a wildlife manager and technician."... "Oh, that sounds like a great job." Works every time. - Spray paint conibears and lightly on snares - wash hides in water before fleshing
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5322176
12/18/15 04:57 PM
12/18/15 04:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,399 wisconsin
cowboy2005
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,399
wisconsin
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-be careful when trapping squirrel you lose a 110 body grip.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5326450
12/21/15 01:12 PM
12/21/15 01:12 PM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3 Tennessee
addison1
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3
Tennessee
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Depending on type of trap, try to make it look natural
Proverbs 3:5-6 JESUS SAVES. GO TO CHURCH.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5347003
01/02/16 11:41 PM
01/02/16 11:41 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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-After removing the animal, check the catch circle for turds. Bring them to other sets for lure.
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5347164
01/03/16 07:18 AM
01/03/16 07:18 AM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,969 alabama
hoho
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,969
alabama
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This going to be a thread that I hopefully will keep up with. But it is basically going to be a list of things I learned my first years trapping. Feel free to add your own lessons if you want.
BTW- I snare, and I live in NJ, so majority of my post will be about snaring and winter conditions snow and ice. Hope this will still help you steel setters.
1. Set on frozen streams, as fox run them. 2. Don't bother with store bought meats for making sent trails. 3. Don't set conibears under ice without a good way to get them out. 4. It is hard to snare coon in areas with no known trails. (they like to wander) 5. Catch it, hang it to dry, skin, and freeze until ready to flesh. 6. The best way to make your own stuff such as wooden boards and snares is to buy a couple pro ones and copy it. 7. Alum tanning is the cheapest easy way to tan. If garment tanning, vegetable tan after alum tanning. 8. Remove ALL the meat from the hide while tanning. 9. If someone pays you to get rid of an animal, you get payed by the animal removed. Not by how many times you went out. 10. Know your area so you know what traps to buy. 11. Don't buy a fleshing knife for less than $30, unless you really are that broke. Even a lawn mower blade is better then a $10 knife. 12. Short fillet knifes are good skinning knives. 13. Trap before school.
To be continued... Very nice learning curve..I charge $50-$70 each day I check however. Just depends on ones circumstances tho..
Hohos quality predator baits
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5355196
01/07/16 06:50 PM
01/07/16 06:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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Hoho, yeah, but when you stink because its your first years trapping, or the person doesn't really have an animal problem like they think, then they feel ripped off. Thats why I do the way I do. I guess if I was confident enough I'd do your way.
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5355224
01/07/16 07:00 PM
01/07/16 07:00 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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- Camo your traps, from animals and PEOPLE! - Know your laws, if someone messes with you or your traps, report them to the game warden. I had someone messing with my sets, but never found out who they were. - Muskrat are not afraid to live right next to beaver. Another thing I learned the hard way. - When setting snares, wrap the support wire around a stick stuck in the ground. It is more natural this way and blocks part of the trail. You can also use smaller wire.
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5355242
01/07/16 07:10 PM
01/07/16 07:10 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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- another brilliant discovery- if you want a cheap way to label traps you can cut soda cans into strips. Experiment with pens to see what one shows up the best, be sure to press hard so it indents the metal. Poke a hole for wire. Only use this for traps that kill the animal. It can be attached to wooden stakes with tacks.
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5399429
02/03/16 10:45 AM
02/03/16 10:45 AM
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 69 N.J
Watertrapper#110
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 69
N.J
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The only thing I really learned is that catching foxes is easy. lol. Oh, I did learn that vise-grips work wonders on stakes that are frozen in the ground.
Get it, Skin it, Flesh it, Pin it, The life of a trapper.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5705837
11/20/16 07:26 PM
11/20/16 07:26 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491 Adirondacks NY
Forest
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 491
Adirondacks NY
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Muskrat eat acorns! Fur primeness is based on daylight not temperature. Just because it's a warm fall doesn't mean the fur is less prime than a cold fall.
Paul Smiths Forestry 22
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5706019
11/20/16 09:38 PM
11/20/16 09:38 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,640 SE Nebraska
possumcatcher
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,640
SE Nebraska
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Make sure conibear safteys are attached securely. Don't put traps in a creek when you are going to get 3-4 in of rain
Last edited by possumcatcher; 11/20/16 09:38 PM.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5706422
11/21/16 12:34 PM
11/21/16 12:34 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 179 Pa
Alexia
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 179
Pa
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When trapping muskrats watch the weather. If you are trapping a pond and a big cold snap comes you may find some of your traps iced in for a long while. Ponds don't have currents so like water like that freezes before moving currents do. In my first year of trapping I had like about half my traps froze in our pond for about like a month till the ice got thin enough to bust to get them out.
You have a friend in Jesus.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5706642
11/21/16 04:50 PM
11/21/16 04:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 69 N.J
Watertrapper#110
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 69
N.J
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always carry enough traps. A carpenters hatchet is one of the best tools to carry because its can hammer in stakes cut new stakes, and cut other things like saplings that are in the way, or ice. its a tool that i never go without.
Get it, Skin it, Flesh it, Pin it, The life of a trapper.
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#5710620
11/24/16 11:31 PM
11/24/16 11:31 PM
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 608 Ohio
Hunting G
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 608
Ohio
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Don't set off a #220 connibear with your hand...results in a fractured thumb
-Lydia
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Re: Lessons learned
[Re: Forest]
#6173754
02/28/18 09:49 PM
02/28/18 09:49 PM
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 207 Alaska Mat-Su Valley
Plum Billy
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 207
Alaska Mat-Su Valley
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When trapping in muskrat push-ups put the trap as far from the ceiling as you can get, eliminates clogged traps when sprung. Also smaller traps are better, even no. 0's work well. Even if a road looks not traveled it still may be traveled once in a while. Set your traps off to the side so as to avoid catching said persons dog.
Life is hard; but it is harder if you are stupid.
John Wayne
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