How many miles were involved in that 150 trap check? I'm guessing 2+ traps per location?

Were only allowed 6 in my zone, 10 on the northern zone I'm usually headed north after about a week of serious otter trapping! We have enuff to lift the limit but they only reveiw laws that don't pertain to deer once a decade! So I'm not a big numbers man but I study my otter trapping hard so I spend as little time as possible getin my fur! Best percentage I had was the winter my little girl was born, i was out of work I caught 6 otter 5 nights in 2 traps a mile from home with 25$ worth of gas! otter was still high too that's was in 2013. Forgot to add 330s all neck or neck chest suitcased!
Colt

I went to new locations every year. I started with one county and several years trapped in up to 6 counties in a season. The only reason I caught less from one year to the other was price and my age.

I had written permission to trap on over 1000 land owners. Still carry the papers in the back seat of my truck.

Filled truck up with gas in evenings. Used almost a full tank every day. Would travel in dark to furtherest point and work my way back. When I finished, I would travel home in the dark.

40 to 60 locations a day. Three new locations or 10 new sets per day. Would line up new locations as I could in summer.

Kirk understood. I have line out I check on a 72 hour check. Right now I'm sitting at 55 miles, 15 locations and about 50 traps. I set it just before Christmas and to date pulled 22 otter and 47 beaver, the catch is staying fairly steady with just a few lows and several highs. My goal was to get the line set and maintain it for January and February, I was just wondering if it would behoove me to move to new locations next year and rest this line. Of course Virginia is somewhat different than Georgia. Tying back to the post I am running mostly 330s, dozen 280s and very few 220s.

Kirk De that's some trapping there wish we would have not had a limit back when they was high I'd have like to have tryd otter on a long line scale, did yotes fox and cats but they didnt pay like the otter!not saying I coulda done what you did woulda like to have try! That's somt hing to be proud of!

We have always had a 24 hr ck. A two day check from Christmas until feb 1 would sure help the beaver problem to be more controlled.

I just hit the right time to start here. Now, much property is gated and divided. Much limited access. Permission is not the problem, it is all the other factors. The biggest is value of the product and cost to run.

When I caught the most I was able to devote 95% of my time to trapping and had other sources of income. If I had a job like most it would be different.

Swampwolf is exceptional.

I have never noticed the otter population dropping either down here in South Ga in areas where I've taken them year after year. This is swamp country, rivers, streams, ponds everywhere.

..and this is how you do it for all you trappers that want high catch numbers....^^^^

I'll second that!

Kirk>Can I assume that you sold in the raw to the dealer? He sure was a busy man too is you sold to one guy.
A Big congratulations to you!

Back to the original comment on hip caught otter in 330's. In the 60's, the 1960's, we had hip caught otter too in 330 conibears, fairly often. The issue is trigger travel along with a big gap in the jaws. The triggers move too far before the trap fires, that simple, often several inches. They made the traps that way to be user friendly to the trapper. I went to BMI 330 sized magnum in the early 90's. When the traps were new, otter were shoulder or neck caught. In time the traps were a bit slower. Rich Butera explained a simple way, without filing by the way, to make the trap a quick fire. Triggers are four way to begin with so the trap can be made to fire with an inch of travel or less, no hip catches or misses. Because of issues with hip catches with conibears some abandoned 330's for smaller 280's and 220's, but anyone who knows how to adjust a 330 knows that it is the best all around trap for beaver, otter and rats. You have to be careful not to make the trap too much of a quick fire because if you "go over" too far, it can trip in far less than an inch or you might not even be able to set it. However, if you do go too far with the quick fire adjustment you can easily bring it back and make it "sing." Magnums are the only way to go, no gaps, no slippage.

Trapping hard every day then skinning will burn you out.I like 3 days a week nowadays(used to do 5),and trap longer-the entire season.Nuisance is a bit different,but extended checks help with efficiency for the bottom line(allows to set more lines and less empty traps checked on each line).

I sold to NFA after trapping my 3rd year. I sold to them for many years. The fur market soon started changing to going lower on otter after I had been trapping for about 10 years. When the price started dropping Groenwolds came into the picture due to the changing price that would be lower at a later selling or auction date. Both got our fur when my son started trapping but Groenwolds ended up with the most because of the changing market.

In the very beginning I never skinned a beaver because of price being so low. Counties paid me for getting rid of beaver. Otters went to a dealer in Wrightsville Ga. I met Virgil and Greg Schroder at a meeting in Wisconsin while I was working cattle. They showed me I was losing money in my market. That winter the buyer, I was selling to, thought he owned me and really showed himself. I never sold to him again.

The only reason I sold so many beaver hides was my son. The prices were good when he was in school. He trapped and skinned his way through college literally. He skinned them faster than any I ever met.

I believe with a Trump Presidency the market could return to one that might favor dealing with an auction house.

Guy Groenwald was a very good encouraging person for my son at that time. I have always been grateful.
______________________________________________________

I wasn,t trying to take away from the thread. Many don,t understand how markets and individuals in those markets can make a difference.

jim I am also interested in the butera modification.

Aix has it right. You need a four way trigger to do it, which has an oval, elongated top to bottom opening. The slop makes it work. You can make it quick fire in all directions by adjusting. BMI made one like that from the beginning which could be adjusted. Belisle first came out with a trigger that had a tight round hole around the bar, which proved to be completely unsatisfactory, actually hung up without firing at times. They fought it at first then finally changed to a similar trigger to BMI. For a replacement that can be adjusted Duke actually has a good trigger. Usually a light tap or two in a vice with a hammer will do. If you go over a squeeze back or two with a vice grip a fraction will correct. Tighten the vice grip till it snugs, take it off, tighten a hair more then squeeze. Repeat if necessary. If you hold the trap in your hand as you test fire, around the jaws, you will see where you are at, 2 inches, 1.5, 1 inch of travel etc. You can get it precise if you want to fool with them. Makes it deadly on 'rats and otter. You want a fast slippery trap. We left our conibears rusty years ago then got into dipping or painting which helped a lot. I think I settled on about 1.5 inches of travel, maybe 1 inch minimum. Don't want to make them too touchy. I had one fire once as I walked away, probably .5 inches of travel.

thank you!!

Ttt

I dont catch a ton of otters, but if Im targeting them specifically in the water, the 280 Belisle and Bridger is what I reach for. Cant use anything larger than 220 on land, (private land) and 150 size on public, so Im limited there. Seems like my catches in the 280 are always behind the ears, more body/hip catches with 330's. Just my experience.