I've seen this done on other sites and thought that it might be fun to do here.

Last night I sold a gun and today I placed an order with F&T. I got:

-1 dozen Duke #2 4 coiled on sale for $88/dozen
-Trappers Bender
-Pogo Stick Anchor Driver (Going to make my own anchors)
-(2) Full Metal Jacket
-Dirt Hole Punch
-Replacement D Handle (for my trowel without a D handle)
-50 foot #3 Chain
-Ralph Scherder & Rich Faler's "Fisher Trapping: Pennsylvania Foothold Methods" Book
-Caven's Violator 7
-Locklear's Bobcat Rub Lure
-O'Gorman's Powder River Paste Bait
-O'Gorman's Cat Passion Lure
-O'Gorman's Maine Fisher Call Lure

And now the wait begins for delivery. I'll be looking forward to working on traps next weekend.

Tight Chains,
Chad

Read a trappers world magazine on my lunch break

I scouted for cat sign and picked up some trail cameras.

Chopped up some rock chucks for bait. And fixed up 3 predator traps.

Just like everyday. I lived it

Pulled some really good coon and cat sets that where made for coyotes.

LOL Now that's funny!

I did nothing and I started at noon.
Well I did go out and buy my licenses so I could participate In the up coming seasons.

I pulled my remaining snares. I had to plow through some snow but I got it done.

Took a drive. Nice sunny day. Snow melting fast after our blizzard. Saw one muskrat sitting on a floating log in a flooded ditch. Traps are pulled and in a tangled mess in the garage.

Been tanning fur for about a week now.Everyday some going in and some coming out.
Going to go sell some tanned fur this weekend.

Set my first gopher trap of the year, then got a call from a neighbor asking me to stop by and check something out for him. He's an older gentleman and doesn't get around like he used to and said he had seen some sort of animal along the edge of his field several times this week but more so today. I checking it out I found a large sow raccoon in a Duke #4 on a set that was clearly made for canine although it was very close to a broken dam in a beaver pond. It was obvious she had been there for a few days and that # 4 Duke really did a number on her leg so about the only humane thing to do was to dispatched her. The trap had a tag on it but must be the trappers licence # or ID # so guess I will need to call the DNR to find out who the trap belongs to. I left everything there and now am waiting to hear back from the DNR.

I stopped at a few culverts and bridges just to see some sign.

Made room in my shed to flesh and stretch the coyotes and cats stored in the freezer.

I bought six monty 2s.
Jim

found a dozen red mushrooms,hualed off a nuisance coon catch and started making a fur tumbler! average day.

Hong some cabinets today so I could afford to trap this upcoming season.

-filled out my state trapping report.
-bid on an ADC job.
-checked my ground & rotting down otter glands, drained oil sacks & beaver livers. The livers are starting to mellow out.
-smeared 2 homebrew lures on cardboard on the 16th & they still smell fine, happy about that. One of 'em I'm going for water proof beaver/cat.

I logged on to tman.

I cleaned rat floats and piled them,got rat glands ready for buyer,set cage trap for squirrel in woodshed,hung up BEAVER otter rat traps.

Muttered some bad words under my breath while I am still waiting for my special order dozen bridgers from cabela's.
Will have to make that customer service call today to check on the order status. $99 for a dozen #3s, order processed correctly but received that dreaded email that its now on backorder. I knew it seemed too good to be true! Well, time to go fight for them.
Jim

My new knife and plate came for my old hand grinder so I can make bait

Read a back issue of Texas Fur Trails mag(oct 2008) while drinking a cup of percolated coffee. Now its off to make more beaver snares and cable extensions

Bought more gear. Same as every day.

Talked with the county judge about a beaver issue that I can't do because of travel with work.
Going to try to get the garden in before it rains this evening.

Being new to the obsession, I sat on the porch and began reading Hawbaker's Trapping North American Furbearers.

And I'm hooked. Quitting my career to be a career trapper and run a long line through no man's land.

Checked several of my middle Florida trapping tracts today. Found some good sign and lots of environmental damage. Back tracked some big hogs as far as I could. Might put a Cur dog on'em early one morning this week and see if he can find them.

Dave

Removed 1 nuisance fox from a customers yard and set multiple snares for the others near den sites. Rec'd my Comstock beaver cages from Fed ex.....

1.Caught an ADC coon and a chipmunk

2. Took my son to sell some beavers

3.Sorted my furs to ship to tanneries, coyotes, fox, raccoon, skunks, opossum, muskrats, and squirrels going to Z&L
Some beaver to GNF
Some beaver to Tubari, to be plucked, sheared and blocked

4.sorted some traps

5. Worked on the new house (painted four rooms) to get it ready for renters, so someone else can make the payment on my new TRAPPING, fishing and hunting property

That's it

Sorted traps and cleaned the garage up from season. Tomorrow the yard

Checked some of my neighbors fields for pocket gophers. Apparently word is out about me trapping coyotes and have been invited over to check out a few more places for next fall. Caught a raccoon that had been living under a neighbors house and relocated her.

I set 10 beaver traps .

Did a demo for the Texas Trappers

hauled a huge blo down poplar to the river yesterday and she about gone today.love watchin beaver.

did some trap shed clean up and organization.

WHAT!!!!!!!
Out of bounds, improper trapper ETIQUETTE!!!!

Now you won't be able to find a thing. But it is nice to see the floor again isn't it.



B

After finding out how far in the hole I'm in from last season I filed for bankruptcy. Lol

While all you long liners been paying truck loans with those big checks, this wannabe has been wrenching the last two months. Cant wait to make the big catches and drive new trucks lol.

just floated 12 miles of the river in my kayak.sign everywhere.

Good luck with that

A man gots to do what a man gots to do.

Powerwashed a bunch of land footholds. Hung them to dry. A few need new J-hooks and/or swivels. They are all probably going to need boiling in dye and then re-waxed but I am hoping some of them are in good enough shape they just need dipping in the wax pot.

I have a few dozen brand new 450's that I know I just need to powerwash, dry, and wax.

I have a couple dozen new Duke 1.5's that need working over to get ready for the coon line then powerwashed, rusted, dyed, and waxed.

Most of my bodygrips are ready to go from after season before last but a few need powerwashing and dipping in Formula One. I also have 4 dozen new Bridger 280's that need pawerwashing and dipping in Formula One. I also have about 6 dozen body grips total that need the dogs filed to adjust travel.

Jeez I wish I wouldn't have written that all out now I am feeling antsy...

Stirred up a half bucket of rotting bobcat meat, and cleaned out a freezer.

I learned that I have a lot to learn about trapping coyotes!

Added my final ingredients in my coyote and fox bait,dyed and waxed 80 K9 traps,rolled the yard and washed the pick up,was a good day

I de-boned a couple cats. Chopped up a gallon's worth of 1/2" pieces, and placed it in a bucket to start tainting. Cleaned out the bait freezer. Always a little something needs doing. Gotta keep your head in the game!

I dug out several milk crates of traps and organized and stacked them. Found a couple dozen #1 Blake and Lambs I forgot I had.

So it was almost like Christmas for you today. Lol

Today I daydreamed about prepping traps, scouting new locations, and setting traps while on my lunch break.

Finished welding on laminations, and going to finish dipping all my traps later on tonight

Hauled out some VERY ripe carcasses that should have been hauled out months ago. I never learn.

I actually set some beaver traps. It's hard to get stakes in though, still lots of frost.

lol. I made that mistake last year... never again. Local guy has a pile of yotes that are fermenting under one of his trailers right now.

Bought supplies from Mink I Love and Kansaskoons (that was yesterday though)

I received my order from F&T today. I was like a kid. Now I'm reading a book that I bought, Fisher Trapping: Pennsylvania Foothold Methods

Put some lures in a cabinet

Set 55 traps for packrats

Jeff did us a good beaver demo. Claims it was his 1st, but I have doubts abt that. He has good skills and thinks outside the box to come up with innovative ideas on new ways to whack'em. Good job!

got started on mine as well ..Frost is not quite out yet so will wait til weekend to finish .

Pulled some beaver traps, started dipping traps and trying to decide whether to skin the beaver I got today!?

Started home tanning my first two beavers ever

I swept around the totes all that stuff is stored in, does that count.



B

fed another big poplar tree to the beaver down back.

I washed a dozen new traps and 50' of #3 chain in Dawn dish soap and hung on the back of my garage to start to rust.

Now I'm just reading my Fisher trapping book.

Trapping skunks, and skinned to from yesterday.

Still skinning and tanning squirrels from last winter.Only two more garbage bags full to go.

Holy smokes! What do you do with them?

Tan and sell.
I have one buyer that takes them all.

I had no clue that you could do such a thing with squirrel. Other than selling to the fishing lure companies.

I bought two of Darin Yarborough's videos off of Ebay this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed Rattlin Chains and thought that he was a great teacher who explained things well.

Since I just got into trapping I was saddened by the fact that he'd passed. I'd hoped to run into him at the PA Rendezvous.

You're not alone.

i know a guy that doesn't move them till he can hear them.

Bought some Krud Kutter to soak my new traps and chain in to clean them as well as 3 Rubbermaid totes to store traps in. Caught heck for the $23 totes.

Was nice coming home to something enjoyable in the mail.

I pulled 15 beaver traps today .

Now that the frost is finally out I got the last 53 coyote snares pulled .. brought back lots of memories of the past winter at each set as I pulled em . Cant wait til next December to start all over .

Now that sounds like a good time.

This is what I did Saturday.

WOW! Now that's an operation

Thanks, I copied my cooker from Boss of the Swamp on utube.

Fixed for ya Dave

Nice Michael!

Amazing seeing green leaves!

I like that barrel set up. I shall steal that idea lol.

Thank you Michael. I am not smater than a fifth grader.

Haha

I've been inventorying traps and washing mud off,seperating straight stakes from bent,also grinding some glands and making bait.

Waxed some traps for a yote job.

Set a bunch of gopher traps and discovered the farmers dump pile. Scored some 5/8" rebar for stakes along with a few other goodies.

got the knife sharp and skun a few beaver.

Primed and Painted a few 330's that had a long season behind em. Put some reinforced doors on a few colony traps.

Been making up chain set ups for the next traps I buy. Nail swivel, 4-links of no.3 twist , nail swivel, 4 links of chain and a double stake ring on the end. The custer bender is real handy for making the sterling style nail swivels..

I'm still trying to figure out the bender. I bought some 20D common nails as described by Coon Creek Outdoors but have yet to perfect it.

It should have instructions with it. But it still takes a little practice to get them consistent.

It does, but it's that practice.

Watching videos tonite. Just watched Otterly Simple for the 20th time, about to put in Claudie Taylor...

Caught 19 pocket gophers today. Got a new section of land to trap coyotes on next fall so guess I get to do some scouting this week before things green up.

Been working on a bunch of number one long springs that I'll probably never use. Driving pipe inside spring to make them stouter and faster, replacing old rusted chains and moving them to the jaw end of the traps. Putting on tags as I go and will wax all later. Might go after a few of those high dollar mink this winter.

Finished welding up my chain set ups and made a bunch more sterling type swivels. Stirred up some bait also.

I just dipped 20 dozen 1.5 dukes.

pulled the last beaver traps on 1 job may have 1 more job to trap otherwise that is it until fall.

Made some extra long rebar T posts (4') for a spot I needed them last season. Spray painted the tops white.

Opened up the fur barn and thought man I hope I'm done with my son's remodel by start of the season!

made up snare supports....about 50 snares and extensions......

Looked at traps and chain at my local trapping supply house, then posted two new posts to Tman about chains and trap modification.

Searched for (and found in less than 30 seconds) my machete I lost in my snaring bush during season. Looked for Beaver sign in our little creek but found nothing.

Last night I placed, what I hope to be a final, order with F&T to get my traps modified, ready, and stored for next season.

LOL I'm sure I'll need more of something.

Painted 2 dz Bridger T3s brown. Dipped 2 dz MB-550s in Formula 1 . And drove 35 miles to set 12 DP traps. Only set 12 because it started raining. Need to set coyote traps tomorrow on 633 acre job

Going thru my dirty MB550s to reattach anchors and steel brush the built up crud off. 650s and KO juniors are done. Waiting for water to drop, got one more beaver job when it does.

Today I caught 6 coons and a possum. Set 12 DP traps and 6 coyote traps. Came home and redipped MB-550s in Formula 1

Made a few hundred bucks nuisance trapping beaver. And dreamed of fall. Too many tourists here now!

I put a little honey in my quart of rattlesnake based lure to tone it down a little.

Counted beaver tails to turn in for bounty in a couple days. Use money to pay dues for deer lease.

Caught 4 more coons and 1 coyote. Only had 6 MB-550s set Going to set some more MB-550s tomorrow

made 30 drowning rods and 10 long drowning cables...need more z traps

I received yet another order of stuff from F&T. I'm also getting ready to attend the PA Trapper's Rendezvous from June 7-10. Looking forward to my first trip there.

Today I spent time in the garage and did some simple modifications to a dozen Duke #2 four coiled traps. I added a center swivel to them, I filed the back of the pan flat, night latched the dog, leveled the pans, and set the tension. The only thing left to do to them is add a piece of 6’ #3 chain capped off with a coyote drag so that I can use them in the mountains for cats, Fisher, Fox, and totes.

A big thanks to Rich Faler’s and Ralph Scherder’s video on Mountain trapping for that idea. Otherwise this bonehead would be up there pounding stakes until either I broke or the rocks I’d be pounding through broke.

Lambing season here, so it's up early to check ewes and a few snares and traps that I have out. Had a male coyote in a snare last week and would expect a female to be around. Also had another coyote dig a new crossing between Thursday night and Friday morning. Put a snare in there and now to wait. Haven't lost any lambs to coyotes this year so far, which is helped out by the guard dogs that we use.

I took a dozen #3 Victor long springs that have been in my garage for several years and decided to modify them first I took them apart painted with rustoleom then added sleepy creek offset jaws and step down PIT Pans next week I will add base plates just too have something to do

Joe, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I’ve watched it 3 or 4 times now and I’m certain that there are more viewings in my future. I too won’t be too awful far from my truck with the vast majority of my sets.

As for their trail cam usage, I’ve already invested in more rechargeable batteries so that I may do the same thing. I really enjoyed seeing the trail cam video coupled with the results in the end.

Finished up 2 nuisance beaver jobs,and ripped out 3 big dams by hand.I love a good cardio workout,lol.
That's 6 dams and 23 beaver from 6 spots since May 15.
5 beaver at one spot, 4 at another,5 at another,4 at one, 3 at one and 2 at one.

Ground some fish for coon bait.