I'm curious about everybody's trapping style. Do you consider yourself to be a small timer or a big timer-do you trap hard and heavy or just as a hobby? I personally and definitely small time, I have about three dozen traps. I trap almost exclusively public land, for three days (three checks) on my weekends and then pull out and do another area the next weekend; I work four days a week. For me it's basically a hobby to do with the kids. If I caught 30 coons it'd be a record season for me. I try to do different things each season, learn something and do a little bit better than last season.

Business. Trapping is just one of the tools I use to solve human/wildlife conflict.

Loosegoose. Your way or trapping is definitely the majority...and sure isn't anything wrong with that. I would say most of the kids that come into trapping these days (super important, obviously) are done through guys just like you...as it's hard to take time out if you're doing it for a business. Especially fur season trapping.

Sounds like a perfect plan to me.

was fortunate to make my living from trapping critters...(not selling books,,instruction etc. Did sell a few videos thru dealers for 12 yrs that were just a by product of work.) Worked in 2 wildlife programs,east and west. Trapped fur for 25 yrs before i decided it was time to make real money for it. Then another 25 plus yrs as a living until i got old and feeble. Did good until 55 then a series of severe crashes and sickness took me out. Just trap when needed at home now.

Sounds to me like you have a perfect plan in place for the time you have available.

Trap how it makes you happy be it 7 days or 7 months a year with 7 traps or 700! LOL

Big time for small time segments, get in, skim the cream and get out.

Loved professional adc trapping!!! wasnt like factory trapping(meaning,every situation told a story)Wasnt boring a bit. Was never a time wondering IF I would catch them. It was WHEN and how many.

I trap semi hard some times over the years some time 200plus traps some times 20 but I have never miss a season in 45 years this years with new shed done an no nta to get ready for I hope to hit it hard

I'm small time, but seems I run more each year. Last year was a dozen dp's, dozen coyote sets, and 30 muskrat sets. This year the same except maybe 80 muskrat sets. Probably only trap a few weeks. Would like to do more though.

Im small time, but did big time for years. Im getting older and prices just are killing my desire to go big. Im happy with 5-30 stops (1 to 3 hours a day).

I am going to short line a lot and long line a little for about 9 days.

I'm going to putz around for say 7 months the wife retires this year maybe go 12 months this year!

Just my farm to reduce the coon and grinner population so the turkeys and fawns can get a little better start.. Small time for sure .. Yet I look forward to it just like deer season , or turkey season.. It's addictive for sure !!

Closer to the small time side. Definitely a hobby. Run kinda hard once deer season is over, from January to the end of March. Trap checks start at 4am, work by 9am, home late, skinning later.
I don't like to set for short windows (nothing against it) so after deer season it is. Never really have a numbers goal in mind, just adjust to what permissions I have that year. At the point where I can pass on calls, kinda nice.

I just run short lines in some fur rich areas,and do a bit of nuisance beaver trapping in the off season.
In the younger years I used to run long and hard for fur and did nuisance beaver full time 55 hrs a week April til December.

youre ok in my book boco......i dont care what pcr says about you!!

You guys are all alright(for yankees),lol.

We have a full time predator and beaver business and lure company. Just living the dream.

I've been taking the first week of the Season off from work since I can remember. I Usually hit it hard during that week and after that run a couple small lines on the way home from work. I usually end up with about 60 to 80 critters a year mostly coon.

Couple of years ago I was bored out of my mind in February when the temperature was at record lows so I decided to go out and run a snare line for coyotes. Talk about a blast! Last couple seasons my kids and wife decide to all get sick about the first week or two of trapping season so that really puts a damper on my time. I have not even got to half of my property the last couple of years.

Hope to take some more time off work this year since I have a boatload of comp time build up, so we'll see. I think a friend of mine is interested in trapping with me as well so looking forward to that. Hopefully he'll stick with it.

Hoping to experience a bigger go of it this year.

I usually work 21 land sets over 7 areas for the season adding 12-16 muskrat traps on 3 acres of marsh.

If all goes well I will triple the land sets and add 200 rat traps working a mile of marsh.

loosegoose
Many small timers have a better catch percentage then big timers.
Small timers can work like big timers.
Pre-season scouting, digging trap beds, dirtholes & pockets before season, prepare locations before the season place backing at location if needed, keep your head in the game during the season, make needed adjustments during the season (plan B, you know), keep in mind you are the TOP predator out there, don't let up, hang in there. Stay loose, goose. My best to you.

I do the same here
J

Your doing fine!

small time trapper, but always wish I could expand more. Now just hoping my health holds out so after retirement I can expand and(live the dream). Working full time plus other sticks in the fire keeps me from going at it harder than I do. But at least I can trap some now and love every minute of it.

Small time weekend trapper here. Set as many as I can get set on friday, check on saturday, check and pull on Sunday. Set for whatever animal I find sign of.

addictive personality here.i can leave the house to set a dozen traps and it has never happened.little captain in my head screams-"full speed ahead"and i'm off like a prom dress at midnight.

About 15 years ago I got hurt at work and could no longer do my job so I bought a business. Before that I had a 40 hour a week job that allowed me to have a pretty good line. It was about 150 to 175 miles long and I water trapped for coon. mink and rats mostly. I added a few coyote traps once in a while and averaged around 440 coon, 200 rats, 50 mink and 50 coyotes plus all the fill in fur. Since I had to change my career there is not the time I used to have so I am a part timer now. I still use the long line system but have to limit stops and places now and am making choices between setting let traps so I can handle fur or set more traps and freeze fur. Time is the biggest issue right now for me. I ran set after work and got home after midnight for years but now work cam go past 8:00 or 9:00 pm... Now I'm lucky to get 30 coon, 20 coyotes, 80 rats, and a dozen mink. Canoeing and wading in creeks and ponds after dark isn't the most productive way to pile up the fur but it takes my mind off work.

Dent County, I moved to a 60 acre farm 11 years ago and have gotten 81 coyotes off it in those 11 years. I never set more than 6 traps at a time on my place - keep at it.

Before I got married 75% of my income Nov to Feb was from fur! I trapped 24 7 would take 2 days at most to reorganize and start a new line! Then after I got married the first winter I lost my job and from Dec to Feb fur keeped mine and my wife's and new borns nose above water! Some yrs I trap are place some yrs I run 50 to 80 sets now. When I'm really in the mood I run traps before work after work skin and do taxidermy way into the night my little girl loves to help skin, always run with a big time mindset, little thangs that need to be done? Do um!add a few sets every day,scout some every day, load up the night before.keep plenty of permission and do enuff on there place each season to justify having permmision. When I'm in a trapping mood I don't miss a day of season. Even if it's possum sets on my place!I keep enuff gear to do what ever I want,and trap anything I need too.

I don't know if I'm big time or small time I'm prolly just a turd like everybody else. Do what you can love what you do! And do it with all you got!
Colt

When the price is low I am small time or not trapping at all when it is high or is it even decent I go bigtime and hit it hard

Don’t know how it will work out if prices ever improve because the last couple winters have mostly been fighting off sickness

Small time here. Never turned a profect but had lots of fun. Sold everything whole.

Even working fulltime and trappin, I always think in terms of 100 sets over a 80 mile line for predators. Plus sets for beaver and mink along the same line. Guess I'm an addict LOL..