For the kids forum members, post what you catch!!! See how you're faring compared to other young trappers. Obviously no
non-target animals.

So far I got two Possums in the 5 days I've had set traps in the ground. One was the size of my fist so we let him go. The other one we kept so that he wouldn't bother us again. We also caught a groundhog (I still have no idea where his den was!).

Connected on my first yote of the year tonight. 38lb Male in a "pipe dream set," this year is my first year ever using the set too.

You guys are killing me lol. I still got 15 days of waiting!

I'm on the same boat as you Ave

I'd like to say I trapped these but I helped a dairy farmer remove these guys from a manure pit. We rigged my snare pole up to a long wooden shaft and cranked them out. I can tell you after fishing for them for 3 hours my arms were Jello last night and are stiff and sore today! There were 8 coon, 4 possum, and 5 cats(which they were going to remove with a leaning board so we didn't hurt them trying to pull them up with the snare pole. The farmer used to trap when he was a kid so we let two coon in to call in other coons.


Does it work that way? Will the still trapped coons call in other coons?

The heaviest one was really cool looking and weighed 23 pounds. Sorry I don't have better pics.

Got a big ole skunk this morning.

Our season opened on the 25th, I am dyeing traps today. I can't wait to set some but I normally wait until some time around Dec 15th.

This one was also in a pipe set, I am starting to really like zagger's set for this rainy weather.

A couple greys from this weekend.

I wish we had some greys around here! Looks like your making some great catches guys. I’ve still got a week of waiting! Zach, Do you prefer the pipe dream set with only grass, or dirt and grass to cover the trap? I’ve seen guys do it both ways. Thanks

This little fellow got caught first night of the season!


The skunk above got hooked yesterday!

Forgive me, but what is the "Pipe Dream Set"?

Hey looks like your doing good this season! Thanks for the pictures! It’s a coyote/fox set that involves a piece of plastic/electrical pipe around 10 inches long. The pipe is pounded into the ground, usually in front of your backing. The pipe should have a hole drilled into it, so it doesn’t fill with rain. Bait and lure goes in the pipe, and the trap is bedded in front of it. Usually, grass clippings are put over the trap. It’s supposed to be rain and snow proof. Mark Zagger is the inventor , and there’s a really long thread on the strictly trapping forum if you want to look into it further.

I prefer just grass, my dad likes both peat and grass. As far as being the most weather proof grass is probably best.(That's how Zagger does it) Both of us dig a deep bed, line the bottom with peat, then wedge the trap in. I really like this set for being rain resistant, I have yet to find out to first hand how freeze proof it is.(Should be good) I just set up a new farm with all pipe sets tonight, tomorrow's check should be good.

I had a huge boar coon this morning 20+ pounds. I had trouble weighing him on a bathroom scale, but I had try to weighgh him he was so big. Other than that nothing much here. I'm going to throw a few more foot holds out tomorrow if it isn't raining.

Anybody connecting on anything? Here's a couple from the past few days.

Way to go Zach! I still have to wait until season comes in! How’s the pipe dream set working for you? I’m really considering giving it a try as this weather is terrible. Thanks

Thanks, I would definitely try it. The terrible weather is why I started putting in more pipe sets. I was planning on trying it this year, but the rain didn't slow down and all of my dirt holes kept filling up with water. Although the dirt holes still produced, the pipe sets are out producing them so far.

Here is a pic of my latest catch. I also caught a Badger using Reuwsaat's "Ornery Badger" lure & "Deep Creek" Bait, a skunk, and a rat in a Victor #1 ls but I could not post the pics sorry


I caught this coon by both hands using dry dog food pellets and Reuwsaat's Fish Oil.

As a side note--coon do not have hands,people have hands.Coon have front and back feet.
I mention this because so many anti trappers try to humanize animals.
Tom

A possum a day!!! No emoji can describe what I'm feeling right now.

I caught a ton of possums too. I think I am like at 13 of them, finally quit catching them now because of the cold.

I see your point, BogMaster. I say hands because...well that is what they look like!

We have a front coming in tonight, the next couple hours may be good. (I hope school is canceled so I can go check in daylight!) I caught a red tonight and saw a big one I think was with it. My plan is to pull K-9 sets friday and set water traps saturday, as deer season and bear season are fast approaching. Who else from PA is setting for rats and mink Saturday?

I wish we had water critters nearby or else I would be setting saturday. For some reason we don't have any rats on the stream that I have the ability to trap. Only 1 more year till I can go wherever the wind takes me. Counting down the seconds until I can drive. Once I can drive I will try water trapping.

I have almost all my traps out. I will still be trapping through deer season on most of the properties I am currently trapping. All of them are somewhat near roads and\or are on properties that no one hunts.

Still haven't caught much other than possums the past week. Some odd stuff that got released but mostly possum.

Finnaly got a small coon today. Got him in a DP that I was going to move since 3 weeks ago cause it wasn't catching anything. I just didn't take the time to and miraculously got him.

Also saw tons of fox tracks. One ran about 5 ft. From my trap. My goal this season is to trap one and kill one with a gun predator hunting. Neither of which I've done yet.

Mom came home this afternoon. And saw a fox tail going in our field. I grabbed the gun and call and went out. She said she thought it was a grey so that's how I called. After a bit of calling we stopped and started tracking it in the snow. To beer understand where it ran and to hopefully jump it. We ran in to it after tracking for about 150-200 yards. It popped up about 75 yards away and ran. Oh yea, there were three of us, all brothers. So when it ran and stopped to look at us awhile I was surprised. I turned the call on and we all knelt in the middle of the field. It sat down and watched me at about 100-125 yards. If I had it sighted in past 100 I would have shot it. It finnaly trotted toward us and I saw its head at 50 yards. I pulled up and was ready to shoot when it started trotting toward us some more then the wind shifted and the last I saw of him was his rear end in my scope.

I had to share one of the more exciting predator hunts this year. Thanks for reading!

Got me my 5th bobcat this week but this computer won't let me post pics! Caught her at a blackened stump set using coon urine & MarkJune's "Canine Candy." Caught her in a B&L #2 cs.

Trapre, them fox can be tricky, keep trying for them and eventually you'll connect on one. Author, congrats on your fifth cat, can you keep all of them in Texas?

Yes, sir!

Caught my 2nd coyote yesterday, thought it was a pretty good lookin dog

Nice yote, what kind of set did you get it in?

Who's got some sets out? I pulled the rest of my rat traps today for deer season. Here's a couple pictures from the line.

I Pulled all my sets today for gun season. Hopefully I can reset them before too long. I caught a few coon today and a couple of possums.

I caught it in a dirthole set on the edge of a hay field. Using Andy Weiser’s range boss as bait.

Finnaly!!! Four years of trapping, three years of hoping and targeting fox, and $300+ later it's Gonna my paying off! The red I caught yesterday in a crappy(I thought) dirthole. And the gray I caught today!!!

Persistence pays off.Way to go!
Tom

Awesome, congratulations on your first fox!

Nice job on that Pa,k9🗡

Well, the catch has dropped off for me!

Finally doing some good. Getting some yotes, a lota coons, and a badger. Just too lazy to resize pics to put them on here

I caught a big boar coon in the same set I caught my bobcat in a few days ago.

My dog decided to fight but got some hair ripped out!

To cool!!!

Awesome!

Reset a small rat line yesterday. Caught number 16 and 17 today.

Nice rats! Wish we had more, but they are about extinct here. Hopefully I will get a deer soon, then i will move on to targeting cats. I got a lota good cat ground to trap this year, and will be going hard after I get a deer

We don't have a ton of them here either. My dad said when he was a kid, anywhere there was water there was rats. Let us know if you get any cats possum.

Well, I had someone steal my trapping hatchet out of my pack recently!

I haven't been trapping here in a while I caught 3 opossums a while back then pulled traps for deer season but had no luck killing a deer so I while probably set traps again this weekend maybe sooner

Nice man!

Caught my first ever Fox today! It was a female Grey Fox caught with a Victor #2 LS, at a feather set using Bobcat Meat based bait made with Reuwsaat's Bait Solution, plus bobcat scat, and urine.
Couldn't upload pics. Sorry!

Awesome!!! Nothing like that first fox catch feeling right!!! Still pumped about my first ones!!!

Speaking of cats I caught 3 the other day. The only downside of that is you cant posses them here in NJ. So I had to go into work late because I had to wait for wildlife control to show up.

Been pickin up some yotes. This cold snap has been really good for that. Still trying to shoot a deer, but managed to get some cat traps set. Guess Well see if theres any good cats around

Well, caught my second coyote ever today in 1 of my 2 MB-550's and wouldn't ya know it?! It pulled up my 24" rebar stake and got away! Grrrr.

Time to go with double staking or disposable stakes.
Tom

ouch. Yea them mb s are awesome traps, but have a high price tag on them too. Im up to 5 doz 650s now, and i love em. One of my first yotes pulled a 24" rebar stake on a bridger #3. I have used birkshire stakes ever since with no problems. Pogos work really good too, even cheaper, but the drivers suck for them.

Yea either cross stake your rebar, use earth anchors, or use drags. I prefer duckbill earth anchors on my k9 traps, I use drags when the ground is to hard to get an anchor in. A good rule of thumb is to stake for the largest possible animal you could catch. (Yotes here)

You like them duckbills? I herd people were having trouble with the ends breakin or somethin. Ive never tried them.

Yes they are the only thing that I can drive through my rocky ground. lol Every other style I tried either bent or I had a heck of a time driving them in. I never had any trouble with the duckbills breaking, but you have to clean the dirt out of them before you put your driver in. If you don't sometimes acts like a wedge and splits them. Only ever had that happen like once though.

Well, I had a coon visit one of my canine / feline sets today and miss the pan on the B&L #2 cs on a hairs width! Then I also caught a big rat in a skunk sets and he bit through my leather glove and into my hand. Ouch! Using him for bait now!

Nothing much happening around here. Couple coon since my last post on here. Caught our first female on Saturday. Out of 15 coon this year only one of them has been a female! Strange?! \

Friend of ours picked up a roadkill mink. I land trap only so that was a new experience! Do they usually stink like cat urine? Whew was that nasty! I'd druther skin a coon!

They stink a little but not that bad. You might have nicked a gland when you were skinning, or when it got hit, it could have released musk.

Well this one was awful! He was flat as a pancake but his hide was fine. I was just curious if they had a smell since I don't have any experience with skinning water critters.

Things have been slow here. Every once in a while I’ll pick up a couple coons or rats, but nothing other than that. The ground isn’t frozen so a coyote line is impossible to set out. Beaver season starts in four days so it won’t be long until I post some pics lol.

Beaver season and cable season come in on the 26th here. I will probably wait to set for beavers, I am still playing around with fisher and cat sets. Looking at getting out a coyote line today too.

Got some sets out. Caught a grey in a yote set and a yote in a fisher set today.

Caught a frosty red fox this morning, anyone else have sets out over Christmas break?

I have just over a dozen out over break. Not much happening around here. A couple coon a couple possum and a skunk the past week and a half. Still male coon! Up to 17 coon this year and all but one are male.

Author, if you are having rats set off your coils, you need to up your pan tension a little. It will also help on your toe catches.

Hey Dfabs, are you and Antony catching any coon out there? You've still got to beat that 25 pounder.

I was finally able to catch some bobcats last week. Caught a big tom Bobcat at a Dirt Hole Set using TDHP's Predator Bait. He weighed about 30#. Caught a female at the same set 2 days later but she was only about 20# - 25#.

Nice cats. I threw out a handful of beaver sets a couple days ago, connected on a couple.

Is that a Victor #3 jump?

#4 but yes it is a victor jump

. Depressing week of trapping. Found a HOT coon and fox site I need to throw some traps on though.

I would assume there too, but our coons are gonna staet rubbing soon. Kinda sad ya dont have long to get their reallypurdy pelts. Ive been killin the possums since my cat double Christmas day. And got one yote since then too. Looks like yall are havin a great season;keep it up!!

Another good check today. Another double on cats!! Up to 4

Nice, pics?

I will try to post some tonight

Heres a bunch

Nice catches. What are badgers like to catch, they look like they would be hard to hold.

All that I havegot were on 18 in birkshires. They dig and dig circles around the stake, but by the time they get to where the stake would pull out, they are too tired to pull it. Normally by then they just sleep in the hole. They are a pain to fix the digging after you catch one. Had one dig a mound about 3 feet tall about 4 feet wide. Got a purdy red today, only my second ever. My first had mange.

They can also pull all the dirt to the center and dig outwards so they avoid digging the stake. I have had a few do that

Wow Some nice catches!!! Can't wait to get a bobcat, A yote too! Don't have the time right now to set where there are some yotes, and didn't get my bobcat tag in time.

I would imagine that it would be a pain to remake those sets. I've never caught anything with mange. I've only ever seen one red around with it and that was a long time ago.

I haven't caught anything with mange either but found a dead red with it this summer in the woods. Had rabies wipe out a lot of coon two years ago. I have to travel on the 4-wheeler (No truck yet) two miles to get to where I can catch stuff.

We are probably just under 50-50 for mangy yotes. Last year was horrible. It was over 50 then. Mange is a bad bad disease...

Yea I am glad we don't have it here. One of the benefits of trapping right there though, gets rid of some those sick critters.

Well I had a bobcat set out with a StealthCam game camera with infrared vision monitoring the set. Well I checked the set today. No catch, not even a track on the dirt pattern but I got this picture:


I guess a bobcat was more interested in my game camera than in the set! Grrrr!

Hello,
I caught this small female bobcat at a cubby set using a bobcat carcass for bait. The trap was a Victor #3 coilspring.

Well, I caught a mange coyote yesterday with a Duke #3 cs with laminated jaws at a charred stump set using MarkJune's "Canine Candy", Dobbin's "K9-03", + coyote scat with Mike Wotjach's "Coyote Gland Lure."

You guys sound like you are having fun! I haven't caught a SINGLE THING in two weeks! GRRRRRRRRR.

Hang in there. Itll happen. Sometimes i just got pull and reset to start fresh

Nice cat want to be. I haven't had any out lately because I've been so busy,but I got a handful set out today and I am going to put some more out tomorrow. Trapre, are you seeing any sign in the snow there? I would probably pull and relocate. The next week or so will be good because it is supposed to stay cold, in fact this is probably the best time of year to catch target critters here. Try breaking out some loud lure and set some more/different locations if you're able. State college gets most of the same weather we do, so you should be in good shape that way.

Best time of the year for kittys. Their starting to breed. Had a set of tracks go right past a set today that had a possum plugged in. Darn things...

Went for a walk tracking two reds that ran 10 feet from my trap. All I saw this morning was about 3 different fox tracks and deer. I have been waiting for this snow for a LONG time! We got about an inch and a half the other night.

Set some cables and leg holds today. I took a peak at this set that connected on a coyote earlier this year and I had pulled. He would have been done for lol.

This is a set I made a little while ago. On today’s check, I noticed it was messed with , and just my luck. A coyote worked the set from the back and peed on the pan. Figures!

That's better than I've done with yotes!^^^^^

My week went from good to bad and today went from worse to worse. First of all, we burried our first classmate today. Less than 5 months away from graduation and hes gone. Im still broke from this. On top of it, we got 8 in of snow so its a mess, and my trappin rig is down. And the head gasket just went out of my good truck. Thats a bill i dont want to see...

I'm sorry for your loss. Praying you can get your vehicles up and running. How many miles long is your line?

I "can't" drive yet so I am restricted to a 4-wheeler. A 4-wheeler that is 20 years old, has little to no brakes, and only runs 4 out of 7 days of the week. Helps me stay in shape for wrestling when I have to run (or bike when there isn't snow) the 3 1/2 mile trapline.

I should have caught three fox last night. Something tripped my trap and stuffed it down the dirt hole. Then ol' fox comes and checks out my set. Another fox at a different spot decided to do the same thing. I hadn't refreshed the ant-freeze and it was frozen. And the last one ran two feet by my trap but the bait and lure didn't catch it's curiosity. FRUSTRATING!!!!!!

My line is about 40-60 mi round trip

Do you have another vehicle or a borrowed one? Cause that isn't quite bike able!!!

Wow that's a heck of a line, I'm not allowed to drive yet either so I am limited to what I can access on the four wheeler and where I can get family to drive me. Hope you get your truck fixed,that sounds like a job.

Well, the one should be done today I hope, but it might run like crap again. Guess Ill see if the o2 sensor fixes it

That old set that was worked by a coyote that I posted a picture of connected the first night I reset on this red. I think I am going to do a mount on this one, he is furred up pretty nice.

Heck ya! Buddy of mine wants me to mount a fox and coon he got. Theres an awesome mount of a coon in a knothole that i think im gonna do for my self and him. So ill be busy soon. Gonna pull the line today and tomarrow. Gota big storm coming that could dump a foot of snow on top of our 8 in already

That's supposed to hit us Saturday, I think I am going to brave the snow and leave the sets out. The night before a storm or front always seems good. That's neat post some pics when you finish the coon, I am busy with a beaver mount now, probably will do the red later in the year.

Oh ya for sure its the best night to have sets out. They run like xrazybefore it hits. But i still have sets from the first snow that i cant find... So im gonna pull and reset right after

I am probably the worst fox trapper around after the past three nights of absolutely nothing but fox tracks. I have seen two deer tracks in this 1 inch snow but about 40 different fox tracks. No joke. I just can't get one to connect and when I do get one to work a set my trap fails me.

Saw a fox in one of the fields on my route this morning. Couldn't tell if it was a red or a grey. Drove back to the house grabbed the gun and FoxPro caller and tried calling. It didn't show though.

That's a nice red! I am going to make some fancy hats out of my 2 fox I got this year.

I dont know crap about fox because the are almost extinct around here, but I would say they are like coyotes, just takes time. Keep the sets working and youll get em. I would also say that if your bait and lure is there, let it sit, cuz you can over do it with bait and lure.

Possum,you're right trapping fox is just like trapping small yotes. They can be difficult to connect on, especially if they're educated. The best way I've found to increase your catch is to get as many sets out as you can and keep them in for as long as you can. Check to make sure that your sets stay operational through the freeze thaw cycles, and if they aren't fix them asap.

Good time to try cable restraints.
Tom

So whats the home range of a fox like? Is it big, small or what? Our coyotes can cover sections here, and cats cover many many miles

I was told by a really good fox trapper named Hern Blett that Greys tend to live in a section of brushy woods and don't really go outside of a 200x200 yard area. Reds on the other hand will travel up to ten miles in one night but also tend to circle around and rerun a path several times and don't leave a 1 square mile area.