I don't know if there is already an article on this or not but just trying to spice up the forum a bit... so what is some advice you would give new trappers

Learn everything you can,about the animals you are going after.
Knowledge is the key to a good trapper.
Tom

I couldn't give any trapping advice as I'm a beginner myself. But I would say, stay on/get on trapperman! I have had so many different people give me advice via this site!

Just a personal experience. I asked about bipods on here a month and a half ago and a trapper\predator hunter that lives 45 minutes from me contacted me and said he would give me one. I was near him one day and went and met him to pick it up. He showed me his fur shed and gave me so many tips and tricks. He offered to come up to my place and give me tips on locations and other stuff. In the meantime before he came up I asked about his fleshing beam. I planned to buy one off of F&T and wondered what size to get. Instead of giving me detentions he gave me a contact to a retired trapper 30 minutes away from me that makes beams. So I went over and bought a beam from him for $25 instead of $45. Then he came down and showed me baits, lures, we drove around the valley while he pointed out good locations, gave me tips on the fur shed and told me about "deer dust".

My point is, do not be afraid to ask questions on here. Someone will give you an answer. And you will learn alot.

Lol. A lot of folks give Trapping advice that are beginners with very little experience. Heck, just check out you tube. Plenty of folks on there giving advice with little to no real Trapping Experience. The difference between them and you are that you seem to grasp that concept. Not that you can’t give advice though. You could give advice on what has and has not worked in your Trapping.

Learn what you can from other trappers. That will get you far enough along that you can start to learn from the real masters - the animals themselves. Look for sign everywhere. It is amazing how a trapper can understand an animal situation.

Join your state trapping association. Try to get in touch with some seasoned trappers and (IF you have the money and the means) attend someone's trapping school, like Mark June's, or Wayne Derrick's (wayne52), etc. Some trapper's (Lesel Reuwsaat for example) will come out to your place and teach you (for a price of coarse!) Trapping instructional books and DVD's are always helpful too! Attend as many trapping rendezvous as you can. That is my advice, though I'm a beginner too!

There has not been any innovation in trapping for a generation. The people who perfected the trade in lure making and sets were never given credit and others published or sold it in lessons. There is only one constant advice in trapping and that is location, location, location. You can not catch fur where the animals are not running..

Experiment with at least 1 new bait & lure every season. You will slowly find what really works & what doesn't

You don’t need much to have fun, all I had my first year (last year) was 2 #1 long springs and 1 #1 coil spring I still had a suuuper fun time trapping.