I know that there are a lot of beginning trappers on here inclulding myself, but I really like reading a post and that little light bulb comes on in my head and I think to myself why didn't I think about that, I can really use this on my line. I know that a lot of pro's at any occupation don't like to give away there little secrets of the trade, but come on this is trapperman, help us all become better trappers it only bodes well for the future. For example, I was having a heck of a time setting 330's and read about using a rope to set them this really helped me out. Come on give us a real good tip!!!

Use your 330 setting rope as a sling to carry out your beaver over your shoulder. Put a loop on each end and attach each end to a beavers front and back paw. It makes hauling beaver out a lot easier.

If a trapper starts out by thinking that an animal is smarter than him, then they are.

Some of the best advice I have ever gotten, I believe confidence is a big factor in success.

Cant catch animals if you dont have traps out.

use fish oil like its free!

THINK!!! dont just do what ya read and go by that .... every set is a different situation .... doesnt matter if its a subtle difference or a major one .... be patient .... ya not gonna learn as fast as ya want to ... it will take time .... also be patient on makin a catch (really be patient for yotes, mink, otter and cats)now im not sayin leave ya traps set for a month or even a week to make a coon or rat catch but .... i hope ya get the idea .... second to most important thing that will have ya catchin fur... like hangman said ... is confidence !!! if ya dont have confidence in yaself and ya sets ... ya not gonna let ya traps work for ya, ya not gonna put the time into it to set the right locations and put in quality sets .... and will get sloppy with ya line .... i have seen guys over the years that make me wonder why they even trapped .... cryin bout this and that and not even wantin to check traps but did just cause it was the law !!! but above all ...the number one thing !!! ENJOY yaself !! when it becomes too be a pain, or ya not havin fun .... why do it to begin with ?? ya not gonna get rich by doin it !!! good luck to all !!!

No matter how thick you think the ice is you will break through with the foot that has the leaky wader

When river trapping I use a tow rope to get catch back to the truck or 4 wheeler. I like to work upriver and dispatch anything still alive. When I reach the last set in that section I turn down river and remove animals and reset traps. When the coon or beaver is out of the trap it is looped into a rope and towed to the next set that has something in it. You can tow 8-10 coons with the current on a rope alot easier than you can carry them.

This one works for me But I do not have a large amount of people travelling on my line.Do not go way out of your way from the trail that you trap on.In good habitat let the animals do the work and travel to your easy to get to(for you) sets.
Dan'l

K.I.S.S. not realy a secret...but maybe the most overlooked lesson in trapping.

Attend the Fur Takers of America's trappers college. The experience will take decades off your learning curve!!

Amen brother!

Put your keys on top of your tire before going out on the line. This way you'll always know where they are, instead of getting back to the rig and digging in your pocket and then remembering you thought you heard a splash a mile back in the creek when you reached into the same pocket for your knife

Do you have a NTA trappers book yet? If not they are great and will help out a lot . Also contact your states Trapping association and your states DNR. They usually have all kinds of free trapping information.

better tip tie one foot from one beaver and the other end to another beaver. He He was a good tip just had to make it twice as good with two beaver.

[quote=Geezerman]Put your keys on top of your tire before going out on the line. This way you'll always know where they are, instead of getting back to the rig and digging in your pocket and then remembering you thought you heard a splash a mile back in the creek when you reached into the same pocket for your knife
this sounds like experiance speaking. I have heard that sound too.

Spend 6 bucks on a safety gripper for body grips, paint it flourescent orange, good for setting and adjusting triggers and dogs

Already stated but, Keep it Simple. Get in a set as fast as possible without wasting time, and just like I said, keep it simple. They don't all have to look like the ones in the books or videos.

And, you must adapt to your conditions. If the water rises, you have to get your traps elevated more. Ect

And most of all, you have to have the drive to get up in the morning to check traps. And be ready for HARD work. Kids in school hear me talking to friends about trapping. They say geez you'll make a lot of money. I should start trapping. They think you just set a trap and catch something. They don't realize how much work there actually is involved in the process. Especially if you plan on putting up your furs. Thats why I let people come in the shed to see how I'm doing, so they can see that it I am actually working hard for that check I get.

Kyle Moses

Key locations + quality gland lure / bait + using the wind to your advantage = success. Take the time to tune your traps properly and make sure the trap is adequate for the target animal.

Learn to READ and AGE "sign"........Know the habits of the anamals.....Creatures habits change with the weather, You have to also.................Put out as many GOOD sets as you can.........

Make use of Video's... there are some out there that will take years off the learning curve... Invest in the traps you want and like... it helps with the confidence factor, Pride in your Gear and sets will go a long way towards fur.

when trapping under bridges dont always go by the tracks around cause who knows how old they are

Visit this site often!!!!!

Attention to detail, from sign to set it's the little things that seem to get ya....Safeties on a bodygrip etc.....CC

for all of you water trapers, did you ever get tierd of only carrying a few traps and everything it takes to make sets? how many trips have you made to get more traps or tools? well i got tierd of doing it as well as having to carry out my catch, so i took a 20 inch truck tire tube, built a box out of plywood 4feet x 4 feet by one foot tall. i drilled holes in the plywood bottom to be able to use rope to tie the box to the tube. i have a rope that i use to drag the tube and box upstream and make my sets and to check my traps. i can put a dozen 330, 4 dozen 110's three dozen coil spings, a hammer, trowel,shovel, and feed sacks for drowners, a roll of #nine wire, and a roll of 14 gauge wire with me in one trip. if the current is strong it can be tough to pull, but if you catch 6 beaver over 50 pounds you dont have to carry them very far. this year i had done just that and i had my truck parked next to the creek and only carried them 10 feet. wish i had a pic of it but i left it out on a beaver pond the day i pulled my traps just before freeze up. maybe i can get one in afew days.

Trapping is exactly like real estate. It all about location, you could be a greenhorn trapper, with junkie, out of adjustment traps, poorly bedded, or set; With lousy bait or lure, and you will get more action[might be spung traps] then the best trapper that ever set a longspring; that isnt on LOCATION. Its the biggest secret in trapping and has EVERYTHING to do with how well you will do. This holds true thru about every animal species. Good Luck and dont worry about "secrets" its just tuning into the enviroment; and getting on LOCATION! Your much smarter than the animal is; but he's tuned in, and your not yet. Good Luck.

If you are new to trappin and thinkin bout gettin a video, make sure you are familiar with whoever is on it, or ask someone on t-man for recommendations first.
I just watched one, my brother bought.
It was the sorriest waste of money I ever watched.
It didn't tell you anything bout scent control, making a set, trap prep, location, or anything else.
The only thing that they did show that was useful, was were to place snare for yote, using a dead deer for bait.
And that is illeagle here in WV.
I learned 200% more from talking and listening to these guys here on t-man, than off that video.
He really got ripped off!!!

For wadable streams with reasonably long sections say .5 to 1 mile I use a large size otter sled to float my traps, stakes, drags, bait and lure in when I am setting out the line. I also use it when checking and I can put all my gear in the sled and have my hands free and much less weight to carry. They also drag over ground very well too. Durable and has many other non-trapping uses also.

Bryce

For 330's make sure you take the safety grips off when the trap is set in place... Cost me a beaver this year haha I was like holy crap boy you never took the safetys off!

This is my ROOKIE year. Couple of things I learned. Set realistic goals, you aren't going to catch 50 yote,100 fox and 200 coons. Learn to read sign, READ all you can and apply to you area. Buy quality equipment, it pays in the long haul.
MOST of all, try and hook up with a experienced trapper to teach you, I will ever be indebted to B2 (BOB CUSTER) for his leadership in helping me. THANK BOB.

My advise to you Blackbear would be on your way to work, when you pass Tub run, then pass the sand plant pull off the road on the LEFT at the top of the small knoll,go to the left in the Laurel around the rocks and set a couple cat traps.Great Cat crossing,also on the tower trail and right below the old beaver dams on the Canyon road,tower side of the canyon.If I lived much closer I would have traps there NOW.

After painting it, add a 12 in string with a bobber and you will not have to search for it to take it off the trap. It's handy if you drop it in the water also.

If you have more than one trap set for beaver in a location you have to walk to, take a pack frame and bungy cords. You only have to carry out 3-4 by hand once to figure this one out on your own.

A tip from Hal Sullivan (see this months issue of FFG) that I have found to be absolutely true is to take just a few moments when using conibears is to make sure it is properly stabilized. "Nine times out of ten (empty snapped conibears)you can blame those misses on inadequately stablilized traps." It has cost me more than one beaver and I would urge anyone to make sure their trap is solid.

buy to conibear safties and keep one in your truck and one in your tote, then you can forget where both are. LOL

When you change into your waders dont leave your boots on the ground by your truck or a farm dog might pee on/in them!

When you come across Geezermans truck. Move his keys from where he left them. Will make a good post later, LOL.
Tips, with k9 traps, be sure to bed them solid. A tippy trap will surely give you away. Take walks a couple days after a fresh snow. Critters tracks will tell you alot.

As mentioned above, read alot! Get your hands on any trapping book you can and read it front to back. Alot of the info may be the same book to book, but there are always a few "new" things to be picked up. Use your local library to check out any they have on hand and make use of inter-library loan. A book you might want to read might not be at your library, but chances are it's in some other library. Same goes for trapping videos.

One coon trapping/scouting tip that I've never seen in any book or on any video is to check under the biggest tree you can see surrounding a field or swamp/marsh. Chances are you'll find coon poo there. There might not be too many other signs of coon in an area, but for some reason under those big trees you'll almost always find sign.

-Skunkly-

always mind the wind. dont set a trap were it looks good. they may be passing through there alot but if you have your set on the wrong side of the trail were they cant smell the lure or bait because the wind is wrong, then you will have more animals passing by than checking your set.

have 3 sets of gloves
1 for lures and baits
1 for your traps
1 to keep your hads warm

your smell is your worst enemy when you are setting traps

when you catch a coyote in snare undo the snare put the loop end with lock through the other fasten side of snare . Just squeeze it through it will go through put that around one leg of coyote and just put the snare loop side around another leg and throw the snare around your shoulder. I have carried four coyotes at one time like this.

the key that has all ways helped me is speed !!! simple sets and a plan of were your going know were your going to trap dont waste time buy wondering were to set.
hanging traps catch nothing !!!!!

Before you buy any "trapping books", I suggest you buy the following books.

1. ADJUSTMENT OF LEG-HOLD TRAPS FOR GREATER PROFIT.
2. TRAP FASTENING.
3. EVALUATION OF LURES, URINE AND BAITS.

All the above books are by Charles Dobbins, and can be bought from Paul Dobbins.

After you have digested all three of the above books, and worked on your traps and done the lure tests, then you can branch out to the "trapping books".

As for land sets if its good enough for one set it's good enough for two , an animal in a trap makes allot of noise and will draw others , not only that but most liter mates will hunt togather the first year I have sean as meany as five or six coon running togather

I carry an old ski pole when walking in the water. It helps me to 1) keep my balance, 2) check for deep or mucky holes, 3) hook drowning wires, and 4) as leverage when I have to get out of a jam (when I forgot about #2).

Walk your trapline in a differant direction once a week. You'll be amazed how many good set locations you are missing. Walk back to the truck on the other side of the stream , cross at a differant spot, go to the bottum of that hill. There mite be a culvert that you never knew was there. There mite be a den tree that you see all the time but you never looked at the other side of. You mite find a roadkilled deer. Just this season, I couldn't cross the creek at my usual spot due to high water. I had to walk about 100 yards down the road and cross the bridge that I always walked under. I found a dandy mink trail that I didn't know was there, and I found a nice 8 pointer that had been hit over the summer.

Take a kid trapping with you, preferably your own. If not, borrow one, there are always lots of interested youngsters out there. Make it fun, and not too tough to start. Their enthusiasm and energy is a huge inspiration. Split the profit with them. Soon they will get you out of bed to go trapping.

I will never forget something that happened 30 years ago. My Dad was working, but the neighbour was going whitetail hunting. It was snowing like heck, so I figured if I hung around shovelling his driveway long enough, he might invite me along. No rifle, just to get out. He almost ran over me on the way out. He did give me five bucks, which I put in his mailbox. Funny the things that stick in your memory.

Cheers,

C 54

Don't get stuck in a rut of "it has to be done this way." Where and when it's applicable and it can be done safely and ethically-think outside the box. Your results will tell you if it's working or not, but don't be afraid to try something different.

When walking across a frozen beaver pond carry your spud sideways Or cary a long stick sideways, if you go down the spud will hold you above the Ice... Yes I learned that from experience!!!

If you chop a hole in ice to feel down checking if the 330 is fired or not, make the hole big enough to pull your hand back out with the 330 on it also ... otherwise you're stuck... Yes learned that one too! Beter yet, don't reach down to feel the trap with your hand.

Bring a partner whenever possible!

okay a couple tips and words of advise.
#1 preperation is everything,trapping is a year round deal,even if you can only set traps out for a couple months.
#2 knowledge is the key ,never stop learning or asking questions there is not one person out there trapping that knows it all!
#3 If you know an experienced trapper learn all you can while you can.
#4 Keep landowners happy,most will let you trap on their property but if you trespass you'll ruin your reputation and find alot of negative answers when knocking on doors,farmers talk to each other alot,and word gets around, good or bad.
#5 trapping is hard work and as with everything else you get back what you put into it.
#6 your first year or two can be really discouraging as your learning,don't give up it gets better!!!
#7 everybody keeps talking about trapping secrets, truly there is not many if any true secrets out there.work at it,learn, and repeat!!!!

I think there is something in the archives about setting 330's isn't there folks?

Always bury your chain in the mud when coon trapping, It will greatly increase your catch. Raccoons are very curious animals and if they feel your trap chain they will yank your trap right out of the pocket. Use guide sticks on pocket sets for mink, narrow down the pocket with a few small sticks to guide them right over your trap pan.

Mink trapping tip-Be patient.You made the set right...he just hasn't come thru the area yet but he will.
When making pocket sets on creeks that are startin to freeze..make them on the north bank so that the sun shines on them longer and water stays open longer.
Don't pass up a bottom edge set location for mink because the bottom is too rocky to shove your stick in. Use a T-bar, wire the trap to it and sorta "work" it in to the bottom.
DON'T GIVE UP!
Go to rummage sales and estate sales in the summer-its amazing how much stuff for trapping you can get there. Last year I got one of those old two-handled boilers for dying traps and paid a buck for it. If you are a young trapper on a limited budget you will save tons of money. When your mom goes "rummage saling" tag along.

Great tips guys keep them coming!
Todd Lund- I bought a bunch of stuff from garage sales this summer that I use on my line and preparation.

I go with what waterfordcooner said (use fish oil like its free) just learned that lesson this year and really made a difference

Take the kids along>

I know there is still a bunch of good tips left out there so here goes ttt.

Snaring for yotes and such, make your own trail if there isn't one there...or make that faint trail a lot more obvious, hang your snare in it, and perhaps the yote will choose to travel it the next time he comes by.

It has worked for me. I saw where yotes were crossing a small ditch. Down next to the ditch where the nice high johnson grass is, the ground was pretty much mud. About 12 feet away, the grass was shorter, but with occasional clumps of sage and johnson grass. The trail faded quickly in the short grass, so I made a trail with my boots, rubbing the grass away to the bare ground if possible and hung my snare over it. Then brought in some sage grass and johnson grass clumps to hide it somewhat.

Or put it on an old duck call lanyard and keep it around your neck. Haven't lost mine in 3 years.

always pee before u set a line!

I agree I use a lot of it for my Coon sets

Scout year around
dye/wax canine traps
solid bedding
Set on sign
Little lure goes a long way/Lots of fox urine on hand
Have PLENTY of dry dirt on hand
Set 2 traps per location, atleast
Trap everything, don't pass on a mink location because you k9 trappin'
Learn how to put up fur and invest in quality fur handling equipment kvines,stretchers,pins,exc...
subscribe to FFG and Trapper Predator caller
go to your state conventions

If you pass someone on your way to your set location, pay close attention to thier appearance, vehicle, and if possible, liscence plate number.
You may have just passed a trap thief...