Firsts
#7392083
10/30/21 07:53 AM
10/30/21 07:53 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,512 Oakland, MS
yotetrapper30
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,512
Oakland, MS
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As I walked to the last set on my trapline, I wondered why I was even bothering. It was early December and I'd been checking empty traps for almost 6 weeks now. Oh, they weren't always empty; I'd caught plenty of possums, a skunk, and a few coon. But I was trapping fox and coyotes. I fancied myself a canine trapper, even though I had never caught one. Not just this year. I'd never caught one ever, and I'd been trapping for them for at least 4 seasons now.
The first year my Grandfather had came with me to help me make sets for a couple of days. The problem was he had never trapped canines either, only muskrat and mink, and that had been 40 years earlier. The first year we had made about 20 sets... and that first week we caught about 10 possums and that was all. He stopped coming with me, having shown me all he knew, but I kept on all that season. And the next, and next.
One of those early years, my goal was to catch a coon I called Ol 4 Toes. I caught his fifth toe the first day of season. In my ten year old mind, if I could catch him after having lost him once, I would be a REAL trapper. It took three or four weeks and I learned a lot about reading coon sign in those weeks. I had blind traps buried in any place a coon might even consider leaving a foot print. I caught a few coon, but they all had all their toes. In the end, I caught him Thanksgiving week in the very same trap that had caught his toe. And I was a REAL trapper then!
But that was two years ago, and I still hadn't caught a fox or coyote. I sat in school all day, hating the time it was taking away from me being on my trapline. I read FFG magazines laid open across my text books during class, and read Stanley Hawbaker's Trapping North American Furbearers on my lunch break. I got off the bus, changed into "play" clothes, and then ran down to the woods until it was too dark to see every day. I made pretty much every set in the Hawbaker book's chapters on fox and coyote, but had no luck. I knew we had plenty of fox and coyote, their tracks were plain to see in the snow on my line and I often heard the coyotes howling on clear cold snowy nights when I stood listening in my backyard.
My last set was a dirthole at a cow cemetery. When I rounded the corner I saw it was empty, as usual, but when I got closer I saw it was also sprung, and dug out. As I knelt and remade the set, I was about convinced I would never catch a canine and I should just hang up my traps. When I was done I stood up and just looked around and it was then I noticed for the first time a small mound about 20 feet away from my set.
I don't know what had originally made the mound, but it was about 3 foot across and maybe 18" high and smooth on the top, covered in wet leaves like the rest of the woods. And somewhere in the back of my mind something tingled, and I remembered reading somewhere about a "mound set". From what I could remember, a trap was to be set on the top of the mound and blended in, and an attractant like a dead skunk should be placed in the vicinity, but not right at the mound. Well, I didn't have a dead skunk, but I did have a dirt hole set the canines were already working, so why not? I reached into my pack basket and pulled out a #1.5 Victor I had previously boiled in sumac before waxing, and blended it into the top of the mound. I didn't know how to stake it there, so I used my trusty roll of baling wire to wire the trap off to a dead tree for a drag. And then I hurried home because it was getting dark.
The next day was a Saturday and I rushed to go check my traps. But they were all empty, even the new set. I walked home through an overgrown vineyard and kicked out a pheasant and shot it, so the day wasn't a total waste. On Sunday my traps were also empty, and there was no hunting, so the day was spent by the woodstove reading trapping books and magazines and dreaming.
Monday dragged in school, the way Mondays tend to do. When I got off the bus, it was snowing. I changed my clothes, grabbed a couple of cookies and headed out, packing my trusty Marlin squirrel gun. I was met by empty trap after empty trap but today I didn't even care. It was December, Christmas was coming, and it was snowing heavily. The snow was piling up on branches, it was the wet, heavy kind, and everything was completely, perfectly beautiful. I tarried as I went along, in no hurry, just thoroughly enjoying walking through this winter wonderland. I spent a half an hour stalking a squirrel I heard barking, when suddenly I noticed the lengthening shadows. I still had traps to check so I hurried on.
I approached the furthest end of my trapline and my last three sets. The first one I came to was empty; a scent post on a field edge. My last two were the dug out dirthole from the other day and the new mound set. I walked through the opening between the two woodlots, and made my way to the trail that led into the cow cemetery. And when I turned that corner, there bouncing around against the newly fallen snow, was a red fox in my mound set!!!!
I don't remember walking home. I don't know if I walked, or ran, or was transported on the wings of angels. Any of those options seemed viable because I was a sure enough trapper now that had just caught my first red fox! When I got home I ran next door to my grandparents house and my Grandfather showed me how to skin the fox in his garage that night. I have a picture of that somewhere still.
A couple of weeks later, I caught my first gray fox. I guess the curse was broken now.
~~Proud Ultra MAGA~~
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Re: Firsts
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#7392093
10/30/21 08:06 AM
10/30/21 08:06 AM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 9,917 Arkansas
J Staton
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 9,917
Arkansas
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Enjoyable read. Brings back memories of my first goal to become a real trapper involving a mink.
James 1: 19-20
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Re: Firsts
[Re: Paul Dobbins]
#7392169
10/30/21 10:29 AM
10/30/21 10:29 AM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,366 New York border
Cragar
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,366
New York border
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Very well written Angela. I enjoyed reading that, and I think you should do more writing. X3
NRA benefactor member
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Re: Firsts
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#7392320
10/30/21 03:09 PM
10/30/21 03:09 PM
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Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 225 PA
Charles2
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 225
PA
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Great read! You SHOULD do more writing as Paul has said. Very well done.
Charles2Trap
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Re: Firsts
[Re: Paul Dobbins]
#7392426
10/30/21 06:35 PM
10/30/21 06:35 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19,932 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19,932
SEPA
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Very well written Angela. I enjoyed reading that, and I think you should do more writing. X 4
Eh...wot?
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Re: Firsts
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#7392435
10/30/21 06:56 PM
10/30/21 06:56 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,512 Oakland, MS
yotetrapper30
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,512
Oakland, MS
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Wow wasn't expecting all these replies to my early morning ramblings. Thanks for the kind words everyone.
And glad I could expand your vocabulary Sue, LOL.
~~Proud Ultra MAGA~~
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Re: Firsts
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#7392440
10/30/21 07:01 PM
10/30/21 07:01 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,261 Wisconsin
RdFx
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,261
Wisconsin
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great story, when you have time from skinning write some more, a little every nite till you have story done.
RdFx
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