Beav, how much different are your set locations with the CRs instead of footholds? Were you setting near or on trails with footholds?

Bryce

What time does your season start?

Dry land trapping started the 15th. Water trapping, in my zone (central) started the 29th. Otter opens Nov. 5th.

Squirrel season opened September 17.

Land trapping started a couple weeks ago mink and muskrat is a split opening over 3 weeks and beaver and otter this weekend. Bobcat has a very small amount of tags and a later split season as well

Here trapping starts Nov. 15 for yotes, coons, and possums

When setting for coyotes I have never set a foot hold In a trail or even near a trail . Just to much junk running those trails. Now with CRs I can just about eliminate any non targets other then having deer knock downs. And I can live with that.
I have over the years created a carcass dumps and I have manicured a few trails leading to those carcass dumps. And over the last 4 years or so I have taken 18 coyotes off of that one location. Then later on when skunks and coon prime up I will set that location with DPs.
I have a few of these dumps set up on several different farms and they always produce some good catches. This year with rock bottom coyote prices I'll wait and set DPs at the other locations just for coon and skunks. There will be a market for those late caught coon.And I have a market for those prime skunks.

Thanks Beav. I have only caught 3 coons so far, today and yesterday. Two big females that appear to not have had litters and a large male. The look well furred with really good under fur. If they go slate when I flesh I will tan them as the fur is really nice but with this market they will dock the H out of them. Rat number will be way down this year. I will start my yote line the middle of next week after the rain. There won't be many sections of river left either.

Bryce

Glad to read you guys are having success.

Yes we ran into one section of a marsh that was full of sign and we set 15 or so traps and caught a dozen kits and small rats. Sometimes things just don't work out like one plans. I dought there is even a quarter for those this year.

Bryce

Lines been dead two days now but I'm not giving up on it just yet. Looks like the weather is going to change coming into the weekend so hopefully I can get a few more chicken chasers and pull Sunday or Monday it's not a long drive and it's a nice way to wind down at the end of the day as well as a good way to run the dogs. Well mostly because I like trapping lol

My low expectations were met this AM. I set out short sections of the river I trap that had some sign. I got 3 rats out of 20 sets, with 15 of those first check.! I pulled the section where I need to 4 wheel over 1/2 mile of newly planted cover crop. With two days of rain coming I don't need to mud through that field. I will pull the remaining 20 sets tomorrow. I sure hope we get 2-3 inches of rain. If I can't trap for a week that would be all right by me. Several other activities this Saturday, Sunday and Monday so I don't want to have a lot of sets out that are flooded etc.

Bryce

I am hoping for a little rain too Bryce. Fields here are so hard that you can't see any tracks, even the grain trucks aren't leaving much for divots in the fields.

Out of those 7 CRs I hung yesterday I got one coyote this morning. A real nice colored female and even the fur looked pretty prime. The land owner gets this one and the rest well they aren't getting skinned.

That dump and those trapper built trails worked like a charm. She must have been by herself since I had 2 CRs in that trail and the other one didn't connect. I always hang 2 loops since you might get a double or one might just get knocked down. Always set so If you have a double they can't get at each other.

3 nice coon today

Are yours primed up yet? I skinned out 2 big females last week, and they were still blue. Just going to be wall hangers, and the fur looks good for that.

Haven't skinned a male yet, not sure about them.

I think I've got close to 30 in the freezer now out of that I think there were only a couple that weren't prime

I'll try to get a picture of the ones I got today before I skin em they are nice and furred up

I have a limited market for some coon. But I'm not going to start till after Thanksgiving.

I'm just trying to improve my home tanning skills for crafts with the coon

caught 2 female mink yesterday....yoy was actually nice and prime...old one isn't even close..but big enough to go on a male board