Sweet location youth trapper.

Keep on going. Keep setting. Enjoying your thread

Yes, it is, also has a slough with a small colony of beavers on it and a small pond with 4 or 5 rat huts. Got permission on it a couple of weeks ago when the guy was throwing a ball for his dog and a coyote ran out of the tree line to grab the ball. Got the text the next day that we had permission so we went out and met the guy. Dad has thermal hunted it a few times and now I'm throwing some steel in the ground.

Keep us posted on your catching. Hope your out at it young man

I wish I could say I have had a lot of luck but sadly I haven't. Been feeling crappy since Monday and my sinuses have been acting up this whole weekend. Pulled everything off of that one property and haven't got anything else out yet. No clue where to go next.

Well. It happens. You will figure it out. Sometimes it is best to take a break. Rest. Then go back at it

Rest up and go at it when you feel better(which I hope is soon) Plenty of season left.

Well felt a whole lot better today but did a bunch of nothing. Threw my rabbit fur and muskrat meat back into the freezer out of the sled and sloshed it out with water in case the fish start biting hard. Found a nice Ion auger on Sunday and picked it up for 150$ with the auger head, charger, battery, and extension. Pretty much brand new and will give me something to do when I get some time over winter break. Also going to use it for some beaver trapping/muskrat. Might venture out tomorrow and check the ice on the sloughs and see if it's safe again yet. Looks like freezing temps for most of the next 10 days. Teachers are still assigning a whole bunch of homework and I've lost quite a bit of motivation on doing it. Going to still do it because I won't let myself not do it, still have straight a's luckily. Hope you guys have a good night and I'll keep you guys posted on when I'm getting traps out. I'll leave you guys with a quote.

"I'm a trapper, that's all."
-Marty Meierotto

Well, ice is 4-6" thick and is good to be walked on. I even got to use my new to me, Ion, today for some checking. Going to get the sled loaded and ready to go for tomorrow. I plan to bring a dozen longsprings, half dozen 110s, 1.5 dozen fiberglass poles, and a few weasel boxes.

Stay focused on your school studies for sure. Trapping comes second. Good luck tomorrow. Hope you find a bunch of sign to set.

Well, I got 11 sets total out today. 5 1.5 longsprings in huts and 6 110 conibears in runs baited with carrots for extra appeal and because I need to use them up. My new Sitka jacket I got kept me nice and warm and the wind wasn't an issue today. Might be addicted now. Got some water in my glove and then it froze within 20 or so minutes so I started calling it quits and heading back while putting more sets in.

Way to go. Sounds like a great day out on the slough. The baited 110s in the runs sounds great. I never tried a 1 1/2 LS in a house. But I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I use 1 1/2 coil springs with about 2.5 ft of chain. Then a small fox drag to anchor on the outside of the house. Around some cattails. The chain length allows the muskrat to go down the entrance hole when caught. Drowns. I have learned to do that. When I trapped up in northern MN. Timber Wolves like to hunt lake edges. If you had a live muskrat. The wolves would tear the house apart getting the muskrat. Muskrat and trap would be gone. But you don’t have Timber Wolves. So you should be good to go. I bet that long spring would act as a killer trap. Good luck. Keep us posted on the results. Remember never give up Youth Trapper.

I would have used guarded/stoploss traps as they're more common practice around here but I don't have any. And I considered using a 1.5 coil but all of them are still getting the new mink pans put on, but the Bridgers are being a real pain otherwise they would all be done. I'll take some pictures of my setup on Friday when I go check. I have about 2-3 feet of chain on most of my traps but I need to get more chain this summer and do about half of my muskrat traps and then they'll all be about the same.

Sounds like you have a plan. Can’t wait to see the pictures

Well, the itch got the better of me and I had to go check traps today. Luckily I had 5 rats though. I caught 3 of them in conibears and 2 of them in huts. I also had a muskrat wring out or something, the leg meat and foot were there but the rest of the rat was gone. Probably going to go check them again tomorrow if the wind stays down.

Im enjoying your posts!! Im 50 years old. Trapped coyotes for last 35 years. And im setting here at sheep camp. Waiting on fog to clear. And still can’t wait to get at it!! I am 99 % certain their want be a coyote here. The otherday rode = 64000 acres and saw 2 coyote tracks. BUT I still find myself looking out the window waiting for the fog to clear. So i can go check traps and snares. Lots of people talk about = us old timers getting burned out ? Its never happened here. I will NEVER be rich. But I almost always enjoy trapping everyday. Sure. Like any job. Their are always days on coyote jobs. I want to quit. But when you do something you love. You never really work a single day. SO from 1 aging coyote trapper to 1 new trapper. Keep up good work. And have fun !!!

Success Youth Trapper. Way to go. Your on ‘em. Hammer time!! Thank you for the posting. As far as that muskrat that was gone. Mink do hunt under the ice. I wouldn’t be surprised the mink got that one from you. If it was pulled down thru the hole. Good job on the muskrats. Hope you get a few more

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised much, that was my number one guess.

Well, I brought my dad out with me today. The first time he has been on the line with me this year. Taught him how to find runs and set in them—taught him how to trap huts. Got 7 rats, today. 1 of them was small so I threw him in the freezer because I'm going to get the same price for it put up or on the carcass. Also, threw 2 others in the freezer with broken legs. So I have 9 rats to skin tonight. Was really crappy out today but that new Sitka jacket I got is amazing for wind and cold protection. I think I'm sold on this Sitka stuff, have a hoodie coming sometime within the next few days and then I'll really be warm.

Yeah, I may never be rich either but at least I'm happy. There have been a few days I just want to quit that day I got iced in badly and was out until almost 8 pm at night pulling traps. Luckily that was only a temporary feeling. I wish I could get on the coyotes like you though.