Way to go TYT,nice fox.

Thank you! It's getting tanned as well so that'll be fun.

Thank you! It's a very nice looking fox, very grateful to have caught it.

Thank you!

Well, nothing in the traps the last 2 days. I did pop a tire on the ranger I use for trapping so I switched to my red truck. I pretty much spent the whole day Saturday sweeping out sets of snow except for 1 which was heavily drifted and the wind was still blowing so I didn't bother. Well, today I had a fox walk my tire track up to the drift, and then run away and I also had a weasel that stopped within inches of my box. I've been putting together plans for a skinning machine that'll start going into construction this week. My dad and one of his buddies have been having luck lately as they have won a local coyote hunting contest for the 2nd year in a row with 13 coyotes. So who knows, they might win it again next year. Here's the picture of the coyotes.

Looks like you have some skinning to do!!

Nope, those all went to the contest and they dispose of them, I'll take the ones my dad shoots that are nice.

I got nothing in the traps today but did get some new gear set out. I got 1 new coyote set out on the 2nd property 2 conibears set in runs and 3 stoplosses set in huts on the 3rd property, which I have run through the last 2 years. The ice is about 3-4" thick so perfect for chopping. I'm hoping I will get a rat because I need one for Friday since I'm going to demonstrate how to skin a muskrat for my speech class since we're working on demonstration speeches right now. My dad and I started work on the skinning machine tonight by cutting a hole in the ceiling of the garage and boxing it out so the OSB doesn't get beat up and then mounting our 2x4s for our winch to go on. We didn't have any bolts though so we'll have to get some tomorrow and work on it the rest of the way whenever we have time. After that, we're going to start constructing our base. Anyway, here's the picture of the coyote set.

Well, pretty lackluster day again today. I went up north and checked my 5 rat traps, had 1 alive rat. I did pull all of these as it's going to start thawing out again this next week. I just want cold temps now and I'm surprised I'm saying that, I want to trap rats and weasels. Went and checked my spot out west of town which is the 1st property and had nothing, just reset a couple of knocked over snares that the wind knocked over. Also, set a snare in a dry drainage that the coyotes travel like crazy. The 2nd property had nothing on it, really surprising I haven't caught a coon out there yet with that big slough nearby. I did pull the weasel box as it's getting too warm and they will spoil since I don't check every day. We did work on the skinning machine tonight and got it mounted in the rafters and power ran and everything. Also got my rts speed gambrel and chain gambrel in the mail today from Funke trap tags and supplies, only took 3 days to get them. I'm going to be going with them again if I need something again. Anyways, enough rambling, here's the pictures.

Also, has anyone had a coon, skunk, or opossum pull up a wolf fang that's sunk about 12" into the frozen ground through tree roots? I had a dogproof that I thought just got knocked over and covered by snow and I would reset it when the snow melted, well I went to go reset it today and it was gone. I caught a skunk there before and that was the only catch, I did notice scratches on a tree branch that I didn't notice after the skunk so I have a feeling that I caught something. The only reason I still think it's an animal is because there was duff from the catch circle shoved down the hole like something had dug down and pulled the anchor. I didn't find any signs of cable or trap or anything. It also makes me think that I have a trap thief on my hands but the thing I don't get is that there was a trap about 5 feet away that's untouched. I just don't see it being possible since there was nothing to get that much leverage on. This is about 100+ yards off a gravel road and the tall grass I was using to cover the trap up got destroyed after the skunk got caught so is it maybe a possibility someone took the animal and trap and just dug the anchor out?

If you "set" that anchor, I highly doubt any of those 3 pulled it out. Without a visual it's hard to say though.

Looking forward to seeing your machine when it's done!

I set all my anchors, I just find it weird. I have one of my friends who lives nearby keeping an eye out in case he sees a coon running around with a 20$ bill on its foot.

I just use H.D. Berkshire anchor, drive them in 15"-20" .
Only tug an set the one's that go in Rocky or hard ground.
Otherwise the critters do a good job of setting the anchor.

Only have had trouble with the 2 legged COYOTES cutting them off.

Did have a very energetic thief once that dug up a anchor.
To take everything, that's hard up.
Heck I've never dug one up, I just pull by using bolt cutters on the j-hook.
Don't let it get you down, we lose 3-5 percent a year to scum bags.

Heck, back when we could trap in the roads I once had two traps on chained earth anchors with welded j hooks stolen. Had them set in a gated road, driven right through the shot rock, at least 18" deep. Had boot tracks going through the snow drifts on the way in there (March) two catch circles and no traps or anchors. To this day I wonder how the heck that thief got those things out of the ground up through a rock road. Half a mile to hike in, and only one set of tracks going in and out, so it isn't like he went out and came back with tools. I didn't figure on being able to pull them even with a puller, figured I would have to use a bolt cutter on them.

They must have been very determined then. But that's really odd.

Yeah, I know it's just a part of trapping. Just really mind boggling

Well, pretty boring day today. Checked the 1st property and had a coon in a dogproof baited with my RB #2. That one so far has been the leading bait so I'm going to keep trying it. Good looking coon, will post a picture of it tomorrow since I forgot to get one today. Nothing in the coyote sets. On the 2nd property though, I had a trap almost get run over by a loader because I had it set near a pile of trees and old fence parts, it would be the set where I caught the weasel. And the landowner decided to pile them up more so I almost lost a coyote trap, and ended up just pulling it for now. Probably going to pull one of these properties here soon and move to a different property. Other than that, it was a pretty good day of checking traps.

Nothing in the traps today, pulled one of my coyote sets and some fence snares, going to be pulling my 1st property on Friday and getting set up to run a line north. Put in a flat set on the 2nd property lured with coyote urine and scandanaga gland lure guarded by a duke 550. I'm going to try my hand at making wax dirt over Christmas break since I have a lot of flake wax that I got a few years ago with the purchase of all my other gear. No picture of the set since It was dark out by the time I got done.

Youth, if your trapping in SD and are not catching coyotes, your doing something wrong.
Wish you best of luck but you need to re evaluate things.
I'm just guessing here but I'm gonna.
To much lure,to much blocking.