Hey Everyone!

So, I have trapped on and off for a while -- I have never trapped weasels, however. I am hoping some of you kind folks can give me a few pointers. I recently made a bunch of weasel boxes (I have this part down). Now I'm stumped with where to put them.

I am not aware of coming across weasel sign that I know of. What kind of set locations should I be looking for? I've read I should be looking for brush piles. Where? Near the water? In the woods? This is what confuses me. What do you prefer to use as bait?

Your advice, as always -- is greatly appreciated.


Robert

look for low ground with cattails or similar. if theres a culvert under the road theyll all be traveling through that. dry land sloughs or frozen water doesnt matter, both will be good. i never noticed weasel sign either, til i started looking for it, then it becomes apparent.

Thank you Fossil2, that helps a lot.

Robert

Beaver or muskrat are good baits. Fossil2 hit some of the better locations. That's where I find most of my sign also.

Drive the roads after you get a fresh snow. The vast majority of them hoppy critter tracks that are smaller than a squirrel are weasel tracks. At least in this country. I never noticed them either until I started to trap them. When I was cat hunting, weasel, squirrel, kangaroo mice, marten, etc. were just "hoppy critters" whose tracks I didn't bother to identify. Once I started trapping marten and weasel I started almost unconciously identifying them while looking for cat tracks. Weasels can be anywhere there is overhead cover, but Fossil2 identified some of the more common good locations. They will work all through and around slash piles if there are weasels in the area also.

Any good sized chunk of meat will work for bait in the winter, but beaver and muskrat are my first choices. And I like a loud, skunky call lure. Basically the same as marten except with equipment tailored to catch weasels.

Weasels here in the boreal forest are just about everywhere.
I catch about 50 to a 100 each winter without making any sets specifically for weasels.
I do doctor my marten traps to help catch weasels when they visit the sets.
They are easy to tan and sell for good money when tanned.Well worth catching.

any FRESH red bloody bait is good. if you salt the bait, layer it in a bucket or small tub, with salt between the layers, it wont freeze, and will keep giving off alot more odor than a fresh bait thats frozen. personally i like a tub of chicken livers, add a bit of anise extract and stir it well, then put in the fridge to keep. you can also stir in some salt to freeze proof this too.

I know everyone stresses FRESH bait for weasel, but while fresh bait is good, I had a little better luck with lightly tainted bait. Even some pretty dang ripe meat does as good as fresh.

Use Weasel lure in combination with your bait.

All great advice. I'm taking notes and looking forward to catching a few of these this year.

Robert