Hello all thank you for welcoming me to this page. After my dad passed away I got a box of his old bobcat traps, a bunch of #3 Bridgers and Duke 350 and 450s. I go to Northern Michigan University and have a pretty light semester so figured Id pick up the trapping bug. I haven't found a trapper in the upper peninsula to chat up yet but I thought you nice folks might be a good start. so I have these traps and I have an assortment of Cavens lure and bait as well as Dunlap's gland lure and some cat reaper. I have found some old logging roads and put 2 trail cameras out there and did some scouting. I looked for rabbit habits and to somewhat be near a beaver dam. it's been about a month and I've moved 1 camera and still nothing just wolves and a LOT of fishers. I was wondering any tips you guys would recommend on getting your first cat, if there is a good book or DVD out there you recommend let me hear it, please. I am open to a learning season I understand I most likely will put a lot of time in this cat season and probably won't get one I just wanna be like my dad and make him happy. Sorry for all the questions just so many and no one to ask them to and the guys on Facebook aren't very friendly lol.

Welcome. I know there's a few UP trappers on here... Trapper Dahlgren comes to mind.

Most of us on here are pretty nice but like anywhere else, there's a few idiots. Just ignore them.

Thanks for the compliment yote,,,,, I think….

You kinda straddle the line, lol.

Sounds like a great place to trap Fisher's!

my dad had some Duke 160s and some 155s that I was going to try out for the fisher. The area my cams were in was old fur and pine forest with logs all over the ground and leaning everywhere, I knew if i didn't get cats I'd at least have a chance of fisher.

I would get in touch with the U. P. Trappers
https://uptrappers.com/
I sure they can get you connected to someone in your area.

Watch YouTube videos of the species you want to trap if you haven't already.

Welcome!! Glad to hear you got the trapping bug. Good advice above!!!
Sorry to hear about your father. Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress!!!!!

Learn to catch beaver and set some carcasses out. Cats among other meat eaters will surely find them. I find most of my cats in brushy areas that harbor lots of rodents and rabbits.

Good luck to you. You're already ahead of the curve with your scouting it sounds like. Good idea.

hey trapper1978 is on here and in your area, u p trappers have a facebook page also,

I'm down in the Escanaba area

Welcome and good luck.

Post some pics if you have success.

Do like BP said and trap some beaver.
Beaver can be trapped fairly easily compared to cats.
Take the beaver meat and use it for bait for your fisher.
Beaver and fisher are selling pretty good lately.
Once you are running the fisher line when there is snow on the ground you will see where the cats are using,then wire up a half a beaver carcass in a thicket and when they start feeding set for the cat and you will get your cat.

Welcome, the best advice I can give you is to trap what you have available and go for the "exotics" later when you find them......jk

Read and then re-read the regs. Hooking up with a local experienced trapper is worth it's weight in gold but if it doesn't work out, don't be afraid to try the school of hard knocks either. Just get out there and give it a shot and try to catch the trapping bug.

906-360-5930 you are more than welcome to ride with me. I live in Northern Dickinson county and I trap central menominee county. A light snow will show you what is in your area, just be sure to be the first on the backroads looking for tracks as it is the season for every self proclaimed deer biologist will be tromping around for the next month. Above advice is sound, a lot of people will wire a beaver carcass or road killed deer to a tree to draw cats to areas they can trap.
Good luck and be patient.

Make sure you have your cat tags as they are only available until the 31st.

Good on ya Maurob!

Welcome aboard.