South Dakota 2018/19 trapping season

I've enjoyed reading other states trapping season threads so I thought I'd start one for SoDakers. Tomorrow is the closest thing we have as an "official" start of the season when water critters open up so perhaps today is time to get a thread running. Still only limited sign of a muskrat come back in this county so I'm not going to be putting out any steel this weekend. I hope to get my before work short coon line going about Veterans Day. Hope to see some South Dakota guys put some pixs on here. To rip off an old SD Tourism saying, show some "infinite variety" of how different trapping can be across this state. Good luck all, Law Dog is already piling up some fur!!

Few more days and moving more to the yotes as the coon and skunk numbers seem to be down places. I was 9 for 9 on skunks a few years ago at a place that yielded 2 so far and 2 coons where a half dozen was the norm before so time to move along to K-9s. More crops are being harvested everyday so the majority of the line is ready or will be soon.

Worse then I thought on the coon/skunk numbers 1 kit, 1 large coon and a small skunk today, started to pull some cages and I will start on the yotes next week, drizzly day today should make digging easier then the dry years.

Well darn, I showed a guy n his son how to set coyote traps, snares, and got rained out about 3 pm, rained nearly all day, and will tonight, set stuff on three farms

Yeah, it will probably rain on you tomorrow as well, at least through the morning. My youngest kid brought some pheasants home today but he was pretty wet. Monday's feast.

I hope someone will catch some of the badgers that I fall in their holes while pheasant hunting.

That's Law Dog's specialty! He thins them out a bit in his area.

Diggers are an interesting critter. I always thought that badger numbers were linked to the amount of grassy land cover, such as pasture. that was in an area but I think even in areas with high amounts of cropland, such as around me, diggers have adapted to being able to live/run in the grassy road ditches. These ditches do link to where there are still larger patches of pasture or hayland but it seems that each section (a sq. mile) probably has a couple of badgers that are somewhere on it. No where like the numbers of coons, skunks, and around here possums or even coyotes, but badgers even in my area where its probably 85-90% cropland out in the country, seem to do ok.

Jackrabbits, on the other hand, seem to have about vanished from se SD, very rarely see one anymore around here. Its kind of ironic that the state's land grant university's moniker is the "Jackrabbits" yet that animal in this state has massively declined in numbers. Wildlife biologists and management don't seem to know why or even much care. Of course, if jacks were a money critter like the phessy birds, the state would care about them. There are priorities to political game management...

Last year the badgers held tight in their holes most of the late season now they have exploded here several per square mile this year holes everyplace I go on my line!

When I was a kid here in Mn there were white tailed jackrabbits all over the place along with snowshoe rabbits and cotton tails now we still have the cotton tails but the other 2 have disappeared and after they did so did the pheasants,not sure if there connected but if I had the power i would look into it because it seems suspicious to me and unlike a lot of places land and land use has not changed all that much

I dwill hav to say that the pheasants are making a comeback around here anyways

4 Coons yesterday been pulling cages since the catch is way off this year, some prime locations have produced little to nothing this year place like old farm places full of buildings that they can come and go as they please that were big producers in the past that now produce 1 coon or skunk. Some of these prime places (many) have produced nothing but grinners and ditch tigers. If I break it down the majority of coons/skunks came out a few areas that did produce this year.


Moving on to the yotes this week should dry up and it's turning cooler so that should work out for the better, all ready to go just need the mud to dry up so I can get around now without tearing up the roads and fields.

is the fur looking pretty prime? I have been thinking about setting but wasn't sure if i should wait a bit yet. Do you guys do any Muskrat trapping in SD? if so when do your normally start setting for them?

Go for it before the weather puts you out most guys that water trap start opening weekend so I'd be setting if I was you. Starting on yotes this week I'd say thing are if full swing nothing to wait for now just get er done!

2 coon today nice ones but it's so slow I pulled most of the cages will be setting for yotes this week before it gets too late, 18 mice today they trapped a bunch off of the porch the last couple of days! Should have a gallon soon will make a nice batch of sweet mouse for next season.


A 21 and a 24 pounder.

There's always trade-offs. Open-water fall rats tend to be the cheapest in price but generally a guy can catch more than through-the-ice winter ones. I've actually seen some rat huts in this county the past few weeks, something that has been lacking since 2011. I guess our nearly record precip year has caused the remnant mrat pop to breed and expand. I glad to see a lot of sloughs wth water again.

Water is the key word this year- and too much down where im goin. Was spose to start after those 5 dollar coon this weekend but the low of 9 Friday has convinced me to hold off till next weekend when highs are in the 40s. Hoping to get a week or 9 days in the water and mix in some k9 attempts as im going. Its a weird year.

Good luck DWC when you get going. Post some pixs if you get some. I'm going to put out a short coon line on Monday. Maybe I'll catch something next week...

Law Dog- That 24 pounder is a beauty!! Probably a better scratch ticket than the other one.

I got a few coon sets out yesterday. Windy and not above freezing all day. Single digits this morning. Picked up a couple of tubbies on the first check. The bigger one might be a decent state scratch ticket winner (relative to what I usually win, no big prize). I'll never put any real numbers of critters but I have fun.

Picked up another one 2 days ago they are really mudding up the cages I had to swap some out they were so packed with frozen mud. Seems the few coon are in a few places, I had some premium habitat spots that produced little to nothing this year. Skunks have all but vanished in many areas on my line then a couple places have produced a handful in 2 spots. Grinners and ditch tigers abound this season not seen a civet yet.


Most of the coon are running big so that's a saving grace there have not caught a skunk in a week but I am getting 1-2 coons every check at about 1/2 of what I would of had in past years.

Weds & Thurs may get your frozen mudd-ed up cages back in operation if you're still going to run them.

A good time to dig yote trap beds not worth keeping the cages baited with the numbers the way they are now. I need to get set up before the weather turns back to cold next week!

Are you guys skinning and processing fur yourselves ans sending to auction or selling green?

I finish mine and send to auction. I got a few more today, including this really light flanked sow. The pix doesn't really do the coloring justice. I don't think she'll go 3x but I'll probably send anyway and see if I get a Sel*, 1-2 color for a grade.

Question. Do you have to Finnish the pelt as in tan it or is salting and drying on a wire frame or board enough?

This one is for Law Dog. Of course, its my typical 3 pound pepe instead of his jumbos. Me thinks alternative marketing for this one instead of going to auction. P..S Did I ever mention that my wife really loathes skunks...

A couple of pixs from my short line today.

First coon in a cubbie box. This thing was sort of a beach ball, 25 lbs on the scale. Taken with an old Duke 160 that I was gifted a number of years ago (thanks again Amak!), They still do the job.



Another pepe for Law Dog in the same location as the first. Maybe a litter mate. These smaller skunks get taken by 160s in the middle so tend to spray. Big ones usually get nailed across the shoulders and mostly not spray. This 160 is a Bridger, stouter springs than those old Dukes, in my opinon.

4 coons a few days ago 1 was a tad over 30 pounds.




Yesterdays haul the one badger looked better then the other one and a couple medium coon.

Anyone overrun with badgers this season I have never seen so many holes as I have this year, I run a 40 mile loop that has holes about in every quarter they seem to be everywhere. Guessing the result of staying in the holes for the later part of the season and the catch being way down last year in my area.

you can export a few my way. we never had many and they were protected here with no season for long time when i was a kid. we can only harvest one now but have only seen one in last 5-6-7 years anyway

I sold some fur this weekend and made room in the freezer!
Groenewold Fur & Wool was at Dakotaline Snares this previous Sunday in Lennox, SD.
Averaged $6.00 a coon. (had a few at $15, quite a few at $10 a few at $5 a few at $3 and a couple small ones at $1.) But averaged out to be $6.00/coon. Coyote(s) only had one, but got $35 for him. $1.00/rat.
All of my coons were skinned, NOT put up. The Coyote was in carcass, and the rats were in carcass.
He will be back December 9th from 1-3. Are any of you from this area of SD and planning on selling that day? If I know there is a need, I will gladly come in and open up shop during those times.

GFW will be stopping at Dakotaline on the following dates:
SUNDAYS, Dec 9, Jan 6 & Feb 17.

Said they will also buy:
Deer Hides and Squirrel tails

- Terri

that's a good price for fur not put up

im surprised you got 15$ for a coon. i was told 6$ would be the top, going down from there.

The first dink of the year. I see a kiddie sock puppet in its future. Note to self--don't coup de grace a critter with a backing of blue spruce slab. Pass -through ricochets don't sound sexy!

Buyer offer $8 for that 30 pound coon from last week (Good color) in the carcass went to $4 then to $1, I had 2 early badgers he offered a buck a badger. Heck I can get $15 for the feet and skulls just off of the badgers and one will tan OK so why would I sell 6 coon and 2 badgers for almost the same price? LOL

Today is skinning day it looks like no problem they all pull easy I fired up the dye barrel as long as I will be in the shed most of the day today found a bucket of Mj's that need a dye and wax job and will do cat traps time permitting.

Law Dog- Do you still deal with "old" Pete or do you have another buyer...?

Yep just went to see what Petska was paying for coon I have a lot of sets out so I was going to sell what I could in the round when the buyers came around so I did not spend the time putting them up unless I had to.

Sometimes, a coon won't move my wooden cubbies hardly a bit, sometimes they'll bounce them a ways. This wasn't an overly large coon but he moved my box a good 6 feet from under the tree in the upper left. The box was on a slight incline down to a creek so maybe that helped.



I set this farmstead last Saturday with 3 dps on the various trails between the buildings. 4 coons so far, 3 of decent size, 1 dink. Landowner wants as many of them gone as possible. I will oblige...

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow South Dakota Trapperman brothers & sisters. I am just getting started setting a few traps here in the southern Black Hills. Wife had surgery on Monday so I can't get to far from home just yet. Good luck to all and enjoy your days afield.

Happy Thanksgiving to you Larry!!! Post some of those bcat photos when you get some so us farm ground kids over here can drool about them...

What a day started out great and then went down hill fast, had a nice yote snared on the lakebed behind the house good looking yote, only picked up 2 mice at the honey hole. Had a coon pull the door screen off of a cage (not the one's I build) and escaped not sure how a coon that strong could fit through a hole so small but he left some hair behind squeezing past the wire.


A couple stops later I see some deer hunters leaving a place I had set for yotes, they said they shot the yote so I asked them nicely to keep their hands off what ain't theirs. I get there the yote it's moved out of the circle and has a rifle hole in it and I don't see the trap so I head back and a second truck is there so I ask where is my trap a, guy said he buried it in the grass. I looked at him and said why? Just a dumb look so from there I was not so nice after cussing them out for a couple minutes I wrote down their plate numbers and told them if I don't find that trap we will be talking again soon. The one guy looked like he wanted to get froggy but decided not to.


The one guy had reset the trap and covered it with grass the yote was rubbed like it was in sunflowers and the one older guy had a Nam Vet plate so I just let it go with the lesson on "if it's not yours don't mess with it." I had a Deputy on the way when I thought the trap was taken but called him off when I found it under the grass.


Near the end of the line I have a sweet Pepe so I just expect to get blasted the way my day was going, I go to pole the guy and he's nuts it grabs the syringe pulling it off of the plunger throwing acetone all over the set, the second time I was a little quicker and got it done no spray. So I set another MJ about 10 feet away and guess who gets bit by that MJ! LOL

What the h***...? Just leave your hands off...

Where you on private ground when that happened LawDog? Where I am the land owner would have had some words with hunters and the would most likely had to pay the value of a good coyote for shooting it. All my land owners tell anybody with permission to hunt do not mess with any traps or they will not be allowed there again. That makes my job so much easier here. If it was on public ground all the laws that they broke are spelled out in black and white in the hunters hand book. If they do not read the book they are not that ethical hunters and should not be hunting period.

Yep private ground I would guess they won't be invited back again by the landowner he is a guy I did some control work for last summer when he was losing calves. Can you guess where in SD they were from a hint they had plates that started with a (W). LOL

Would it be 1,2 or 5.

Soo Foo Camo I call them plates! LOL

Codington county ran out and came to clark county and got a bunch. Nobody that hunts wants 5 plates.

After trapping out East and the difference the way landowner look out for you here it's amazing, going from a place they would rather lose the farm then let you trap to guys that ask you if your trapping for them every year! LOL

ive had the same experience law dog. i lived out by brookings for 8 years and many of the landowners were very touchy about things. now that im back home again my guys call me and ask when im going to start, if i would like them to move cows to different pastures, etc. the last couple years my grandpa trapped we had a landowner put in four or five cattle guards specifically so grandpa wouldnt have to open gates. up to 8 dogs this week btw. but im finding quite a bit more mange than what id really like.

You are spot on. I would turn down a reasonably priced acreage in Minnehaha County (haha ya right) just to not have to tell people what county i live in. People definitely are quick to judge negatively, and based on what sioux falls is like and a lot of the people who live there, i dont blame them.

That was the word I got last year that mange was more common then East River is now but we had our share in the past seasons, the one they shot yesterday was rubbed on the sides it looked fuzzy/flat a young dog. Landowners here sure are the most obliging I have ever come across in my travels trapping, did have a old boy in IL tell some goose hunters that he "needed the trappers and did not need the hunters!" That always makes me laugh but it made sense.

They just happen to live up to the reputation they have if they did not earn that reputation (some not all) they would not be hiding their county number! LOL At lease I know that the 5 guys and the kid will drive by the next coyote they come across and keep on going at least that was the goal.

No need to camo my license plates because I live and trap in that naughty #1 county. But, I do agree that Soo Foo has changed a lot over time. Its not the town I graduated hs from nearly 40 years ago...

The pepes in the corner box in the one pasture are starting to near Law Dog's average but not quite there yet. This one might actually get skiined out and made into an ebay wall hanger + the 3 cleaned up skulls from the overall stinker crew. Maybe I'll clear out the whole family before I'm done there.

They are looking better it looks like.

Hello fellow SoDakians! Been a member here for a long time, usually don't post. Nice to see a thread with that pertains to our beautiful state! I started my yote line Nov. 1. Been slow but steady. 2 coons, 2 skunks and 11 dogs so far. Hoping things will get cold and stay cold so I can get my snare line going.

Beautiful state is right!!!!! Drove across there several years ago on my way to Hulett, WY, fell in love with it.

Top Lots just got delivered! It's been a disastrous season up here so hopefully you guys can pick up some of my slack this year.

Wow, what are all of your top lots in, if you care to share??

"Disastrous season", is it too wet up there...?

I glad to see more SoDakers (does anyone call themselves that anymore or is that just a figment of my mind?) posting on this thread!! Photos, however you can get them on here, are always cool to see. Tomorrow is another day!

Central Muskrat 135222 $4.60
Western Nor. Coon 135551 $63.00
West. Nor. Cent. Coon 135641 $31.00
Western Beaver 134041 $30.00
Western Beaver XL 134101 $19.50 (Didn't even know this was going to be a Top Lot...This was my first year sending in beavers...I'm not sure why they separate tops lots into sizes when it comes to beaver)

The weather (cold and wet) has hit us pretty hard...We just crossed coon #200 (which is low) today and in a typical year we probably would stop trapping by the opener of deer. We are also significantly down on coyotes, beaver, skunks and have caught 0 muskrats. The only thing we are up on is possum.

Actually that is not true. We have our 200th coon to put up but I think were still short like 4 coons until we catch our 200th.

Been sick for a week finally got out today, be out for about 10 days is all. NonPC i also live in the “W” county , but rarely set a trap here. I usually head south- so much more RRW down ther and i love the area. Dont live in sewer falls anymore, but still too close for comfort for me. Its really wet a couple counties south, which means some corn still in. Coon sign hot in spots, horrible elsewhere. Got a few yote sets in, hopefully they like the smell of flem because im coughing uncontrollably at times. Ill post results- if there are any.

4th roadkill in a week I have seen more roadkill then live deer in the last week, seen it before then later in winter you see them in groups like they came out of nowhere.

Catch of the day 2 yotes and 2 badgers one yote has a touch of the mange so far I'm looking at 50% with mange so far but it's early! Badger on the left was a biggin!

Sorry to hear of mange on your yoders guys. I'm sure that drains the excitement of seeing a coyote waiting in a trap or tied up in a snare.

Trapper Tone- I can only dream of getting a top lot in a Western Northern coon, although I do typically have about 30% of my critters grade that region. Just never that good or large. I thought you might be north of the South Dakota "grinner line" but it doesn't sound like it or its moved recently. Somewhere in the northern reaches of the state, possums doesn't exist or are rare.

DWC- get well and get some stuff!! My biggest issue with trapping in this county are ditch tigers, although they can be pasture tigers as well. As far as I'm concerned they are an invasive specie to the wildlife in this state, although the biggest money making wild thing in SD is a foreigner as well. I wonder how many game birds prowling ditch tigers kill a year around here?

I caught my first pepe in a dp this morning. I'm thinking a coon either pulled my corn cob and didn't commit and then the skunk came by or the stinker pulled over the trap somehow (but's its wedged between 2 cinder blocks?) and got into it. I'm not equipped to dispath skunks like Law Dog so went home to get my kid's nice .22 pellet rifle to whack it without it blowing in his guy's farm yard. Between the pellet rifle a couple of times and owner's .22 short, we finally put it down with a minimal of stink. The pepe didn't even have nice white stripes!

A couple of pixs from this morning. About the same sized coon that made this cubbie get dragged about 6 feet did move it a twitch this time. I guess it all depends on the invidual critter and how the trap hits them.



Another place it was possum city. I thought this juxtaposition of the grinner and the horse manure was fitting given the sale-ability of possums about now. This one was actually a decent one in size and color. I'll home tan it and see if anyone buys it as a gag gift on an internet sale.

Some of the pics with my kids on the trapline this year.

nice great pic. thanks for sharing

Outstanding Flash!! Looks like they had fun!!

Love the pics Flash~

Law Dog, did you weigh that big digger you caught yesterday...?

Not yet will weigh it today heading out to hang them in the heated shed now!

It was right at 25lbs, after the first 2 being of such poor quality (early) I was hoping to avoid them until around the 1st of the year but the last 2 looked way better. The badger population seems to of exploded this year SOOOOOOOOO many holes out there and a lot seem to be active. Last year they went underground and became inactive for the majority of the season so the catch was way down here.


This year you can drive down the road and see mounds in about any direction never seen this many fresh holes. I still plan to wait and have passed up dozens of good fresh looking holes. Seen 1 in the ditch doing his thing the other day that I put the sneak on with the pistol but he was watching me and he went down the hole when I was 30 yards away, tough shot with a pistol and a losing effort if I did connect.

Lawdog how do you catch a badger? Bed your traps like coyotes or is there other ways. We have tones of them in and around our crp fields.

Make your best yote set and a badger will find it! LOL Really I set a lot of badger mounds for coyotes the little ones they make while digging out mice and gophers are the best but I set the big mounds also. I make sure there is a shallow trench coming out of the hole (I make one if needed) sometimes I make a Y and set the center of it or at both ends of the top of they Y. I bait between the trap and the hole to give me a shot at either one.


If your out for just badger snaring the hole is the easiest. Set the loop in the hole with the loop lining the hole, stretch the cable back from the top of the hole avoiding staking into the hole itself. Use up all of the cable or you have a fight getting that badger out if he has too much cable. Using up the cable also works as a "support" so no matter what way that badger goes he's moving the lock not the cable.


They make a lot of mounds so look for fresh dirt with tracks or wait until winter and set the "open" holes this cuts down on setting inactive holes they do move around a lot. The master mounds will be on the highest parts of the fields, that keeps their holes dry during the melt offs.

Thanks alot. We have alot of badgers in nw iowa.

"Trapper Tone- I can only dream of getting a top lot in a Western Northern coon, although I do typically have about 30% of my critters grade that region. Just never that good or large. I thought you might be north of the South Dakota "grinner line" but it doesn't sound like it or its moved recently. Somewhere in the northern reaches of the state, possums doesn't exist or are rare."

You can get them. We actually had five western northern top lots come out of our shed last year and our breakdown is about 50-50 western northern to western north central...its more about volume than anything. The top lot is a 4x so its not like you need to catch a bunch of the 5 and 6x monsters we get. Fun fact: the two top lots that were not on my ticket were either caught the last week of October or the first couple days of November so you don't need to get those top lots deep into the season. He top lots on that line every single year too and we run that line half a week prior to the water opener and half a week after the water opener every season and that is the only line he runs. There is also a trapper about 15 miles south of me that caught one during that same timeframe. That South Dakota grinner line keeps creeping farther north every year. I think we caught our first three years ago and have increased our catch every year since.

Well, Trapper Tone, I'll keep trying and maybe I'll score someday.

My coons typically grade 65% W. North Central, 30% W. Northerns, and 5% Western Semi-heavies. Last year, I only sent a few to NAFA and got no Northerns and more W. Semis, they were all later coon, from early Dec through first week of March (farmstead clearance). Ironically, the only Top Lot I've gotten has been for a Western Semi Heavy coon at a glorious price of I think $13.50. Go figure...

Looks like badgers might be the way to go this year yotes looking bad so far if not mangy they seem young and rubbed but badgers seem endless everywhere I go. The badger today was another big one that looked way better then the 1st 2.

Nice going Jerry! So far I’ve picked up a coyote and a coon on the fox lure you gave me at the dakota line open house! I have lots of badger activity where I’m at too, only got one so far, he came on a Tbone set I was hoping to see a coyote on. Nothing on the remake yet.

Hoping to see the moon go Black soon, my last two checks been very unproductive as in goose eggs.

Using a lot of T-bone sets this year a bit more ground cover then past years and most guys planted beans (I like to set in corn rows) so less defined areas to make a set in, the T-bone gives a guy more options and some backing at the same time.

Law dog. We think the same for folks that have never met lol. T bones are my go to. And I also set a ton of badger mounds for coyotes. I’ve been doing what I can to avoid catching them, figured I’d nab a couple around the 15th of December and see what’s what on them. I like January puffballs a lot, but irritates me bad when they decide to hole up for the entire month of January.

Someone told me once if you can "bury" your hand in the back of a badger's fur, its probably worth selling as fur. I've only sold 1 digger at auction. It was a Nov catch of average to large size and not overly pale. The fur did seem thick so I put it up. The price started at $15 but ended up at $21. I was ok with that. Not a $50+ score but it wasn't an extra large silvertip either. There seems, at least in the past, a pretty fast drop off at NAFA from those really nice badger prices down to the $10-15 range. I may have to do some occupied hole hunting myself later this winter. Its been a while since I scored on a digger...

It seems like if I set within 100 yards of a fresh dig this year that badger will work that set, the one yesterday left hair in one set and was caught in the other set 10 feet away, not bad fur and white backed. I had some spring badger and some fall badgers last year and the buy liked the fall ones better then the spring ones so go figure. LOL

Went through the books today to see what’s been taking fur. For what it’s worth the really loud baits are up. Way up.

Nativetrapper10- You guys getting weather tomorrow...? Thought I saw freezing rain out in central and southwest part of the state. But it will probably melt on Thursday...

said we were supposed too. streets are dry as of now though. theyre also yapping about a storm coming in this weekend. to quote the weather man "we could either see quite a lot of snow, or very little from this system". so theyre forecasting somewhere between 0 and 48 inches i guess.

Busy day started early got 12 extra sets out today, finally picked up a good yote (big male) 1 grinner, 2 badgers and 2 coons. Badgers are so thick I had one a couple days ago and filled in the big hole it made with a hoe, I go by that catch circle today and another badger had dug a hole in the circle, never seen that before. LOL

badger whisperer...

batten down folks. looks like well have a bit of a mess coming in here this weekend.

yeah, I think "fall" is done...

I pulled most of my dps last Sunday but ran a couple of places during this week that were on the way to work. Decided to take today off of work because I need to get some stuff done in town and big blizzard coming in tonight and Saturday so I pulled the rest of my dps today. I have a few coon cubbies out. Set another one last night, freshly built a couple of weeks ago, along a fence line between a pasture with a deep-side creek running through it and a crop field, I've caught a few coon there before. This boy was out prowling last night and he had no problem sticking his head through my newer Bridger 160. I thought he might be the heaviest coon of year so far but only went about 24 or so on the scale.

Getting to be routine 1 coon (no tail), 2 badgers and a yote again today the badgers just keep coming. Picked up a free yote today guessing it was shot gunned on the paid bird place next to where I'm trapping at, will see how good it is tomorrow.



Free yote.

Funny how differently colored your badgers are to mine.

Jerry, your famous!

We run from pale to dark it seems like a lot of pales so far this season missed a couple others today but they don't scare to easy had one the other day get pinched in one set and was caught in the other set 10 yards away.

dam cuz you were young then what year did you make that video

Late 80s must of been hungry I looked so skinny then still recovering from the UP famine days most likely! LOL

Figured there’d be something moving before the “storm” but I’m skunked for the first time this season today. The rain this morning is sure gonna make a headache though

Living in Florida right now and coming back this month for Christmas break and looking to trap around the lake Poinsett area for muskrats! any tips would be great. I'm just getting into trapping.

Trapping rats in their huts is tough work but easy to catch them. Just make sure you really get it sealed up well again after you put your trap in

Yep cut the huts or use a ice auger with baited conis is my favorite just need to wait 4-5 days between checks or they won't work the sets.

Coon, skunk, grinner today seen a yote crossing a field at one place should of had the rifle, deer season ends today so I will toss the mini 14 in the truck for the rest of the season. Lots of drifting some places bare ground other places snow up to the running boards but only was stuck once. Checked the river breaks but chickened out driving the slide areas so I drove around the short cut.

Dropped off another road kill the other in the big draw the other ones was gone except of some hair/bones, will go in Tuesday and set snares on the trails crossing the hills into the draw station area. It's a thick cedar draw with a open area I put the station once I get snow I can backtrack the cattle trails to where they go through buckbrush, cedar trees, tall grass and fence crossings.

These adapted South Dakota grinners don't seem to be put off much by snow and temps in the high teens and 20s.

This guy must have been out running Friday night in the fog before the storm came in.



Not the best color but he has good size...

Seems like when the coon and skunks are down the grinners are up then. Took 4 badgers out of the freezer to thaw for tomorrow along with that coon from today should keep me busy, I need to make some snare supports also for the draw station snares. Big coon there at least they don't mess up the coni sets they really screw up my cages ice/mud frozen to everything. I had to pour warm water to get that coon out of my truck the fur was stuck to the tailgate.

i saw on some other thread rats would average 5$ finished...if thats true i should probably throw some 110's in the stock dams i drive by everyday anyway

That quote was on fully prime winter rats which won't happen until almost early February. You are probably looking at a 2.50 - 3.00 for a Dakota finished rat right now from what I have heard

Our reddish commercial rats here are not as popular as other places, pull them out from under the ice and they look like they are on fire around here! LOL

Badgers popping out in a few places today set 6 snares on some active holes. Checked the big draw station (2nd deer in the same spot) no hits on it yet but the yotes were around it. Dragged another road kill into another deep draw to see if I could get a cat to work the station before the season opens to see if one is around even. I get down there and I see cat tracks going up a finger draw, checked and made sure my cubby did not wash down the draw it was still there so I'm good to go.

Walked into a river break spot a old road leading down into the bottoms it was too wet to drive it and as walk down the road I see tracks heading to the sets looked like the yote circled the top sets and worked the one at the bottom. Only had the old girl by 2 toes and what a muddy mess.

Found several active mounds today this one was huge.

Yote I followed the tracks to the set in the river breaks.

2 toes in a O/S (MJ)

Draw Station cedar draw location open at the bottom but thick areas all around it and lot's of cattle trails going through the buck brush!

Gumbo mud is even more fun so I'm sure you are enjoying it...!! Way to have that trap keep her there!

all my stuff has gone cold the last two days. head scratcher. had good winds, fairly cold, and a black moon. went out both days expecting to have 3-5 coyotes and was skunked on both. except for the dumb porcupines. nothing in the world keeps them out of my traps, and to date, i have not caught a coyote in a porcupine remake. stubbornly still trying.

Badgers all over popping out a little now if we get a good sunny day/days they should be all over the place. Picked up 1 yote today but ya really slow on the yote working sets the last few weeks but next week is looking good if a guy can still get around or it's 4 wheeler time. LOL Have yet to see a all around good dog this year.

Not bad belly was reddish.


A little snow in the foot hills today.

I wonder what our forest dwelling folks think when they see a pix like that last one...?

Golfing maybe? LOL

Snared 2 badgers today set 8 more pop out places fresh dirt and tracks all over sure makes it easier then trying to play whack a mole when you see 20 holes in a field/pasture! Warming up next week should being out a lot more then to warm up and freshen up the dens, at least this snow is good for something and no mange/lice on the badgers.

nice job jerry keep on getting them

Law Dog you need a song such as, "Rolling up the diggers..." (?)

any of you guys noticed that the coyote trapping has been terrible this year? i usually put up triple digit numbers, but man alive it is terribly slow for me this year.

Yep most of my sets are froze down but NOW they are getting hit in several places! LOL Moving to snares until they thaw out, I checked 3 draw stations and they are getting hit now but I did notice no large groups of yotes this year lots of singles and pairs and they are spread out more then past seasons.

Put out 20 snares today and will set up a few other places tomorrow so I have something working that will take yotes/badgers at least.

I've been on a lean streak for over a week. Its been cold here and the coons aren't moving much. Only have about 10 of my box 160s out that I can check on the way to and from work. Put out 6 dps at my friends place closer to town on Sunday but no action there yet. Cold this morning but warmed up by noon and highs will be above freezing through the rest of the week. Hopefully, the masked bandits will move again.

I had a cubbie under a low bridge that's an easy 45 seconds check from the road but its fairly exposed if someone looks under the bridge. I half expect it to be gone any given day but so far people have been cool. There is a frozen sand bar against the bridge wall with some old (but big) coon tracks on it so at least they had moved through this area in the past. I had the box's back perpendicular to the bridge wall. The coon moved the box 6-8 feet and ended up in the creek channel. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my real camera and took this pix on my dinosaur cell phone. Doesn't do the scene justice. One of thrills of trapping, never know what will really happen until it does...

Big coon are what you want they say. WTG Slow all over I went to snares at the draw stations and in the CRP in trails I make with the truck so will see what that brings. Heading down to check trail cams cards in cat country and see if Groney will "rock" my coons. LOL

the warm weather you want to get your coons to move is whats killing my canine trapping i think. its been the worst ive ever had. some snow would be nice, or some cold. but here winter wont come. 40's and 50's non stop, and forecast shows more of the same until Christmas.

im gonna have to start puttering out with mink and rats just so i have something to skin at night lol

they help pay gas bill lol

NativeT10- Do you ever do anything with your yote skulls? There are various markets for cleaned up or even made into art critter skulls. Painted yote skulls, especially for artists with tribal affiliation, probably bring some nice coin. Maybe you're not an artist but if you know someone who is and team up with them, might be some extra income.

Collect them glands also that's a nice check at the end of the year also it all adds up if a guy puts in the time, how about them Medicine Creek beavers that would be fun chasing them pales.

i usually stay well north of medicine, although this year i may stray that way. there are probably some beaver to be had around, lot of stock dam rats. might throw out some weasel boxes for the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) of it. tired of nothing to skin. gonna turn into an everything trapper it seems.

Nice looking coyote on the right Jerry, flash that coon is nearly as big as the kid!

My coyote line has been slow. Picked up a fox yesterday. Set a couple dozen dogproofs today, figured I’ll do the pheasants a favor and kill some egg thief’s. Found some good coyote sign in a new location and hung a few snares real quick.

Made about 50 snares today to fill the snare bucket back up got them dyed after dinner and ready to go, sold some coons in the grease and a few yotes put up today too. Was happy overall got way more for the yotes then what I had figured none were the fancy ones and still got $60 and $70 for most of them just plain old yotes.

i finally picked up a real good dog here the other day. one of the heaviest ive ever caught here in central south dakota. and on the other side of the dam grade was his wife, totally rubbed out. wish youd send some of your hundreds of badgers up my way jerry. i dont see hardly any around here. crazy what a difference 80 miles can make

The first 17 seconds is for NativeT10 regarding yesterday's catches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2AZH4FeGsc

People are saying they never seen so many badger holes before this year I went down to Gregory to pull cam cards in cat country and then over to Winner seen a pile of fresh holes, we get another dusting of snow might be time to make a loop down 50 and back up 47 a few times and see if that pays off! LOL Not seen a good clean yote yet most are dark with dark/red bellies but I was happy with what I was paid so I will carry on and hand a bunch of snares before Christmas hits. Would not be surprised if I have that one the landowner called on the other day that hole was prime setting.

im sure ill see more when i start venturing out onto the flatlands. so far ive spent all my time in the rough breaks

Pulled cat cards yesterday. Have a video I'm trying to post also.

Law Dog, I hope you score multiple times on those bcats!! I forgot how much snow they had down there. Ours will be gone by Sunday evening.

Finally connected out at my friend's place this morning. A 26 pound school bus!! I hope there are some Chinese or Russkies in Toronto at the end of Feb who want to buy some 4/5 color 4xl coons for more than mere chum change. Can only hope...

Wife found a free yote on the road going to work looks like a winner will skin it and see if it's useable shot and left on the road.

Jerry, I found a rolled up yote skin in my driveway the other day. Was one that someone skinned and left in the freezer all year. Freezer burned to the max. Being the tight arse that I am, and having put up bad freezer burned yotes before, I decided to keep it and put it up later when the north winds blow! I believe it either blew off the back of someones truck, or they threw it out for me to fix!

Another jack rabbit and a big badger today just a mud pit out there like walking on grease need to take the 4 wheeler and trailer next time getting too soft.

Yeah, the whole coming week is going to be warm. Maybe it will dry out by Friday. Ha!

I had to chop a mini ditch to drain off a cattle trail today to let the water drain, I set the low spots so the catch is hard to see but seldom have this kind of water to mess with most seasons.

finally started to connect with a few coyotes again, had to switch around alot of things and pretend i was trapping the first week of november instead of mid december but it seems to be helping quite a bit. 6 in the last three days. seems the lousy dogs were the first into the traps this year, as the neckers are far fewer now, lot of solid coyotes. cant get a heavy with good color to save my life, but off color heavies and pale semi's seem to be the norm for now, with one exception. jumped a bobcat yesterday while checking for cat sign....that counts as sign right? looked like a nice big tom. was looking into a culvert under an old abandoned road grade along the river with heavy cedars and buckbrush on both sides and he went out the other end.

Its supposedly getting colder this weekend, maybe that will stiffen things up and have more action. Then again, full moon is coming (I think), its been brighter at night the last 3-4 days.

Big badgers the last 2 checks a 25lb and a 27lb today glad we have badgers this year about the only thing going.

what you getting for badger

Won't know until the 22nd when the badger buyer gets here Cuz.

Great pictures guys, thanks

Big catch a civet the first one I have seen this season so I cut it loose until they bounce back from whatever is that's got their numbers down. Feisty little sucker thought it was my brother-in-laws black cat at first it was doing the handstand thing when I first got there.
Handstand hard to see.

Law Dog- My dad and his brothers grew up on a farm in the 1920s/30s in central Hutchinson Co here in SD and they used to talk about "civet cats". I trapped down there about 30 years ago and then mostly further northeast around here and I've never seen a spotted skunk, if that's what those old timers were calling "civets". I don't know if their distribution has always been more trans-James River in the state vs further east. Or were they were further east and changing land-use and other environmental changes did them in around here?? Jackrabbits have also pretty much disappeared around here, although at least I know we used to have them because I've shot and trapped them here in my younger days.

Seems to be a line of (Spotted Skunks) along the Missouri River breaks I get them on my cat cams in Gregory, have seen them killed on the road from NE to ND just think they need the older type of farm habitat old farm houses, weed patches and hay stack yards. This guy was in with some bales lined up in the farmyard got several there in the past. Past years I would catch about 20 and keep 10-12 and release the rest (only take 2 per area)

Jacks are around a guy just seldom see them unless they are breeding then they are running on the roads for a few weeks. LOL That last snow we had I did see tracks in several places and snared 2 this year in yote snares (A target species here). I bought 2 jacks from some guys down by Winner when I sold fur they must have a few more down that way. A few years ago the Eastern part of my County a guy could fill a pickup bed with them so they "break out" at times in some areas.

If you don't mind, I'll add my two cents worth. When I was a kid, in the fiftys, down here in the flint hills of Ks, they were thick as flys. Lots of strippers too. They dissapeared from this area in the mid sixtys, and most of the strippers too, but we got the strippers back. Have never seen a sign of a civet again down here. I suspect insecticides, but have no proof. Jerry and I have talked about this....several times!

im from an area called fort hale, nestled into the missouri breaks right below big bend on the west side. we saw alot of them down there.

They say a big storm is coming next week should hit the 26th same day as our bobcat opener well that sucks! LOL Think I'll haul the equipment in before then and I'll have the supplies in place if I need to walk in and set! Might pre-bait also that's a lot of baits to carry in so I will put them out and let them work on them until I can get in there. I have the common everyday supplies already down in the big draw from a few months ago like waxed dirt/pan covers/snares/ feathers/lures/string and wire.

A dark 24# badger and a big coon today not seeing squat for yote tracks out there lately, setting badger sign at every check.

Tomorrow we find out how Law Dog scores on his diggers!! How are you selling them; in the round, skinned, or finished...?

In the grease, Pete will be here at 3 tomorrow he pays well on badgers I have too many sets out to put them up I do wash and dry them before I skin them and pull to burrs! I have my short line to check in the AM so it will be a busy day. Looks like cat will be a wait and see what the weather brings us next week, pretty sure it snowed last year on the cat opener also. Should make the badger pushouts easier to see if we don't get a lot of snow.

Law Dog- How did the badger sale go!!?? Inquiring minds want to know

$20 avg on the badgers some were Oct and early Nov ones the top was $40 for 4 of them had 15 total only 2 darks. $8 for 1 coon and 2ea on the other 2 1 skunk @ $3 I had laying around (it stunk!) So pretty sure I paid for my gas for this season so far and it's not looking good with the storm that's coming next week. Pulled several places today will pull the rest before the snow hits and go from there, cat season is just days away if I can get around the wind is howling the last 3 days.

Well, the seems to be a pretty good average for not put diggers!! NAFA sold 1,788 badgers at the May 2018 auction for an average of $21.89. If you remove the 313 that sold for $5 or less, that average went up to $26.02. I think you have a good connection there with your buyer

I sold 14 finished coyotes today. Averaged $75 sold to D&B Fur Java SD

I wonder how much "meat is left on the bone" for the buyer the next step up with that average...?

Apparently enough he thought he could make money. Generally they have a number in their head of what they need, or they don't stay in business long.

Yep, Doug’s been buy Fur for over 20 years that I know of. I’m guessing he knows to the once “how much meat is left”.

Pulled about 80% of my sets today, will pull the rest tomorrow and sit back when the storm rolls in on Thursday and get set up for the cat season if I can get around after the 45 MPH winds settle down. LOL Might haul bait on Christmas day and set up the cubbies for when I can get back in there and start trapping my areas. Have a roadkill I will drag into another place and see what remains of the 1st one I put there, seen cat tracks there already just need a few nice days and access with the snow we might get.

as of now its not looking good. some of the models are showing totals pushing two feet. plus that wind. gonna be rough. time to break out the snowmobile.

Finished pulling everything I had out today ended up with 2 coon and a badger today, 1 badger was smaller and looked like he had a "money cut" on his back leg from his heal to the rump. Another big badger and big coon another coon with no tail but it looked huge, will try to get it weighed tomorrow but very busy getting ready for cat season heading down to bait cubbies in the AM before the storm hits at least I might keep them around until I can get in there.

Santa was good to me today. Been a long dry spell, but with only running 3 sets I don't expect much, LOL. 2 nice Coyotes that I am lucky were still there when I got there. First one I had by a toe and the second one I pulled up on the trap chain to try and pull the stake enough to cut it. I no more than started to pull and I felt it pop and it let loose from the ground. The ferrule let go and left the Pogo washer in the ground. Im going to pull the last set in the morning and ride out the storm with the rest of yah. It has been a sour season for me as the doc put me on strict "light duty" until they can narrow down some breathing/lung issues I am having.

Spent the day baiting cubbies/flagging and putting out a draw station for cats, put some carcasses in the burn pit it was a good day called on the way home and had Christmas dinner when I got back home. Seen a few badger holes so I will keep an eye on them when checking cat sets when I get them set up and the snow will help see what holes are active.

Stumper- Sorry to hear of the health problems. Glad your sets held those 2 yotes until you could have them in hand. Get well in the new year!!

if theyve got these amounts correct our lives are gonna get a little less fun here lawdog. 16" of snow behind a 45mph wind is no good. but, the weather folks sure seem to suck at their job lately so well see i suppose

Yep that last inch of snowfall with the wind made some foot deep drifts along the line so 10-16 inches will be a nightmare. But from what I see no snow predicted in the next week to 10 days after this mess goes through if a guy can just get around for cats.

Good luck to you guys fighting that deep snow! When I was up this fall, everything went south but the rain, got plenty of that! I felt very fortunate that it didn't dump up there while I was there. Good luck on the cats, Jerry!

Just a big bust today a few inches and some rain on top of that will see what tomorrow brings they said 5-8 inches today I can still see the grass sticking up in places.

same here. maybe 2 inches on the ground, and the rain has frozen it down so the supposed blizzard today wont be happening. And im a happy camper.

Tried to get into cat country today but the drifts were bad with more snow/wind coming on Monday maybe, think I will wait and try next Tuesday the one place I have access to a payloader to open up that trail. If it crusts over I could get the 4 wheeler in there.

That's a bummer Law Dog!! But the weather, at least for temps, seems to keep zig-zagging. Cold over New Years Day, back into the 30s later next week. You might not get your crusted drifts...

Thanks, I'm hoping to be 110% by next season!!!

Busting out the snowshoes if I really need to! LOL

My little load of coons went on the NAFA pick-up truck this morning. Nice to see some other trappers still dropping off their stuff off in my metro. I sent my first couple of legit 5x today, average length for the whole lot was 34.7 inches. Hope spring enteral for a final price at auction...

Those look to be some nice coon. Good job with the put up as well. I hope they do well on the auction.

Thanks! With our Jan thaw, I've put some dps back into action so maybe have a few more to send up north before they start going down hill. I'm a bit concerned that I've caught almost no dink coons this season, the smallest have been 1 xl (which aren't going to auction). Not a lot of road kills either this fall and winter. Law Dog mentioned not catching very many dinks either so I wonder if a round of distemper has gone through the southeast part of the state. May have to mrat trap next fall instead of going after coons. With our wet year, the rats are back!!

I have a finger draw (5-6 feet wide) coming off of a narrow main draw 15-20 feet wide in most places that I set last year but then got the cat in a cubby on the 1st check so I was not in there long. Went to haul in gear earlier and found cat tracks right away going up the finger draw a perfect blind set area narrow at the bottom and rocks that are natural funnel points. Put 2 MJs in the funnel points added some branches and have a baited barrel cubby about 40 yards down the main draw will see what these set produce.

The junction of the finger meeting the main draw.


One of the MJ sets I have another one about 10 feet up the same finger draw. A bad pic angle the area is bigger just blocked a bit by the snow on the side of it.

Here is what I am sending to NAFA. Wasn't near as much fur on the truck as there was last year.

Nice catch there the yote catch is way down in many areas from most of the trappers I have talked with in many areas!

That's some pretty fur coyotedoc!! A lot of hard work involved. I hope the buyers in Toronto treat you well!

Those are dandy coyotes!

Nice looking fur coyotedoc!

Catch is way down in my neck of the woods as well.

I’m unable to get around after the snow and wind. Might try some calling I have a 22-243 that needs to be broken in.

Callers will be out in numbers this year, coming back from cat country the other day a minivan parked next to public had a couple guys with rifles looked like they were callers.

Checked my cat sets I need to haul a guy to court tomorrow so I checked them all today. Found a set of good size cat tracks walking down a small limb on the ground, also had a chicken that was eaten in a cage looked like the chicken foot wedged under the peddle, it was eaten "in the cage" the wings and breast bone were still in the cage. Cleaned out the cage then wired another chicken to the back of the cage added a bark plank to make it easier to trip the trigger from further back (Peddle needs to be moved back for cat trapping)


Also moved a game cam to see if whatever comes back again I'd get it working the cage. With the bait eaten on the spot like that I'm thinking cat but there was a lot of badger sign around the area also.

About a 4 inch log under the snow.



Added a piece of bark to extend the peddle more to the center of the cage.

Law Dog- Did you ever catch a bcat down there in the breaks...?

Southeast SD has above normal temps for the first half of Jan so I put out some dps again and picked up some more coons.

I caught 2 nice silver flaked sows further up in this shelterbelt in Nov. I picked up their boyfriends the first week of Jan





I set half a dozen dps around "Thor's" farmstead about the same time. He is an "interesting" organic farmer/hoarder and I've trapped his farmstead every mid wiinter since 2014. The corner of the trailer set (has it moved since 2014...?) and in the crazy messy machine shed (where he feeds his cats) have always produced multiples of masked bandits.





I have some coon cubbies out at my bro's place. Picked up an uncommon colored one that had fairly decented colored flanks but was more "blond" tint on back and tail. I wonder how it will grade for color come May?




I don't think I'll be driving down by these bales come by the end of tomorrow with my van...

The youngest kid came in with a surprise tonight. He's been patiently checking some snares along a river bottom without any success. He was to close them off today but ended up with this on his last check. We don't have a lot of reddies around so nice to see them once and while.

Sweet pulled my East River cat sets today still have West River out and a few badger sets, yotes are hitting the big baits will see what tracks/trails I can find after the next storm.

Never came back to that draw I had a pic of 1 next to my cubby but still not interested in the bait, I added a chicken today will see what that brings.

I pinched my second cat of the season yesterday. Hoping for a couple more

Nice job!! Any pixs of your catches...?

The kid got his first snared yote today. Too bad it had a huge rub across its shoulders. At least he can make something with the bushy tail!

Check it for lice with that rub being on the shoulders like that often a give away.

i havent even attempted to figure how to post pictures on here yet. im not a technically savvy person. only been a member a year. maybe after another 14 months ill learn

The kid's on a roll. He'll be able to sell this one. 42 inch, looks like a decent semi-heavy.

The way the market is, the first one he caught would probably be worth putting up!

Yeah, but I didn't show you the huge rub on the shoulders of that one, sort of half a hide there. I think I might part it out and sell finished pieces of it on ebay. Hopefully, we'll score a few more good ones before things really go down hill. Now I'm only 5 good (se SD types) yotes in the hole for my recent purchases at Dakota Snareline...