Older trappers, a question for you?

Whats one thing that has saved you the most wear and tear on your body or made tour operation less impactful on the body. Predrilling stake holes comes to mind, but if there is anything in particular I’d like to hear about it.

Thanks for your contributions.

Slow down.
Use gang setting more and extended check times-This allows that and keeps the catch up.
In other words use experience to trap smarter not harder.
Big bonus to trapping smarter is lower expense over return as you will be checking far fewer empty traps.

I'm not all THAT old yet but the two things that make my trapline MUCH easier are conibear setting tongs and drags.

One Hand Setters and skinner winch.

Russ

An auger in a battery powered drill for dirt holes.

A new buggy, with full enclosure and factory power windows and factory heat

Rerod woller holes for canines and what Boco says

1) battery powered drill with dirthole auger.
2) pre-drilling earth anchor holes.
3) cutting earth anchors cables on pull day.
4) trays for beaver footholds.
5) Honda SxS

Battery powered drill for dirt holes

Pogo stakes (rebar is HEAVY)

Setters are nice for 330's, I can still set 160/220 by hand faster than user setters.

Binoculars help saving walking all the way out to those far sets

For myself it was driving by the sets coon/coyote not taking over a dozen steps from the vehicle, could carry all my tools traps and cutters one at a time, no mo heavy loads.
Yeahhh!!!!

Times XX 2 on what Boco said also setting on sign and not just seeing how many sets you can make. Good locations and sets produce. Poor locations and sloppy sets a waste of time and energy.

Ibuprofen

If you want to save your body till old age DON"T TRAP BEAVER.LOl
I think the biggest thing Is to do lots of pre season scouting. This keeps you In shape and cuts down on a lot of extra work when It comes to actually setting and running the line.
And like Boco said gang setting Is important.

Electric winch, my hands just can’t take the pulling needed to skin dried once frozen coyotes..

The realization that I have NOTHING to prove to ANYONE, and I can have fun no matter how many sets I have out or how much I catch.

Moosetrot

Drags are really useful, no stake driving.

Winch
Wolf fangs (cut and run)
One hand setters with the MJs
Brick or rock hammer
Waxed dirt

Don't trap where you can't drive up to.'




Charlie

Just say no to all forms of single strand wire: tie wire, beaver drowner wire, etc.. Once you figure out how to eliminate wire from your operation you'll kick yourself for not doing it years ago.

Disposable anchors and a 4 wheeler have allowed me to keep trapping although the body is beat up

I’m not old yet, but I’m surprised no one talks about using a rotary hammer drill for driving in earth anchors

Slow down.
Use gang setting more and extended check times-This allows that and keeps the catch up.
In other words use experience to trap smarter not harder.
Big bonus to trapping smarter is lower expense over return as you will be checking far fewer empty traps.
The realization that I have NOTHING to prove to ANYONE, and I can have fun no matter how many sets I have out or how much I catch.
what boco and
Moosetrot said

Yup, what Boco said, that and a walking stick ... sure helps with getting back up after making sets.

Only engage in healthy endeavers. Eat a diet thats primarily meat. Beer is right up there with meat. Dont marry a woman thats never happy , tells you what to do, does not save money. A good wife is key to staying healthy. Mental attitude is 90% of health. Your going to wear out if your lucky enough to get old. (luck is a big part of being able to get old) You will slow down no matter what. Old rodeo cowboys take a few minutes to get out of bed. Grunt when they stand up, but ask one if he regrets it and every one I know says no regrets. So do what you love and dont look back.

I'm 65 headed to 66 and trap months on end, so while I have the experience I'll have to kindly get back to you in 15-20 years when I get old enough to answer this question with accuracy

I would agree with my friend from Kansas on the engaging in healthy endeavors being the assist you might need to.... endeavor to persevere. In trapping and in life.
Many of my cousins about my same age are either deceased or so used up physically, mentally, and all ways to Sunday by a life of drinking too much, smoking every weed that's green, popping pills that sounded fun, that they can't trap period. Or do much but sit around and wait on the hearse all the while griping about this, that, and them.

Which reminds me, don't gripe. It'll suck the life outta ya. I'm a glass 7/8ths full kinda dude and it helps me not fret as everyone else seems to.
I've never touched a cigarette, haven't ever done elicit drugs as the law calls them, and drink a beer or two every now a then because I enjoy them.
And yep, marry a wife or husband who will not suck the health right outta ya.

Blessings,
Mark

I went to using lags to anchor traps and drags where they won't work. I found a lot of enjoyment in using game cameras, I get a real kick out of seeing an animal react to a smell i have developed. I find something to do every day, if it involves a trap or a gun it will be interesting, I got lucky and found a woman that would tolerate my obsession with traps,dogs and guns!

Mark when you hit that glass 7/8s Full mark you can't be any closer to perfection. Except when your cup overfloweth. Yes then you're there .
There's somthing to a happy wife is a happy life and living healthy, especially spirituality.

Take youngsters along to do the work. Passing along whatever knowledge we have to the next generation is always a good thing.

It will be a sad day for me that I have to order trap setting tongs for conibears...I find hand setting soooooo much easier.

That will bite you in the butt over time your joints can only take so much of that, at least my hands are not the best today.

SNARE'S!!!, a properly made Dispatch snare and support system.
Skinning Machine.
Chest Freezer's
Waxed Dirt.
3/16 Quick Link's
Everything Must be Organized!!
Dependable Vehicle's.
Good Bait's & Lure's.
For me Land trapping is easier than Water trapping.
Walking with Hip Boots on in mucky water is hard work?

Just enjoy being out and trapping or hunting, its not a race and your not going to make a living at it especially these days.

When water trapping I would not be without my walking stick AKA Trappers hook. If I am trapping on land my truck is my biggest asset as I do not walk as far anymore. Having enough spots that I can drive pretty close to is probably the biggest convenience as I get older. And if you are ice trapping do not leave home without an ice chisel for testing the thickness. When I was younger it definitely kept me from taking numerous baths in the middle of winter and probably even saved me from drowning.

My Suzuki Eigers, with a winch.

I have a different take. I’ve never trapped from a vehicle or ATV in 57 years. All traplines were run on foot with a backpack. At 66 I get around as good as ever.
Use it or lose it is my motto.
Keeps me thin.
No smoking.
My thinking is not doing it the easy way saved my body.
According to my Iphone I walked 13.9 miles in the mountains turkey hunting in one day.
I walk everywhere I can

A happy fun to be with partner!!!!........jk especially if he is younger than me

A atv. Never needed one when I was young, but sure helps now.

A ORV
A Marsh Rat duck boat
Patoto fork
330 setters
330 stabilizers, long and short
long chains

Larger water areas- a boat to carry equipment. Smaller areas- jet sled

Land- better pre-scouting to only carry the necessary items. More snares where applicable. Lighter, faster and more consistent in all weather.
ATV or UTV if available- faster setting and checking with less effort.

X2. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the body.

One thing that dramatically improved my success on my trapline was taking the time to adjust my traps to the point that they would set level only took a small amount of movement to fire had plenty of swivels to keep the animal from twisting out and consistently made solid pad catches on the animal I was setting for At that point I started to catch and hold far more animals had far fewer snapped but empty traps .. So I was not spending time resetting empty traps Either I had something or the trap was set nd ready to catch whatever might work that aet the next time .I do not have numbers to prove it but my guess is just doing the basic adjustments such as more swivels squaring the pan notch and dog etc increase my catch by 40 to 50 %

You point out a number of great points that will not cost a trapper a lot of money to try .

This ^^^^, plus trap setting tools have helped me a quite a bit over the years. Plus making quality, efficient sets over quantity.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

I guess that is the main point to this thread. Everything has a cost...either from your wallet (for convenience and ease of use) or physically (making due with more hard work). When you're young and bulletproof, you are pinching pennies so the extra labor and abuse is worth it. Once you are older and more financially stable, you can afford more of the "luxury" items for trapping that make certain aspects easier, but also cost more money. My goal is to set myself up for longevity in the game, so switching over to the impact-reduction methods, even at a higher dollar cost, is on my mind. Just absorb the increased cost of doing business, you could say.

Like a forest service ax for trap bed chopping, pre-drilling super stake holes, and drilling the stakes out to make it easy to pull them. Good drills aren't cheap, but neither is shoulder replacement or back surgery.

You are on the right track As a young trapper learning to put up fur I was used ad old kitchen spoon to scrap the fat and any hunks of meat off of the pelts I was putting up That was mostly muskrats and coon. Wel that spoon was OK for the rats but it made for a lot of time consuming work for scraping fat off of coon pelts After a few too many seasons of making things more time consuming than need be I purchased a Zepf scraping knife It is a long time ago but it cost me about $80.00 back than However I could now put up a coon hide in about 75 to 80 percent less time That meant I was spending more time catch more coon And getting a proper skinning knife again left me with more time to devout to catching more critters We all start out needing to learn what methods work for what we are trying to do The quicker we figure that part out the more time we spend catching fur which leads to larger catches the better we are motivated to imrove over and over . ..

Nothing saved me during the heyday! Ran my body and my mind ragged during those years. I was focused om Beaver and cat trapping back then and there is nothing you can do state hopping beaver to help your body. anyway thats how it was for me. back problems, two new knees, just the cost of doing buisness I guess!

CFoxer,
If you dont already own one...a SxS will enable you to drive right up to the set location. It also saves your pickup truck. I could drop all the other stuff I listed and go back to the old ways, but not the Honda.

Great thread!!
I read your one remedy for making life easier. As far as stakes go, I never use them I tie off on logs or trees or and stationary object. The log stays there till the next time I set a trap.

Make life easy for me.

No SxS as of yet. I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of property that I can drive within 10 yds of my sets with my current truck. But its on the list.

.. driving the anchors with the hammer drill ?… or drilling a pilot hole with it then driving the anchors with a hammer and driver?

A skinning machine. Makes life much more bearable when you've got 30 coon laying on the floor needing to be shucked.

My hands have become weak and painful. I use setters for all body grippers., even 110's. I also use a plastic sled to haul bigger critters out. A sled makes hauling out a couple of 50 pound beavers, even on dry ground.

Rotary hammer drill nephew.

I havent used one but they will drive a stake.

… shoot I’ll have to look into that… my woman could drive stakes while I supervise with a cool one

… so there’s a bit for a hammer drill that will fit inside one of these and drive it down a foot or so just by pulling the trigger?

… yes or no ? … I’m genuinely curious

Nephew get you a piece of cold roll steel and chuck it in a hammer drill . I got a Milwaukee brand with 1/2 chuck that has driven a many of a 6 ft ground rod for electric services. I don’t use that brand or many of any kind but it would work!

No...use the same driver you've been using for the SuperStakes. There is a special driver bit (about 4 or 5 inches long that attaches to the rotary hammer drill chuck. It fits over the end of your SS driver.

I’m only 57 so probably not one of your true older trappers. I still walk into most sections of my coyote line. Park and walk, and I hit spots that the coyote hunting pickup army can’t always get to. Stay in shape all year round by running half marathons and 10Ks. I do several races a year in off season.
I did quit carrying rebar and went to cable stakes. Lot less weight to carry in.
When I’m scouting I carry my jugs of dry dirt in then. I watch them in nearby weed patches and brush piles wherever I think I will make some sets. Then on setting day I’m only carrying a few traps and bag of set making stuff.
I just try to be smarter about everything and realize I’m not in my 20s any more. Also, I don’t have to be so cheap about my fun. Buy some cable stakes, instead of carrying rebar. Stuff like that. New coyote traps are expensive so I just get a couple here and there, maybe ask for them at Christmas or Father’s Day. Over time I’ve built up a nice bundle that way.
And I just slow down and enjoy my coyote line. Stop and take a few pics. Or stop and listen to one bark and sing.
I just have a lot more fun.
Jim

They make several models and newer ones are 10 times lighter than my old 15 year ago model . This one holds up to a 5/8 bit ( cold roll ) or electric fence post .

Thanks for the replies Uncles

Lookin' out for 'ya nephew..