Northern trapper who came South

Just curious for you north guys who came down south to trap ( and I mean deep south MS LA TX GA) what's where some things that supprised y'all ? Learning curves animal behavior and the like ?

I trapped In MS and SC and NC.
I used the same methods and lures that i did back home. Just didn't have to deal with the snow and Ice.

Animal populations where I lot higher then back home. Lots of coyotes In MS but very few In SC and NC.

It's the people that were the salt of the earth. I really miss all the friends that I made.

Spent a little time in Oklahoma. The number of coyotes, the wind changing direction daily, the red dirt, the temp swings, and the people. When word got around that I was in the area it seemed like every one with stock was calling and giving the address where there operation was. The only stipulation was to keep the gates shut. Great people. Also the horse/rodeo scene is all year, up here it is only about 4 good months a year and we try to make it to as many as possible. Down there its at a whole different level and they just worry about the ones that pay. I will be back again this winter and hope to make it a annual trip for a long time.

I can relate to the people that wanted you to trap.
I would come out of the swamp and there would be a truck waiting to show me some new area. Or I would come back to the house and It would be the same thing. Once they knew you were a beaver trapper you could do no wrong and every one wanted you to trap their ground.
Back then the live market was alive and well. Reds were bringing $100.00 greys $25.00 and any otter was bringing you an easy $100.00. Had Live market for coon at $25.00 and cats went for $25.00.
And we were always furnished free housing.

A guy from Pa, who ventured to a southern state every fall, once told me that the live market was the only reason the south even had a trapping season. . .

I never forgot that

There Is some truth to that.
Once SC legalized the trapping and selling of coyotes the live market died. The coyotes that were trucked across state lines were going for $25.00 and $40.00 and no one wanted to buy fox. I tried to convince The SC TA not to do It but they went and did It anyway. Sure there were trappers selling Illegal coyotes but they were getting $100.00 a coyote but there weren't that many being sold. So the fox market was pretty strong.

Coyote and fox pens are all over the place in South Alabama. Price go from 75 - 100 dollars a coyote. Keep in mind = you cant just stroll in to a fox pen and sell coyotes here. Their is NO legal live market here. BUT its like the old army saying = Dont ask Dont tell!!!! LoL! Many a good ol Alabama boy has sold 150 - 175 coyotes a year to the fox pen. The Game Warden now where the fox pens are ! Illegal to sell OR offer to sell live coyotes in Alabama. NOT illegal to own run or for someone to bring dogs to run in a fox pen. The TOP and largest fox pen is ran 5 nights a week !!!! How do these GW think it gets restocked ? Coyotes just fall from the sky?????? I have said enough on this matter. Satuate of Limitations is the only reason I would even tell this truth!! LoL!!!!

I had a coyote buyer In MS he wouldn't make the trip to where I was trapping unless I had 20 coyotes penned up. He paid me $100.00 for each coyote. Never knew where he came from or where he went and I never asked.
I was legally selling coyotes but I think those coyotes crossed state lines.

Coon aren't as hungry as in the north where they have to put on fat to survive winter. Harder to bait, finicky. Animals and humans kinda hole up in the south when the temps hit the twenties. You learn to deal with mud vs frozen ground. Buckshot is interesting kind of dirt lol. I use sweet bait in dp ants can be problem. Guy might move a predator set over a little to avoid fire ants.

You brought up something I noticed last year. We did actually have a few nights in the 20’s (very few) and I was thinking “Finally!! I’ll have a line full of critters tomorrow!” But in actuality, it was after those temps broke and it started warming up is when I caught critters. Also learned high winds and warm critters moved, high winds and COLD for SWGA and nothing moved.

When we were encountering cold temps we would cover our traps with a board so we couldn't make a catch. The live market frowned on frozen feet.

MUD.

Trapping in south TX when skinning a bobcat and you grab a big wad of hide just below the hips to give it a good yank and realize you just grabbed onto a handful of prickly pear needles. That’s quite a surprise! Those cats seemed to spend a lot of time in the prickly pear since that is the low growth in some areas. Some cats you’d flesh as many cactus thorns off as you did fat it seemed like.

Interesting

One other thing Is don't use fire ant hill dirt to top dress your sets.

What is the reason for not doing this?

The hill dirt Is full of fire ants. LOl We had no idea what a fire ant was till we filled up a sifter with that dirt . We learned real quick.

Gotcha. Had this happen at times looking for dry dirt . I usually step on the beds to check for activity before getting a scoop. Sometimes if I find a vacant ant hill close to the rd where I have sign I will dig it out and set it. Hard as our ground I take advantage of it when I can.

Wolfdog91
You wrote "Just curious for you north guys who came down south to trap ( and I mean deep south MS LA TX GA) what's where some things that supprised y'all ? Learning curves animal behavior and the like ?"

Sometime you may want to start a thread if any guys from the South went North or NorthEast, especially the New England area to trap a season and see if they found the going easy peasy.

Mac