I am currently off work due to having a couple of back surgeries. I am thinking of getting some traps and try my hand at tanning hides. I want to know what kind of traps that would be best for raccoon, fox, and coyote. I have alot of free time to mess with the preparation of skins, I need to know the works. I am new to this board and I have been reading the articles on tanning nonstop. Seems like alot of good info. Thanks, Tom
If your just starting out tanning, I'd reccomend a 220 conibear or similar. They provide a nice suede finish on the flesh and always make the hair nice shiney.
If your going to be tanning for taxidermy, you cannot beat a decent priced duke leg hold. Easily wetback in a short time for quick mounting, very little drumming in the ears, etc.
Ok....that wasn't funny, but it was fun imagining the faces on some of you reading it. :sneer:
Welcome to the site Clousewt. :wink:
I'm not a trapper, but I'll help with the skins, any way I can.
Good joke, I have been reading your posts on tanning, lots of good info. I have been researching traps so I knew the 220 and the other were trap sizes. Good to be here, I like to joke around, some say I am too sarcastic but what the hay. Bopeye told me about this site, I cant seem to get away from the computer since I got on here. Thanks for the welcome and expect some sarcasm from me from time to time, no harm meant only fun, Tom
Sarcasm is one of the FinsnFur company provided benefits.
Actually Bopeye started that crap.....we just followed along and now none of us can control it. :laf:
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
I read that about 4 times before the lights came on and the laughing began. I keep thinking 'he must have screwed up in editing/cutting/pasting'........ then the vision of the tongue way deep in the check came.......
Welcome Clousewt. As you can see, some of us are very cheekie and some of us are a bit slow. but most of us are reasonably ok fellas and fun to be around.
Now....did you have a question? :confused: .... oh yea...... IMO a good all round trap for what your looking to go after would be a 1.75 coilspring offset. A little bigger is probably the norm for yotes and a 1.5 works great for coon/fox. But if you were to pick one size trap for all, my pick would be...well, I already said that.
Jim's the man when it comes to tanning and 220's, though I have pestered him with so many questions on it [tanning that is] that I can parrot some of the basics for ya.
Thanks for the info on a good trap, I will be getting a couple and try them out. I hope to have a skin to mess with pretty soon, if the traps dont work I guess a good roadkill will. Thanks Tom
Geeesh Jim... You had me too!! I thought what the hay is he talkin about :confused:
I second the 1.75 also. Welcome aboard Tom.
JD
Thanks for the welcome guys, I hope to get a yote or two while its still cold weather and they have a good coat. I have hunted all my life and always wanted to learn how to tan a skin. I am going to try my hand at it. Bopeye is going to show me the ropes on Yote calling someday. Thanks again Tom
Tom,
Calling coyotes kind of works like this.
Do you remember when I crashed into your 1 week old, brand spanking new truck almost 20 years ago?
Do you remember how it took you a minute to realize what happened?
Do you remember how you jumped out of the truck and started coming towards me when you realized what happened?
Do you remember what you were wanting to do at that moment when you got to me?
Okay. If you remember all of that, just apply that to coyote hunting.
Get his attention. When you get his attention make sure it's toward you. When you see him coming in and meaning business........wait until he's pretty close.
Then kill him..........Hope I helped........... :roflmao:
You were too funny when I ran over you............ :eyebrownod: :laf: :roflmao:
Probably still ticks you off after all these years............ :eyebrownod: :biggrin:
Dont talk about that I will puke again, lol. For those that dont know, Bopeye did hit my new truck in the rear in a parking lot 20 years ago, I was so madd that when I got home I threw up. We still laugh about that, I will get him back someday, I will put a stick in the spokes of his wheelchair when we are in the nursing home and he will get his.
I missed out on a good road kill grey fox this morning. On my way to trade off a dog box I passed a freshly killed grey fox, I told my nephew that on the way back through we were going to stop and pick him up. Well I should have stopped the first time I saw him because when we came back through somebody had beat me to it.
I bought half a dozen 1.5 size coil spring traps today. I boiled them and waxed them and set 3 out on a creek on a small game trail. I set one on a fence crossing where they go under the fence. It looked like a perfect place to set a trap , we will see. I also set 2 more along the creek just off of the trail a little. I used sardines in spring water as bait, I poured the juice on the trap and put a couple of sardines on the pan. I didnt know for sure on how far to set the trigger so I used a stick and pushed down on the pan until it was barely holding the jaws, kind of made sense to me to have a hair trigger. I havent trapped before and hope this works, I am open to any help or suggestions on how to better my sets. I think because of the sardines I will probably attract a coon or a possum. What kind of bait do I need for catching a fox or coyote? Also should I use a cover scent on my boots when setting my line? I am really excited about this, after having 2 back surgeries within 4 months I am ready to get into the outdoors, I think this is what I needed to pick my spirits up. Tom
I've never trapped.....but I'm not so sure you can randomly place them where it looks good. I think you should be looking for runs under the fencelines, or slides near the creek.
I'm just guessing...and I got a feeling these guys will come straighten me too. :eyebrownod:
Eitherway...dont forget your camera when you go to check em. :eyebrow:
You know I don't know squat about trapping Tom, but I'm guessing you'll find a sweet little raccoon in the morning if you set the traps where you said you were going too.
Just walk up and pet him and then choke him out..........it'll work.... :eyebrownod:
Don't do that man.......just a joke.... :biggrin:
Ah....and the fun begins. I'm excited for you. There is so much to learn and you never figure it all out, but some fellas are very very far along in the process. I would suggest
1) do what your doing...aka using the forums to get ideas and inputs. Not all will be helpful or make sense, but there are some smart/successful guys that do post and you can learn a bunch from them. trapperman.com is a good site that has a lot of good info for the beginner and experienced alike.
2) Leverage other sources . There are lots of books, tapes, dvds..... and the best of all is if you can find a successful trapper that will open up to you and maybe even let you walk some of his line with him.
3) The more you can think like the critter you want to catch, the better your chances of constructing a set in a location where you will catch him.
4) setting on 'common trails' will get you some of what you want and a bunch of what you wished you hadn't. It is often better to make sets along side a trail vs in it, especially baited sets.
5) It is generally better not to put your bait on the trap, but in a spot where he has to step in your trap to see it or get it. Two common baited set approaches are the cubby set and the dirt hole set and there are an infinite number of variations of each.
6) Sardines will interest a variety of critters, but may get a little pricey if your doing more than a couple of sets or trapping the whole season. There are cheaper alternatives which work just as well....... and then there are specialy made baits and lures. Some are just rotten junk, but some are extremmely effective at getting critters interested in your set.
7) Your thinking right on 'hair trigger'. You don't want the critter to step on it and have it go down a lot before it goes off, or he'll have his foot out before the jaws close. Sometimes it helps to have a little tension on the pan so it's not just floppy. This combined with a hair trigger helps the trap let loose all at once.
8) I think cover scent is not necessary.....atleast, I have never used it and have had fair success. [most]Coon/Possum could care less. Fox and yote will know you was there regardless. Best to focus on minimizing your scent. Don't wal the trail they walk and you plan to set. Walk a few yards off it or come into it from an angle to make your set. Don't dilly dally around your set. Walk straight to it, make it touching as little around it as possible and walk back out the same way you approached it. Use a pair of rubber [or canvas gloves] and only use these gloves for this and keep them away from places they can pick up smells. Same goes for the other tools you use to make your sets.
9) My experience has led me to view possums as stupid [and a pain], coons generally easy [though I have run into some that are smarter than a fox. Actually I should say fox are more cautious than smart. Cats aren't all that bright, but can sometimes be a challenge to get aware off and interested in your set. And yotes are smart and cautious and generally will point out any screw up you might have done in your process.... but once you got a process that works for them then they ain't so hard.
10) Location, location, location......If they ain't there they won't be caught.
11) Remember.....assume every last one of them has rabies and if you get bit you will most likely die :wink:
Best of success.....keep us posted.
Personally, I would recommend a #1.5 - #2 for fox and smaller, a #3 for yote. I prefer laminated and base plated myself ... but that adds to the price. However, it also reduces the possible damage to the critter. If quality matters, then so does the price ... if it does not matter ... go with Duke. They are a good cheaply priced trap for those just starting out.
If we can assist you, please let us know.
Thank you:
I copy and pasted a post I done on another site, there might be something in it that helps ya. Studabaka already gave ya alot of sound advice!! It'll take two posts.
Thought I would post a little pictorial on k-9 trapping. After several inquiries here it goes.
To start off with, I choose to use 1.75 coilspring traps. They are strong enough for coyotes and not to big for fox and coon. My trap stakes are made from 1/2" rebar cut to 30" length's. I weld a washer or nut down a 1/2" from the top of the stake and when driven into the ground i use the top of the stake to rest the loose jaw of the trap onto.
After everything is adjusted and ready to go I boil my traps in a cleaning solution, which is water and the works toilet bowl cleaner mixture.
Let them dry and then reboil them in water and Logwood dye. I let my traps boil for approximately 5 minutes in water and dye then take them out and let them drip dry. Put a small nail in between the jaws so that, that area also gets a good cleaning and coverage of dye.
After all traps have been boiled and dyed it is time to wax them. Wax can be bees wax boughten from a trap supplier or parafin wax bought from the canning section at wal-mart. Put your hard wax in a pan and heat it up rather slowly to begin the melting process. If you heat it to fast it will scorch the wax causing a burnt odor and contaminating your traps. Becareful with hot wax as it is combustable, do not let wax boil either. Dip your boiled traps in the wax long enough for the trap to reach the same temperature as the wax to get a nice even thin coverage. It kinda reminds me of dropping fish in hot oil, at first the oil bubbles and fry's then when the fish reaches the same temp it evens back out. Same goes when dropping cold traps into wax, when the sizzling stops they should be ready. Heres a pic of the finished and ready to set traps.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/boiledandwaxed.jpg)
Now it's time to set them. When I choose a location I look for several things.
Farm roads in fields, crop changes and ditches. K-9's travel the path's of least resistance and travel edges. Here is a pic of my trapping partner this year and a location of 2 sets. Between him and I is a farmers road and we have a grown up ditch. Zander is standing at the location of 1 set.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2481.jpg)
Here are pics of a remake after catching a red fox the other day. I couldn't get pics of him because I was in to big of a hurry running traps before work.
This is a chaff set, I use chaff from the bean field shaped in a "U". I put lure in center of the "U" and place trap back about 10"'s from lure. Notice the toilet paper for a pan cover.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2473.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2474.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2475.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2477.jpg)
Finished and ready to go!
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2478.jpg)
JD
Here are pics of a dirthole set where Zander was standing.
Diggin hole with a backing.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2479.jpg)
Placing trap in trap bed, make sure trap is bedded solid. If a coyote or fox steps on a trap that moves under there foot they will spook or flip the trap out of it's bed. Pan is set about 10" 's from center of hole and 2" 's offset right or left of center of hole. Bait is placed in hole.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2480.jpg)
Heres a pic of finished set, ready to go.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/canine1/HPIM2483.jpg)
JD
Thanks for the info, that was great stuff, I am going tomorrow to make three more sets and take up my first three. I cant thank you guys enough for the help. I am looking forward to my first catch. thanks again, Tom
Wow...........that's some good info and pictures. Nice job guys. :highclap:
If your not sure how far your pans need to go down before they trip, night latching the triggers on the pans will solidify that problem. An extra notch filed or grinded closer to the end of the pan tail will take away a lot of the slop. I did it to all my long spring traps.
This isn't a perfect drawing, but it should get the point across.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/nightlatch.jpg)
Good point Brad. I haven't done much night latching, I file the notch down to about an 1/8 of an inch so that it is minimal pan drop to fire the trap off. I keep my pan tension set high that way and it helps cut down on my opossum catches. It cost me a few fox to figuring out the right amount of tension though.. :whew:
JD
I went today and took up the first three sets I made, I put the bait on the pans so I am going to clean them, boil them and rewax them to get the smell of the bait off of them. I have ordered some bait and red fox urine and plan on using the dirthole set for 3 traps and the chaff set with 3 more traps. I had also used small cable to anchor my traps to some trees, I ordered some drags to attach to the traps. I noticed today that there was another guy trapping in the same area I was. I am going to let him have it and move to a new location. I just bought these traps and dont want to take a chance on getting them stolen. I am going to try some fields near my house. I have seen a few fox and a bunch of raccoons. Anybody having any luck right now?
Here is another diagram of night latching ...
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/PrideofTexas/nitelatch1.jpg)
I made three sets today, I ordered some # three fox and coyote bait and some red fox urine. I have drags attached to the traps. I made all of them dirt hole sets. I hope to have some luck by morning.
It has been 3 days since I made the sets, not any luck. I took them up today, I am going to get them cleaned up and reboiled and waxed and I am going to set them in another place. I am going to find a good trail with alot of scat on or around it. My mistake on these first sets was lack of good sign. Live and learn I guess, I am enjoying trapping so far, I cant wait to finally catch something. I will have Bopeye post a picture of my first catch, it may be a while but oh well, I am in the great outdoors. Tom
I'll post a picture for ya Tom..........just make sure it ain't the neighbors dog or something.
If that happens your on your own.......... :eyebrownod:
I am down in my back again so I havent been able to set out any traps. When I am up and going again I have a buddy that has a river behind his house, he told me its full of beaver and I could trap all I wanted. What is a good bait and what kind of traps do I need? I have 6,Duke 1 1/2 coil spring traps, would they work for catching beaver? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Tom
I have caught beaver in 1 1/2's, but they are not my trap of choice for beaver. I like a big trap for them as they are fairly strong and have large rear feet.
I have never done baited sets for beaver, but it is very common for folks to use bait. I just got back from LBL and bunked with TopDawg. He said his dad makes a really good bait and I plan on getting some and trying it. I'm sure he can give a few pointers on how to construct a baited beaver set.
It will be awhile before I get out again. I had 2 vertebrea fused together and a plate screwed into my spine for support. There is something going wrong, it feels like I might have another herniation in a disk or something, getting alot of pain in my hips and down both legs. I cant do anything right now without it hurting me. I hope the Lord get me going again soon, I love the outdoors and having to be cooped up is driving me crazy. Let me know about the bait, and thanks for the reply, Tom
BTT..Hope you see this awh..Lotta good info in this thread..
JD
Thanks JD. That alone answered several questions. But do they not smell the toilet paper your using for a cover? The stuff the wife buys is unscented, but it still has a smell to it (before it's used guys....not walking into that one blind...LOL)
More than likely they smell it, but i don't believe it has a dangerous smell to them. I have used everything for covers, most of the time I do not even use a cover, with the dirt in that pic, it was really dry and very fine dirt, so I had to use one to keep dirt from getting under the pan. Crumbled wax paper works, but is a pain in the butt to crumble up and then uncrumble it with gloves on. Trapping suppliers sell pre cut screens, they work good. Toilet paper is always available and easy to use and I have never had any problems with them scaring critters off of a set.
JD
10-4. My last question for a while. If you get a skunk in a set, how do you go about getting him dispatched and not spraying? Will they spray by just being caught? If me and lil-man come home smelling like a skunk, our lives as we know it are over. (She'll kill us )
Man, The smell of skunk comes with canine trapping all together......... :eyebrownod: Most call lures have skunk essence in them for long distance calling power. Your best bet is to have a water hook-up in the garage to clean yourselves up before goin into the house :laf: That's if you can contain it to just getting on your hands!
The way I deal with skunks is this. Yes they tend to stink the trapsite greatly, that just made your set that much better. Don't ask me why but canines are drawn to skunk smell :confused: I shoot them in the LUNGS, from a distance up wind. They dont usually spray but if i make a bad shot.....look out.. Head shots stink the worse, they can't spray without having
air intake.
Remember to work from the up wind side of them..LOL..She'll get used to the smell anyhow...eventually..
JD
LOL....Just wait till he spills or breaks a bottle of lure in his truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or gets some on his close and turns the heater on!...lol :roflmao: :roflmao:
I will haft to send him up some house cat lure for sure! :biggrin:
And if he water traps any maybe some....well never mind, I am going to get him in trouble! :roflmao:
Brent
I handle skunks the same way as JD. Sometimes after I shoot them, I let them cool down for a day or two before I take them out and remake the set. You can chop-off the skunk's tail and partially bury it beyond your trap bed. Then use your hand and rake across the tail to stand the hair up through the loose dirt.
Randy
I see Brent's sense of humor just kicked in on that question. :eyebrownod:.
Well, today I have a new question. Yesterday we were at the ponds, sitting on the dock shooting the crap about nothing while Cam was fishing. There was a few of us, and the beer was cold. A younger cousin that was there says...what's that and points to the dam over behind us. We turn and trotting across is a beautiful mink with not a care in the world that we have the .17 HMR watching him as he goes towards the picinic shelter. Well my other cuz that's there says he has seen them several several times. :eyebrow:...Now can you guess what me question is going to be? :roflmao:
Yeap, anyone got some tips on these lil suckers? Id love to get one of them trapped then to have it stuck on the wall with the foxes and deer. Heck, as slow is the thing was we could have caught it. But not enough beer in us yet to take the chance of teeth on skin. (It's teeth...our skin...)
I also looked around a little closer after it left and saw a few set's of coon tracks. So Brent, what ever you were thinking on the water traps.....go ahead and spill the beans brother. I'll deal with the wife after we come home smelling like it....LOL
And house cat lure???? Isn't that a bag of trash left on the back porch for a few hours? There is one neighbor here that is going to be looking for a new kitty if his get's in the trash one more time. :innocentwhistle:
For coon and mink, I use a No. 11 which is nothing more than a No. 1 with an added long spring. Very strong trap and very easy to bed. I add an inline box swivel and stake with rebar at least 24 in. long.
Mink don't leave a bunch of sign, so the places you find tracks are really good. Banks with a shelf along them with overhanging grass are good. I use blind sets and above water line pocket sets. For the pocket sets, I dig a hole into the bank about 8 inches above the water line and about 4 inches in diameter. I use my gloved hand to slick up the ramp between the hole and the water and place trap in about 1 to 2 inches of water. I bait the hole with fresh muskrat. Not the whole rat, just maybe a leg or head or just the tail with a little meat on it. One rat is good for about 8 sets. Don't leave a bunch of tracks on the bank. I get in the water and stay in the water when trapping mink. It doesnt seem to bother the coon.
I use about the same set for coon except I plug the hole with a wad of grass and give it a good squirt of Pro Coon mixed with fish oil. I try not to make either animal have to work to get to my sets. Easy walking along a shelf or point usually leads to one of my pocket sets or blind sets.
Randy
Sounds like Randy sets allot like I do. He is right Mink don't leave allot of sign, when I do see sign I will put 3-5 sets in that are with all of them but one being a blind set in a travel path. The odd set will be a baited pocket set and it will be in the middle of the other sets.
I am not a big blind set trapper for Mink. I like the pocket baited sets the best.
With setting pocket sets I like to look for good areas. I don't just throw down sets. I put out allot of sets but I make sure they are in good areas. Any kind of Colbert is good, drain pipes, pockets or turns in the creek or river, coves in a pond, any feeder stream or ditch feeding into another, are all good areas to set. I have allot of Mink in my area so I am not big on sign but more into just setting key areas. But I have a ton of water here in my area as well. It is just like calling, terrain features dictate were my sets are and also wind direction on baited sets.
Pocket sets are my favorite. I like to put out 3-5 sets in any good spot. I want to cover all my possibility's the best I can. I look for a sharp bank with a shelf. If I don't have it then I cut the bank out. I make sure the mink has to come across the pan of the trap to get to the bait. I don't want him to be able to drop in from the top and seal my bait, coons are bad for this. I cut the bank out pretty sharp, then dig my hole back in the bank for the bait, about 12" or so deep but 8" wide I want good eye appeal and the end of the bait to be visible in the back of the hole, then I take my spade handle and poke a smaller hole just 1" x 2" in the very back to hold the bait.
I flatten the font of the pocket out good, and pack with fresh mud, make sure the bed for you trap is solid, and I like about a 1/2" of water over my pan on my trap. I set my traps right in front of the hole and just a little off to one side not much but just a little off set. I want my pan set as light as I can get it. I also make sure the mud is slick leading into my pocket set hole.
I there is a way for then to get in from the side just take a couple sticks and set them in the ground on each side of the trap set. This will keep them from coming from the sides and guide them right over the trap. Not to many you want it to look natural.
If you want you can pull some grass over the front of the pocket, Mink love to check out holes, or cut aways in the banks, there in all the cracks and crevices of the banks.
Most all of my sets are drowning sets, so I use a little longer chain or wire and use a 28" "T" stake. You can kind of measure what it takes to get the Mink into deep enough water to drown once cough.
If I cant drown him then I set a good size stick in the water about half way between the trap stake and the trap. I want to keep him in the water, not up on the bank.
For bait, I like Muskrat, or fish. Bull head cats are my favorite. I just cut them into pieces about 2" long or so. I also like shad, or skip jack. I will cut some of them up into pieces and the rest go into a blinder. I drop the shad in the blinder with some fish oil and distilled water. Just enough to make it damp and blend it all up good together. I keep my Mink bait fresh, I don't want it tainted or rotten.
I take a small amount of the blinded fish and splatter it in the back of the hole, then place a piece of fish on top of that. Seat the bait in the mug were they haft to work to get it out of the hole and it wont fall out. Get you a old dish washing liquid bottle and clean it out good, this works well to keep your fish oil in and saves on time and mess. Take a small milk jug and cut the side out of it. Use this to keep you bait pieces in, there easy to carry, fast and clean. If you cut a small section out of the handle it will hang right on your bucket.
I try and stay in the water when making pocket sets, if I can. Keep as much of it natural as you can.
Pick you up a spade shovel. The make fast for of a bank and are just the right size for pocket sets, and make good quick work of roots as well.
Brent