Well it started off on the bad side! I had planed to set the day after Christmas but due to a plugged drain at the house and two days plumbing it didn't happen! ( Were is Baxter, CCP, when you need him! ) And being off for 4 days for Christmas I had to work 10 Hr shifts this week. So, I got several sets out on Friday some dang fine Otter sets and a few Beaver sets around 30 or so. It rained all night Friday night and every thing was under 4 feet of water today!
So back to setting I went! I started early this Am putting out Beaver sets and Otter, along with some Coon and Mink sets and several Fox and Coyote sets. I'm worn out! LOL! But man it just feels so good to be back out on the line again!
I will pack the camera in the morning and report back in late tomorrow eve! I got more sets to pound in after I run in the morning, I picked up 1,500 acers of dairy farm to set today and plan on being in there right after the check in the morning to set for Fox, land owner says he is seeing Reds every night cross the road! Along with hearing the Coyotes howling several times a week. I took a drive threw there this eve and man that place is laid out nice.
I thought about taking some pic's as I set tomorrow and then taking pic's of the results on Monday for you all to fallow along, and give me some input!
I smell like Beaver Castor and Coyote lure and need a shower!
Brent
Man, seems like you've had to put up with a lot rain this season. :madd: Is this fairly typical for ya? Or is it an extra wet year. Its gotta make it a pain. :nono:
Look forward to the pics !
I can't wait to see the pics.
Do you ever get rest? Seems as if you never get any, always goin!
QuoteDo you ever get rest? Seems as if you never get any, always goin!
Ya, I get some sleep, but sleep is over rated! :biggrin: I can sleep when Im dead!...lol
QuoteMan, seems like you've had to put up with a lot rain this season.
No its not this wet normally. We didnt have any rain all summer till season came in then it rains every other day..lol..
Brent
Sleep may be over rated but it is nice to get once in awhile!
Quote from: keekee on December 29, 2007, 09:08:30 PM
Ya, I get some sleep, but sleep is over rated! :biggrin: I can sleep when Im dead!...lol
Ahhhhhh Sheeeeez dude :doh2: :iroll:
Quote from: keekee on December 29, 2007, 07:29:44 PMI smell like Beaver Castor and Coyote lure and need a shower!
Brent
So what else is new? :sarcas3:
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
Don't wait till your dead to wise up about getting sleep! :nofgr:
We had a break in the rain here yesterday, but I went calling instead of setting cause we are getting a couple more inches today. Deer season ends Tuesday, so will be getting the line going again then. I'm thinking all the rain will get the beaver and otter moving more :yoyo:
Good luck :biggrin:
Well not as good of a day as I had hoped but not bad. After all the rain the water dropped almost 8" last night. Not good for water traps! But I did end up with two small beaver and one Red Fox. Not bad. So I had time to put some new sets out today. I put in 20 some extra set today. Thought I would post some pic's of some sets and areas I set today. Feel free to let me know what you think of the sets and over the next 5 days what sets you think will hit!
Lets start with a couple area and set pictures....
This fisrt area got two dirt hole sets for Coyotes. Baited with Pro Choice and Canine Call and baited with Rabbit fur and meat based bait. . Both dirt holes are right were the road comes to a cross one on the right of the road and one on the left . Lots of freash tracks and scat. Im looking forward to checking these over the next week.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/coyotefield.jpg?t=1199056193)
Lets change over to water! I set this snare today for beaver. Its in a ditch leading over to a creek from a lake. Fresh cuttings in there and a good beat down trail.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/beaversnare.jpg?t=1199056418)
Speaking of Beaver here is the two I got this morning, Im hoping in the morning is beter if the water gets stable tonight, it may take a few days for it to level out. Both these Beaver were real small but this is a ADC job and they want them gone. I cleaned out the rats earlyer in the season.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/heroshot.jpg?t=1199056533)
The Red Fox has a story. I set this spot early in the year and a had both dirt holes worked every night for 5 days but he never hit the trap pan. Worked the sets from the back a couple times and just never got cought. I had to pull the sets for deer season. I went back in to set for Beaver and figured I would put a couple sets back out to see if I could conect this go around. So, I changed up and put a hay set in there and no dirt holes. And when I went in this Am, here is what was waiting on me!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/redfox.jpg?t=1199056854)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/redfox1.jpg?t=1199056891)
I dont know how many of you all have used the hay set but it works real well here in the farm land for Red Fox and Gray Fox, and every once in a bit I get a Coyote in one. I set some new areas today for Fox and took some pic's of how I put in a hay set.....
Here is the tools you will need to use this set. Two traps, and I hook them togeather with a quick link. Two stakes, some straw and a hammer. I use straw instead of hay because of the deer. You will need some Red Fox pee as well. And you can change the set up with a little Rabbit fur and lure if you want.
Step one...A good location and all your tools....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/haysetstart.jpg?t=1199057309)
Step two.... lay the traps out to the lgth you want them and use the hammer to pound the ground down to give a good solid bed for the trap, no wabble and this lets the pan of the trap lay level with the set Also now is the time to drive your crossed stakes in, this area has Coyotes as well so I double stake. I also added a little pete moss under the traps to keep them from freezing to the ground in cold temps the ground is wet here so this will help keep the traps from freezing down......
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/hayset1.jpg?t=1199057545)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/hayset2.jpg?t=1199057780)
Next step is to add the hay, I put it right down the center and fan the ends. This leaves two little pockets on each side of the traps. Makes it easy for the Fox to work the set from the sides and thats what we want. On this set I took a stake and added two small holes on each side of the trap chains in the center. In one hole I put some rabbit fur and in the other a liitle lure. I then install my hay in the center. I then cover the traps with a little hay on each side, I break the hay up in smaller piece to keep the trap from clugging when it fires.I used some rabbit fur on top of the hay to add some looks and smell to the set. And last I add some Red Fox urine to the center! And its done!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/haysetfinsihed.jpg?t=1199057986)
I put in several dirt holes today as well. Here is a look at a set by set picture of how I put in a set today....
Here is a picture of one of the new areas I set today. All sets are at logging road crosses at fields. Land owner has seen Coyotes, and red Fox cross these roads all the time. Several sets of tracks and scat at all the fields as well. First pic is of the tools I use to make a set. Its wet here and turning cold with snow the next couple days, so I used dry dirt and pete moss on each set. This will make sure the trap fires if worked.
Here is a look at the first area before the sets........
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/area1.jpg?t=1199058847)
Here is a look at a few of my tools I use. Clean gloves, my trapping bucket for dirt holes, Some dry dirt in the coffee can and some pete moss in the other box.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/trucktools.jpg?t=1199059001)
After I picked my location and got a wind direction. I started my sets. I put two dirt holes at every location or a hay set and a dirt hole.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/dirtholestart.jpg?t=1199059095)
Next I dig my trap bed and set my trap. On this set I am useing a cable stake, and 1.75 trap. This area hold a few Coyotes so I want to make sure I can hold them. I use wax papper to cover the pan. I put the first layer in dry dirt and then a light layer of pete moss and bed the trap solid......
(http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/th_dirtholetrapbed.jpg)
Then I finish out the set with strait pete moss. And bait. I used mouse meat based bait and some fur, along with a small shot of Farm land fox on this set, on the other set beside this one. I used Leons fox all call and some urine on the backing.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/dirtholefinish.jpg?t=1199059459)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/dirthole1.jpg?t=1199059499)
Here is a look at a few more sets I put in today.........
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/area2hayset.jpg?t=1199059629)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/area2dirthole.jpg?t=1199059690)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/area1dirthole.jpg?t=1199059730)
Well that about does the day. I tried to grab as many pictures as I had time for. I hope to have a good run in the morning with some up date pic's! Any feed back on what these sets will do over the next 5 days?
Last picture of the day is for Jim!
After a hard day on the line this Buds For You!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/thisbudforyou.jpg?t=1199060048)
Brent
Set one is I dig the dirt hole. Some big some small, some have a step down and some dont.
Nice work Brent.......I went out and scouted the property that I am going to be trapping. Deer season is over on the 6th, so I am aching to go. :wink:
Brent
You are killing me.That is a cool set the straw set.Do you ever loose any due to the straw between there leg and the trap jaws.
Good lookin sets. Thanks for takin the time to post the pictures for us, so we could go along with. :wink:
Look forward to the "after" shots.
I can only imagine what he said to that fox....outloud...after missing it that many times and then walking in and seeing it setting there with it's paw in the trap :roflmao: :roflmao:
QuoteI can only imagine what he said to that fox....outloud...after missing it that many times and then walking in and seeing it setting there with it's paw in the trap
LOL....I new he was there before I ever walked up to the trap, the crows were up there over top of the set just raising hell. It is nice to pick one up like that after they work around the set like that one did!
QuoteDo you ever loose any due to the straw between there leg and the trap jaws.
Not really. Most of the time the just jump in that hay set feet first. The one yesturday I had by both front feet. The hay set more up on top of the traps so when they do step on the pan it gets them high on the foot. I do have problems with the deer setting the traps off.
DirtyDog,
I got a package ready to send you way this week. Should get you fixed up!
Brent
I really enjoy reading your posts especially with the pictures. I know very little about trapping. Thanks.
Semp
Thanks Semp I enjoy sharing them with everyone as well!
Well today was a little slow as well. Water dropped again last night and it got cold enough to freeze the shallow water edges. But first check of the day had a rabbit hunter standing on top of the set I got the Red in yesterday. Im just glad I didnt get one of his hounds. So I ran up to talk with him, he wasnt supost to be in there anyway.
After that The first beaver check had this bad boy in a snare..........
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/Beaversnared.jpg?t=1199138284)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/beaversnared1.jpg?t=1199138586)
That was the only Beaver action I had today, with the water drop again I had to re set several sets and all my Mink sets.
The sets I put in yesterday did ok. The first set I took the picture of me putting in a dirt hole took this big ol bore coon!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/dirtholecoon.jpg?t=1199138699)
I done a re set on it and moved on to the other sets, I didnt get in there till after the sun had came out good and it was a muddy mess! I slid the truck all over this place to get back in there to the sets. I hope it freezes tonight so I can make it back in there in the AM with out walking in...lol.... Rain, Snow, Ice and high winds in the forcast for tonight so we will see what morning brings.....
Anyway I had two other sets worked on the next check but they never hit the pan. On the last stop on this farm I pulled up to see this guy waiting on me.........
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/redfoxlive.jpg?t=1199138930)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/redfoxlave1.jpg?t=1199138964)
Bad news is it looks like on the right back leg he had the start of some mange. Im going to skin him anyway it dont look real bad but im sure the fur buyer will dock me for the one back leg.
This set was the hay set I took picture of me setting yesterday. Not bad for the first night these sets were in this farm.
This coon was a big ol bore I like to see them in the sets they are bringing more than the Reds.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/bigdirtholecoon.jpg?t=1199139122)
The Beaver wasnt bad size either, not great big but not small either.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/beaver2007.jpg?t=1199139248)
Here is a picture of the Beaver and the coon hanging there togeather, to give you a idea of how big the coon was.......
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/coonandbeaver.jpg?t=1199139322)
The Beaver hit the scales at just over 40 pounds.
And again here is a pic for Jim, end of the day, this Buds For You!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/daysendbud.jpg?t=1199140079)
Brent
COOL PICS!! I love the trappin pictures. Keep em comming.
Nice pictures Brent.Good job.
Brent,
"That was the only Beaver action I had today." You never know, I have heard that on New Year's Eve an elusive Beaver can sometimes be found. :shock2: Good luck.
Jerry
Sun's still up and fur is still on the truck...... :wo: I'm thinking liquid lunch vs end of day toast :nofgr: :roflmao:
Nice catch and pics. I haven't tried snares for beaver, though it's the only thing legal to snare here, so I may have to give that a try. Sure would beat lugging 330's along to some of these hard to reach areas and probably easier to set over some of the deep den holes. Do you get a lot of misses/push aside/swim throughs with them?
Any tips appreciated.
I made a few sets today so I'm looking forward to the morning :biggrin: Deer season ends tomorrow so I'll add some land sets in the morning as well.
Great post Brent. I don't know much about trapping, but the pics and explanation help. :yoyo:
Nice belt buckle! :puke:
Grab that fox by the tail like Reggy does, you sissy :sneer:
Sure do enjoy the stories and pictures!!
Thanks,
Nelson
QuoteI haven't tried snares for beaver, though it's the only thing legal to snare here, so I may have to give that a try. Sure would beat lugging 330's along to some of these hard to reach areas and probably easier to set over some of the deep den holes. Do you get a lot of misses/push aside/swim throughs with them?
Any tips appreciated.
Stu,
I love the snare for Beaver, it beats the hell out of those 330. And you can beat them for being light and easy to get into places you haft to walk into. But it does suck packing out A 50# beaver. They set fast and easy! I do think that a snared beaver in a set disturbs the other beaver and puts them on edge. But the way I try and do is set for 3 days at a time, them pull out. I go back several weeks or a week later after things have calmed down and set again. That's usually about what it takes for me to get what I want out of a area and move on.
I use a Castor mound set allot with snare's. I make my own slides right between two of there slides or in a area that has allot of sign. Make up a Castor mound at the top and add some strange Castor to the mound and set my snare right were they exit the water. I will add a little blocking on each side but use more leaves and small twigs than anything. To keep it low to the ground so they can see over the blocking. I also try and add some brite cutting sticks for eye appeal as well.
They also work well as blind sets were they are traveling or exiting the water. They will go around them some but most of the time it seems they just don't pay them much mind. I use them some on a pole set for deep water dens, they are great for these.
A 50-60 pound beaver on the end of 7 x 7 cable is a hoot!
Brent
Thanks.... I'm going to give that a go.
PS.... water level keeps droping and keep catching coon in my otter sets :madd:
I know all about the water drop....lol....I been fighting that ALL season. It sucks! But good new for me is that the coon prices are up so its not to bad. But re making the sets every day sucks for sure.
The temps dropped here it was -2 Deg today with the wind chill! Dumped snow on us all night last night and is snowing again now. All the shallow water sets are froze in now. That means I will be re making sets again....lol
I will tell you one thing on the snares if figured out. The Cam Locks seem to be more fur friendly than any of the other locks I have tried. They don't seem to get wound up in the fur like the others do. But we haft to have deer stops here and they get wound up in the fur some but not to much. All three beaver this weekend looked good from the snares.
Brent
The wind is what's miserable about the cold. It barely broke freezing today, but the wind cut and made it feel like teens.
Got my first skunk of the season today :biggrin: Never feels like it's really trapping season until ya got that smell going and nobody wants to hang out with ya :shrug: :roflmao:
Nice pics Brent. How much snow did you get down your way?
I wait and wait for a freeze up to set some traps, and finally get it and it snows 8 inches and blows and drifts all my sets up. :madd:
Had to go back through the line today and sweep them all off. One good thing i got out of it, I seen a shooter this evening in Lockwoods. Back to bow hunting for a few while this snow is on.
Hopefully I'll have some pics of coyotes to add If the weather cooperates.
JD
I know what you mean about the skunks Stu! So does my wife....lol She wont ride in my truck now, says it smells like dead stuff! Got to love it! :biggrin:
JD,
We got about 4" right now, wind blew all of it into drifts but its started snowing again now. I think it about done though. Looks like another 1-3" to add to the 4 we got today. I took the broom and cleaned off the truck, drove 27 miles down the river to work and the snow just reached the top of the grass....lol....Maybe 1 1/2" its unreal how much of a difference 27 Miles can make!
I'm headed out in the morning to help a friend of mine get his Fox and Coyote sets working again after the snow. Then Friday morning I'm teaming up with a buddy to nail some Beaver and Otter on a long line for the next 5-7 days. Should be a blast, I like to long line with a friend makes the days allot easier. Friday and Sat will be long days setting though! But two of us can lay some steal and snares in a hurry though!
That's good news on the Lockwood buck! But you not trapping those calling Coyotes are ya? :biggrin:
Brent
There aren't any coyotes in Lockwoods :biggrin:
The big zilcho for me today, no tracks in the snow even. Called a double in this afternoon at berry's, got footage but couldn't get a damn shot at them. Musta been the same 2 coyotes Jim and I missed last year, they wouldn't stop for nothin, that is until they stood atop the hill with no background to stop the bullet if we missed. :madd:
Have fun on the line and hope to see some pics of an Otter.
JD
Zero for us today as well! Everything was froze in! Everything. At -2 Deg its tough to keep anything working. Creeks are froze over as well all the water sets are froze in or under Ice. Not much sign of anything moving right now.
We desided to lay off the long line till Sat morning. Warm up is comming and the creeks will be good to go after Friday! Warm up means we should lay the smack down on the coons! Picked up a ton of beaver land today some great places as well! Good two good leads on Otter as well!
No Coyotes in Lockwoods! I cant beleave you said that :roflmao:......LMAO!
Who ran the camera? The new guy?
Hey we got Gray fox to shoot before season goes out! You better get you ass down here or Im going to go shoot them!
Brent
Cool pics Kee. Thats a perty look'n fox too.
Had a few days of cold here and the coons don't seem to be moving as much..... couple that with the water levels stabilizing and ......
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/StuDaBaka/Trapping%200708/Trapping0708004.jpg)
OH YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats what were looking for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :biggrin:
Nice Stu! Very nice! Im going to be one happy man if I walk up on one like that in a set! You might be able to hear me down there were you are! :biggrin:
We just dont have that many here yet and man they cover allot of ground!
Congrads Stu!
Brent
:yoyo: :yoyo: NNNNice.
Arent you a little concerned though, about theft with that chain anchor exposed like that?
When set you can't see the chain.... he tore out my drowning stake and tangled in the stump :puke: It's one of my favorite spots for otter and beaver, but have had both tangle in that stump on ocassion. ...... plus of the few folks allowed on this farm, none trap and none would mess with my stuff.
I'll be listening Brent cause your gonna hook up with one soon I'm sure. There is a pretty healthy population of them around here and they are creatures of habit so it's pretty much finding their routes and setting to intercept.
That's great Stu!!!! :yoyo: :yoyo: What are Otter skins going for?
Nelson
1
Stu,
Way to go, but that Beaver sure is skinny. :biggrin: Just kidding, nice looking muskrat. My wife thinks it looks "otterly" beautiful.
Nice catch,
Jerry
Good deal Stu!!!!! I hope that one day soon I can get a set and have that sittin in it. :biggrin:
Thanks guys....sorry for the highjack Brent :shck:
Here is what NAFA says on otter......
Special Notice Regarding the Otter Market
Herman Jansen reports that the problem between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government still exists and therefore Otter skins are not selling. People are reporting that it is not a matter of price, but that the Tibetans, who are the major consumers of these skins, are not willing to buy. NAFA will therefore have to re-establish new markets for these skins, a process which normally tends to take two years.
We would recommend that all of our trappers limit their Otter harvest, as prices most likely will be reduced over last years prices by more than half and maybe as much as two-thirds. It is NAFAs intention to sell all the trapper Otters in the February 2007 auction at no limits, to establish a new market. Please be assured that NAFA will do everything within its power to generate the maximum amount of activity for this important article.
I've got a few in the freezer and have been tanning a few. Doesn't look like a good time to be selling them raw. :shrug:
I wonder what the Taliban is doing with otter hides :confused:
Second thought maybe I dont wanna know :holdon:
That's to cool Stu! Congrats. ? are Otter mean and aggressive or are they doscile...?
Brent, I was filmin and callin, Jim was totin the AR. They swung way out downwind, the batteries in the JNB were dead, I think that possibly could of made a difference If I'd of been using it.
Suppose to be in the 50's and rain here for a few, I'm done trappin till it freezes back up.
JD
Pretty aggressive......
Not had much time to up date. We been running traps every day and then work, then go skin. So time has been very slim. The Beaver have went very well every day, and so have the coons and Mink. But no Otter yet! Close on a 330 the other night, and had one knock down a beaver snare today in a spot we didnt even see any Otter sign.
40 - 50 MPH winds and rain tonight, then a good day then Rain, Rain and snow! So, who knows about the rest of the week. We are hanging in there every day, running hard and putting more sets out. Looking to change some of the Beaver areas for the weekend we been pounding them pretty good every night.
Lots of work, but damn its fun!
I did take some pic's and will try and post some soon!
Brent
Well, got a few pic's that's I remembered to grab. Time has just been hard to come by running that many traps a day and working. But here is a couple with a up date.
Still no Otter. We did real well on the coons and Mink along with the Beaver. We pounded the coons and Mink! I hit my goal of 200 Coons at the first of the week! :biggrin: I'm happy! We got two Blond coons, both in the same area, one of them is in the pic's.
Then the rain set in again! We got 2" of rain the other night, put all of our sets out of order and some of them under 8 plus feet of water! We got some out but still have over half of our sets way under water.
We looked over some new areas to set today but are holding off till the weather lays down they are calling for snow and cold all week plus this weekend a big storm with some major snow. So we are done till all this is over, other than a few sets here by the house and a few Beaver sets I'm running here local.
We got 20 days till season closes on coons and fox so I hope we get a good week of running before we pull to head to the LBL.
Here is a couple pic's, not much but I just forgot and being really pushed for time just didn't take any.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/morningrun.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/morningpic.jpg)
And here is what happens when a big ol coon dog gets to your Beaver before you get there.......This pisses me off!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/keekee/dogsandbeaver.jpg)
Brent