Traps

[Brad H]

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.

[canine]

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..

JD

[clousewt]

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?

[OKTrap]

Here is another diagram of night latching ...

[clousewt]

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.

[clousewt]

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

[Bopeye]

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..........

[clousewt]

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

[studabaka]

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.

[clousewt]

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

[canine]

BTT..Hope you see this awh..Lotta good info in this thread..

JD

[awh]

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)

[canine]

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

[awh]

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 )

[canine]

Man, The smell of skunk comes with canine trapping all together......... 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 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   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

[keekee]

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!

And if he water traps any maybe some....well never mind, I am going to get him in trouble! :roflmao:


Brent

[RShaw]

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

[awh]

I see Brent's sense of humor just kicked in on that question. .

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.  ...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. 

[RShaw]

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

[keekee]

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