Never! sit down on a CDR Beaver trap. Not even to eat a sandwich!

In big marshes, flag your muskrat trap locations. Don't rely on your memory. It's amazing how the landscape changes with 6 inches of new snow covering everything.

Don't rut up a landowner's 2 track road when it is wet and muddy. Even though you got that 4WD and aggresive tires. Park the truck and walk.

They don't like thier roads all rutted up.

dont show your buddies where your traps are at. They will want to keep going back to check them out of curiousity. Also, dont let the whole scent thing drive you nuts. Leave little scent as possible but dont get so anal about it that let it comsumes you.

I hear ya Rick !! :-))

Well to add to White 17's post, I learned this trick from K.G. in Montana around 1980. That was to soak "it" in the animal's urine that you were pursuing. Meaning put it in a clean quart jar and fill 2/3 with wolf, coyote, cat, or fox urine. Soak it and shake every day for 3 or 4 days. This creates an "inheat" urine. Pour out the urine and use. I have used this with whitetail doe urine too. Been using it that way every year and trapping lots of critters since then.

Interesting

Never set your larger body grippers without using a safety setter.

Concerning landowners, send them a Christmas card. In the off-season, if possible, drop off a bag of bluegill filets, a few morel mushrooms, venison, etc. Also stop and show your catch to them once in awhile. Always take time to just talk.

Many trappers do not wax their bodygrip traps. I do, I only wax the end of the spring attached to the jaws, and jaws where the spring slides up and down. The wax reduces the friction and makes the trap very fast and smooth. Be careful not to get wax on any other parts of the jaws. By only waxing that area I have few if any problems with the trap going off in my hands.

experiment and expand your knowledge each season ... for instance .... if ya can construct a certain type set to take a beaver in a foothold, learn to also use snares and conis in similiar sets ..... this will help out when depth of water, laws, view of public, etc .... as well as will teach you more about the specific animals .... would share more with ya but ... hey .... whats the purpose ?? lmao

Watch the animal, study it and let it show you how to catch it..

Billy Y,

And it is amazing how many landowners get bent out of shape simply because some trapper drove across their planted pines.


Snaring tip: I use brown, OD, or black duct tape for whammies on most of my snares these days. I also use a box knife to cut around the roll in the center of the tape. This way I can peel off a narrower strip, and don't have to mess with tearing the duct tape down the center of its length to get narrower strips. Only have to make a quick tear for length.

I have seen some folks using black electric tape for whammies. IMEx, black tape gets hard to work with in cold weather.

Adios,
45/70,

Last year was my first year of trapping, but I learned a lot from my mistakes.

1. If there is a dam on the property, set traps in any tire/animal tracks that go over the dam.

2. Same thing applies to any paths, tracks, trails else where on the property. The animals will follow the path of least resistance while traveling, especially when snow flies.

3. Use those skunk carcasses for the buried skunk set. It can keep on working for years. You can find this one in the archives.

Drive in the dark.

Work your butt off all day.

Drive home in the dark.

Drink Red Bull to stay awake on the drive home.

Read as many trapping books as you can get your hands on. theyre cheap and if they teach you just one new trick to put fur in your trap they are paid for.

To cut your screen pan covers get one of those paper cutters that are used in schools, etc. One can regulate the size quite accurately and cut a lot of screen pan covers in short order. And yes, I am talking about the metal screen, too which is the only type to use IMHO.

The only other tip I would give has been told ad nauseaum but bed your traps soldily. More problems occur and animals missed from improperly bedded traps, regardless be they land or water sets, footholds or conibears.

Well I've only got a few years of trapping under my belt but set on sign and don't worry about theft when the area is hot. Outdoors folks like us are just like the rest of the population in that only a small percentage are thieves. Passing up a spot that gives up 6 coons and 3 minks for fear of losing $20 worth of footholds just doesn't make sence.

Little "white lies"...

When you gain permission from a landowner to trap, because he wants the coon, fox, coyote, muskrat...ect, ect,....GONE
I always "beef" up the count a bit. If the farmer wants rid of the coon, and you catch 20 off his farm, I'll let him know, if he asks, I caught 25. You're not hurting anyone, but not only putting a big smile on the farmers face, but ensuring your right to be there the following year. Is this ethical or ritchious....probably not, but then again, what's it hurting?

Also, keep a bandade or 2 in your wallet.

Years ago I was trapping a colony of beaver that got wise quick! They were tripping 330's regularly. One day while checkin traps I was standing on the bank checking a 330 when a beaver came swimming up the run towards me. This bugger was makin some time under water and b4 I new it he swam right THROUGH the 330 without getting caught !!!!!!! Hit that 330 square and swam through it - couldn't believe my eyes!!!!!! After that I thought about how I could slow them down before they hit the trigger. I decided to lay a really fine branch(someting they don't care to eat) with lots of twigs over the 330 and several feet b4 it to camo it and slow beaver down b4 hitting trigger. It worked and have used this ever since. They are used to swimming underwater through branches and food cache. Why wouldn't they slow down to protect their eyes and face.