This my first season, and I'll be going after Coon, Mink, Muskrat, and Beaver, and I want to catch a lot of them, so any advice u can give would be great,(like what bait and sets to use for what) also pics are very helpful. Thanks.

Get a list of questions ready , also check the archives , theirs alot of good post/ threads saved and a good resource for some of the questions , lots of reading there , dry land , water everything from sets to baits/lures , check your state regs as what is legal for you also , this help you alot with questions/ research

Do onions work well as muskrat bait, or what is a good bait for muskrats, are some baits better than others, and do some out perform others on under the ice 110 sets??? Also when are muskrat pelts fully prime in MN? When are the best times to trap Muskrats?

X2

Think big, catch big, invest in some videos too

for coon i would run pocket sets easy to do and highly effective!!

Where are good places to make pocket sets for coon? Should I set on sign like I read u should do for muskrat? When should I start trapping them to get only fully prime pelts? Nov? Dec?

if you will notice the coons r in the water i run a lot of road tubes and and the river ive had real good on pocket sets !!

snare trails along side streams and rivers. youll catch coon too yotes. I use 3/32 cable. Also driftwood piles will be a hot spot

Only animal that eat onions by choice is a human. Dogs maybe after its cooked with a steak.
Remember nothing is smelling anything while swimming under the ice as it swims. Unless you're trapping fish.

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one thing i woudl caution you of in my personal experience is your theory on catching A LOT of animals. while its certrainly possible in your first year. its not mecessarily probable. muskrats are easy, so that one is pretty easy to obtain with a little education, but the rest you will have to learn over time what sets, lures,and baits to use along with what works best at what time of year in your area. there is no fool proof method with this past time, but you will be much closer to your goal by educating yourself in every way possible (which you are already doing). Dont go shooting for numbers right out of the gates, aim to learn. i say this for one simple reason... if your goal is to catch a ton of critters of each species your first year trapping, you are likely to get discouraged and want to give up for not meeting your goal. however if you aim to do nothing more than learn and improve over the course of the year, and end up catching a ton..... more power to ya!

Thank you for the advice, I have considered that. Fortunately however, I don't get discouraged. It might not happen this season, but than again it might. But I know one thing, I will sometime fulfill my goal of 1,000 muskrats, 500 Coon, 100 mink, and 100 Beaver in one season. Thanks again.

Study trapping videos, attend trapping demos, ask questions, ride along with a mentor and get out in the field and try to employ what you have learned. The be observant and learn from your mistakes.

These things will dramatically steepen your learning curve.

Teal

Also Victor be sure to check that any advice, given with the best intentions(knowing the laws of all States is hard to count on), is legal not only in your State but in your City as well. Laws and ordinances increasing. It is easy for beginners to assume want one is told by another trapper is OK for them to. Welcome to Tman and the trapping world.

Will do, Is there a website that has the ordinances? cuz I've went through the MN Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook more than once, and know the stuff in there well. But I don't know about ordinances.

show me a man who does not get discouraged, and i will show you a liar...... how one deals with discouragement is what will make or break the difference in being as successful as you want to be. you must have forgotten that frustration is clearly a form of discouragement.... and trapping can certainly be frustrating

you can learn alot here,but even more in the field. stake for elephant when you stake a trap as you never know what you will catch. thats my tip to all new guys. also plan attending state trapper rondys, the nta national is in your home state this year as well. lots of equiptment and info to be gained by attending.read the archives here good info. spend more time in the field and fur shed than on here. good luck

When in doubt ask Bigkolo
I will show you the way. You will be great. You just need to take notes while we write to one another.
Follow all the advice that has been mentioned here in this thread.

What I meant Mr. Myers wasn't that I don't get frustrated. I meant that I don't get so discouraged that I give up.