Does anyone do anything during the offseason to help attract or hold furbearers in a certain area. I am looking for ideas of things to do this summer in areas where i plan on trapping to attract furbearers. For example gathering brush into piles to create rodent habitat i have been told creates good mousing opportunity for canines, and can help increase your chances of trapping them when the season starts. I am not to keen on baiting unless i can get a good sized deer carcass as i would prefer to not have to return to rebait. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated......carl

Dumping beaver carcasses around my registered trapline over the last 15 years or so has really increased the carrying capacity of my line for predators especially marten.The most important time of year for this method to work is mid winter until spring.

Brush piles are always good habitat for small prey so that should help some. I like to create pinch points in trails so the critters get used to them well before the season. Also I add prominent rocks or objects along trails to use for pee post sets later on. A few cubbies built here and there that you throw some bait in now and then makes set location decisions easier too when the season rolls in.

Yes premaking set make cubbies early so they are not new when season opens for Bobcats if location is right may start to use the walk thur cubbies bait with cheese may also get mice to move in if they do open the door to foxes and coyotes to be taken as well.

4 to 6 weeks before season opens premake your dirt holes, flat sets bait with a good cooked bait to help keep the flys down. rebait once a week. spring run sets should be made this time of year so they have time to age/regrow.

Pole sets should also be made this time of year.

A good cubbie and pole sets made well will last 10 years or more.

ANY THING YOU CAN DO BEFORE SEASON CAN BOOST YOUR CATCH RATES
every thing posted above is good. i use trail cams a long trails to see what animal works them not just for fur bearers but for large bucks as well.i also put out my earth anchors, dig my dirt holes ( when i use them ) add my backings were my flat sets will be a week before season.

during the summer and fall i comercial catfish so all the left over waste is used to prebait my coon lines, as well i spend that time getting free left over waste at the processing plants for my canine bait stations.i gather shad and add honey from my bee hives to add to them to bait my coon feeders during season when corn is ilegal to use

Bunch of guys were baiting deer heavy with corn, salt etc. Farmer went to inspect his corn field and found a lot of it gone. After looking around he found the deer baits. Those guys don't hunt there no more and are minus a few stands, some safe way scafold, and their mineral blocks. Many farmers like us to remove problem aninals not draw them in. Just saying use your head.

wright brothers i agree but here it is legal and i am not on private land so i never broke a land owners rule or law .what private land i do trap i ask before i do, if they don't want corn used then i use a bait made from shad,honey and peppermint oil and i still collect my coon and grey fox you can still work with the land owners if you use your head.as for coon and corn no matter if there is a feeder or not them coon and deer will still be there.let me point this out as well.
i get a lot of calls to clean out coon around the deer feeders on big hunting clubs and this a long has put me behind locked gates for testing lures and to trap as well.

but i still agree 100% ask before you do better to be safe then be sorry later

I think i read this on a post here somewhere- one of the farms i trap the owner has some old tires laying around. Last wkend i put some bird seed in the center of the tire, packed the sides full of hay, placed hay on top of the seed, placed a plywood on top of the tire with a large rock on the plywood. I havent checked it yet but hope to get a mice heaven going in a few places. Any of ya'll tried that before?

And a few snakes. To hunt the mice and live in the nice warm tires.. Sounds like a good way to good mice bait.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas everyone it is greatly appreciated...........carl

IMO if u run good land u dont need to atract and keep them they r always there !!

You can always increase the carrying capacity of the land by providing feed especially in late winter when the carrying capacity is set each year.