You know Bob, Back when I came up with those strategies, cell phones was just coming out LOL Trail cameras no way LOL Many hours was spent watching problem squirrels, coon and skunks work traps. I learned a lot but I wish I would have had these cameras then. then again maybe not LOL I use them a lot now on vid mode.
You know, I am challenged a lot by folks about these methods, saying you don't need to do all that, to catch animals. I agree!!!! NOW folks need to hear me!!!! Most animals we deal with will go into a trap with ease!!!! if the trap placement and location is right. Something I have heard Bob also preach over and over. ( I fear that this understanding is being lost in todays fast pace ADC work) As a fur trapper I don't care to catch every critter in that area, I want to leave seed, may as well be the smarter ones LOL But ADC I need to get the whole problem. There can be a few critters that can be a problem, and when they are a problem I don't want to wait 3 to 5 days to see it. I want to know the very next check if I have a problem critter. So I guess you can say I use these strategies every time I set a trap with the thought of, if the critter is a normal critter it will go in the cage, and if it is a problem critter it will go in because I have taken some of the negative away by these strategies, or at least the critter will show me it is a problem. The strategies I came up with, most times, can tell me what I have the very next check, even when I do not have a critter in the trap. I can tell if the critter was there, or if it was there and not in the trap, I can tell what level of problem it may be, and I can make my adjustments depending on what I see. Maybe just re-baiting with something different or changing bait and lure placement, maybe change to what I call a, can't have it method, or change to a, move just a little method, maybe switch to flip flop or back to back methods just a few examples I have in the bag of tricks to use when I need them. I learned way back then and I have heard Bob say many times, just changing something up, just a little, can many times convince the critter to commit. But to change up, I have to see that I need to change something. By the way I am so use to doing this, that I just do it with out thinking. takes me 30 secs to a min more LOL By the way these Strategies, have taken my wife, who never set a cage in her life until a few weeks ago, to average above 75 percent catch rate LOL Cable restraints she still needs work on. This week end she is getting a full snare course LOL