Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: Bowwhitetail]
#6379569
11/22/18 12:50 PM
11/22/18 12:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,888 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,888
Wisconsin
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I started In 1953. I walked a line behind the house and caught rabbits and coon and a few rats. In 1955 while I was In HS I would peddle my bike down to the lake. My dads friend lived on this slough and I kept my 12' boat there . I had a 11/2 horse Elgin out board on It and I trapped rats mink and coon out of that boat. I missed 3 years while In the Marines. I'll be 80 next May.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6379607
11/22/18 01:48 PM
11/22/18 01:48 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794 100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
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Started about 1952 while in high school trapping rats,mink and the occasional coon and fox. Restarted in 1984 and ceased in 2015 do to medical problem associated with advanced age.
The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6379683
11/22/18 03:47 PM
11/22/18 03:47 PM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,114 Northern Michigan
J.Morse
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,114
Northern Michigan
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My first trapline experience was running a 'rat/mink line with an honorary uncle and his pal. I was the dispatcher. Used a Daisy BB gun. That was the month JFK was shot.
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6379724
11/22/18 05:14 PM
11/22/18 05:14 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 962 north west ohio
trapperand
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 962
north west ohio
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Caught my first muskrat at age 4 with my dad and haven't missed a season and I'm 43 now
ANDY MOORE
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6379741
11/22/18 05:58 PM
11/22/18 05:58 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 735 Mt.Iron MN
Ken Mclellan
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 735
Mt.Iron MN
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1972. I was in sixth grade. I was invited by a couple friends to join them while they checked their muskrat traps on the St.Louis bay near west Duluth. I started settling my own traps a few days later. Our family moved to the Iron Range in ‘73 and I trapped my first mink that fall.
Time and tide wait for no man
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6379746
11/22/18 06:02 PM
11/22/18 06:02 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,619 Nebraska
WadeRyan
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,619
Nebraska
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Most of you guys have been trapping longer than I've been alive. I've trapped at varying degrees since 2004 when I caught 8 fox and a couple coons in a week while on college break using two garage sale special duke 1.5's. Things sure have changed since then other than the fact of the adrenaline rush when I hear the chains slapping.
Last edited by WadeRyan; 11/22/18 06:02 PM.
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6379893
11/22/18 11:29 PM
11/22/18 11:29 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,790 OH
Kristen🦊
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,790
OH
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6380064
11/23/18 10:10 AM
11/23/18 10:10 AM
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Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 217 Northern Nv
NvHermit
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 217
Northern Nv
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In 2005 while still living in town I went into the garage and there was a raccoon eating out of the dog bowl, it was the size of a bear and I was terrified. So I welded up a cage trap out of scrap conduit large enough to fit a coon and covered it with fencing. The first one I caught easily escaped so I upgraded the fencing and made a lock they couldn't figure out. The NDOW people said a lot of these coons could carry rabies and I shouldn't shoot them in the head or skin them. Well I caught lots of coons over the years but I thought of it more like trapping mice, these coons were pests.
For the past 11 years I've lived on a mountain in a remote location right in the middle of wildlife. After getting surveillance cameras a couple years ago I noticed lots of stuff happened when the sun went down. I found bears, lions and lots of bobcats on video when I woke up every morning. So last year at 59 I bought 6 traps and made dirt hole sets only catching skunks. Then one day as I was leaving my place and down by my gate in the fresh snow was a bobcat track. I went and collected a couple of traps and made a walk thru on accident before I even knew what I was doing and caught a bobcat within a week.
When I took my hides to the taxidermist, I asked for advice and he said he don't bury traps any longer that he used exposed traps. During the off season I did a lot of research on exposed traps and walk thru's which lead me here. I've caught two cats in two weeks and made them step right where I've wanted, so now I feel like a real trapper. I can hardly wait for the sun to come up because we got some fresh snow and I have as much fun tracking as I do catching. Plus, all I did yesterday was eat and enjoy the family so the traps went unchecked. By law I need to check every other day.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: reloader44]
#6380066
11/23/18 10:14 AM
11/23/18 10:14 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 915 Northern Virginia
Jarhead620
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 915
Northern Virginia
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I started trapping in 1945 in Illinois when I was 10. My boyhood pal Dick Daniel got me interested. I have trapped every season since except for the 1954 season when I was in Korea with the USMC. I trapped the 1953 season while on 30 day leave after boot camp before I shipped out to Korea.
Jarhead
Last edited by Jarhead620; 11/23/18 10:22 AM.
"Just as the deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer." Aldo Leopold
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6380162
11/23/18 01:53 PM
11/23/18 01:53 PM
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Oh Snap
Unregistered
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Oh Snap
Unregistered
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Trap fur when I wanted to in early 72, actually started trapping west coast lobster in 65 before getting smart and making the best decision of my life and moving to Alaska spring of 1970.
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6380349
11/23/18 08:29 PM
11/23/18 08:29 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,276 western pa
goldnut
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,276
western pa
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Thank you everyone for posting on this thread! I am really enjoying all the stories. Some started so early in life and some, like me, got a late start. Seems a mentor or a friend trapping had a great influence on the early starters. I think this is a good indication of what we all should be doing to help the future generation of trappers. Get them out there early. I cant wait to get my grandson started. Will be a few years.
Havent heard from the Boss. Anyone know when he got started? Im sure the traps were hand forged!
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Re: When did you start trapping?
[Re: goldnut]
#6380431
11/23/18 09:55 PM
11/23/18 09:55 PM
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,957 Northern Mn
rick olson
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,957
Northern Mn
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1978 here,a church member got me going,he was in his 60's then Byron Cole and Lyle Nelson answered all of my questions.Thank you to all that got me addicted to this wonder traditions,thats why I love passing it along also.Short tail weasel was my first catch Dec 14 1978 caught in the old twin wood culvert at Mt,Carmal church a 1/4 south of our farm.I was 11 in 1978,this is my 40th year of trapping,hope to have 25 or more years left in me......
Last edited by rick olson; 11/23/18 09:58 PM.
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