Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: BlakeTheTrapper]
#735757
05/29/08 01:56 PM
05/29/08 01:56 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,488 Northwestern New York(Elder)
Jonathan
"Wilson"
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"Wilson"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,488
Northwestern New York(Elder)
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I have done that routinely over the years, mainly with red fox, out of curiosity carryover as a wildlife research biologist - not to "match the hatch," so to speak, with my trapping efforts for them.
However, on more than one occasion, I have saved undigested, larger identifiable contents - chunks, bits and pieces - for use later in the bottom of a dirt hole. Never actually measured the effectiveness of that practice, but it seemed to be a logical addition in the "bait/curiosity" appeal at a set for a change up element in addition to any lure or urine offerings.
Jonathan
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: 1st RiverRat]
#735768
05/29/08 02:14 PM
05/29/08 02:14 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,569 Oregon
Ole Hawkeye
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,569
Oregon
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Just because a coon has some crawdad shells in his stomache doesn't mean he is going to turn his nose up at a marshmallow or a piece of fish.
If a fox got lucky and caught a cottontail doesn't mean he's feeding exclusively on rabbits and won't eat a mouse. Don't make it complicated.
It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, but only 3 for a proper trigger squeeze.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: TreedaBlackdog]
#735793
05/29/08 02:55 PM
05/29/08 02:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,137 B61-12 vicinity, MO
TreedaBlackdog
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,137
B61-12 vicinity, MO
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Also - if I am examining contents of a stomach - uhhh, my fish worked pretty well.....I would rather use a loud calling bait then what the animals may be feeding on, but if some of you would be willing to buy some corn for $12/4 oz let me know.....
Last edited by TreedaBlackdog; 05/29/08 03:01 PM.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: TreedaBlackdog]
#735807
05/29/08 03:11 PM
05/29/08 03:11 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,488 Northwestern New York(Elder)
Jonathan
"Wilson"
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"Wilson"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,488
Northwestern New York(Elder)
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Hunter, Most often there was an admixture of contents, ranging from grasshoppers and grapes to voles and pheasant, and parts from just about any available animal in the territory - a combination of major food sources and snacks, or dessert? Once in awhile the stomach contents were homogenous when the fox was selectively feeding on mice, or filled up on a rabbit or pheasant.
Jonathan
Camera Gear: Canon EOS 7D-MK-II, Canon EF-S 10-22mm, EF 28-135mm, EF 100-400mm and EF 400mm lenses.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: Creek Trapper]
#735833
05/29/08 03:37 PM
05/29/08 03:37 PM
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ADC
Unregistered
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ADC
Unregistered
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I check my animals except coons. It's interesting, I wonder how many of you all would of guessed that a large percentage of the mink I catch even in deep winter have frog parts in their stomach contents...
~ADC~
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: 1st RiverRat]
#735873
05/29/08 04:36 PM
05/29/08 04:36 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,557 White Sulphur Springs, MT
Terry
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,557
White Sulphur Springs, MT
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Predators are opportunists. They do not plan their next meal. You do not hear of one that wanted duck for supper and passed up ten rabbits to get to the duck marsh.
A soft answer turneth away wrath.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: Terry]
#735876
05/29/08 04:40 PM
05/29/08 04:40 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,569 Oregon
Ole Hawkeye
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,569
Oregon
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That's my thoughts, Terry.
When I'm trolling salmon I always check the stomache contents, not to change my lure, but the size and color. If they have herring I'll use spoons, silver and gold, if they are full of krill I switch to small pink hootchies. That's the only way I can tell what the bait balls are.
It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, but only 3 for a proper trigger squeeze.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: ]
#736553
05/29/08 09:56 PM
05/29/08 09:56 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 41,592 Northern Maine
Bruce T
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 41,592
Northern Maine
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I check my animals except coons. It's interesting, I wonder how many of you all would of guessed that a large percentage of the mink I catch even in deep winter have frog parts in their stomach contents...
~ADC~ I find alot of frog parts in mink also.
Nevada bound
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: BlakeTheTrapper]
#737403
05/30/08 01:59 PM
05/30/08 01:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,137 B61-12 vicinity, MO
TreedaBlackdog
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,137
B61-12 vicinity, MO
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DH - well, I guess there lies the difference - you will be out wandering around looking for the food source when I would already be setting an active water/food source, quick hitting an area and moving on.....dont have time to walk into a section, find a few trees with ripe fruit and maybe catch a few extra coons when I can shove my old stinky fish bait in a grizz or smack down a pocket set (next to water) of course, catch a family group of coons and move on in 3 days. I will spend more time making my lines more efficient by cutting out the stops that dont = fur every year.....year after year. Not hoping to catch a coon or 2 one area one year and not the next due to a late freeze of lack of rain etc. which all will affect fruit production. I do not have time to scout for 2 weeks every year the 2 weeks prior to season. I do know that creeks with water, rivers which dont go dry and bottoms with corn near WILL hold coon if disease has not hit. Therefore - I set on target and succeed. Again - if you find corn in there stomachs - DH why not use dry field corn? The coons in your county will be eating corn from October - its tilled under......I wont use corn as bait even though coons every night hang near the fields.... I do not disagree that one might pick up a few extra coon (if he isnt already on the move) by staying in a section and taking the time to locate the immediate food source those coons in that area are feeding on and setting them. Personally - I will not put my time there - its a coon.....not a cat, not a mountain goat, hit'em and move on.....
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: TreedaBlackdog]
#737439
05/30/08 02:47 PM
05/30/08 02:47 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 272 louisiana
biggen
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 272
louisiana
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coons going to dry corn at the deer feeder all the time. I hate them eating my corn.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -- George Santayana
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: TreedaBlackdog]
#737526
05/30/08 05:00 PM
05/30/08 05:00 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,488 Northwestern New York(Elder)
Jonathan
"Wilson"
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"Wilson"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,488
Northwestern New York(Elder)
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TreeDog, I am not so sure that your suggested scientific method would be a valid one around biggen's deer feeder to yield any reliable, conclusive results.
There are too many operative variables in this immediate "study area," plus there is an already built-in bias to skew the results: the raccoons coming to the feeder may be so habituated and conditioned to the corn as a dependent, reliable major food source, because of its consistent availability, the presentation of alternative food/bait in that mix (no matter what it was - fish, clams, crayfish, balls of bacon grease, etc.,) complicates and confuses the issue at several levels.
As you well know, the raccoon is an opportunistic, scavenging omnivore that will eat just about anything.
The biggest margin of error that I visualize with this approach is, no matter what kind of trapping method (trap, set type or bait used,)is, maybe with the exception of a baited cage trap where the animal is not constrained, only confined: if the raccoon is caught while working a given bait set, what guarantee is there that it will eat the bait - after it is caught to find that presentation in its stomach after the fact? Granted, either way, it would have been attracted to the set. But.....,then again, it all depends.
Are you confused? I know I am, because I am not sure how to set that up yet to arrive at a definitive, measurable conclusive results.
The best thing is to forget the science, stick to the art and craft of the trapping experience, set the traps on location for whatever the target animal's name goes by, use a lure/bait that works for you to catch stuff, move to a different location and repeat the process. That ain't science, just applied trapping savvy at its best, totally void of complicated statistical analysis. The math is simple - just count the number of critters now living on your stretchers.
End of the hunt.
Jonathan
Camera Gear: Canon EOS 7D-MK-II, Canon EF-S 10-22mm, EF 28-135mm, EF 100-400mm and EF 400mm lenses.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: BlakeTheTrapper]
#737552
05/30/08 05:24 PM
05/30/08 05:24 PM
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BuckNE
Unregistered
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BuckNE
Unregistered
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A coon don't go foraging like we do at a grocery store with a list, or choices of what we like more than others. First edible thing a coon comes to, that goes in his mouth. Next edible thing, that goes in his mouth. If he's in a garbage can with all kinds of goodies, then he might get particular. But he's not going to pass up fish in a pocket set because he knows there's a good place to catch crawdads a little further down the creek.
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Re: How many check stomach content
[Re: ]
#737842
05/30/08 09:13 PM
05/30/08 09:13 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,036 New York
Fire Fly Guy
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,036
New York
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My experience has always been that if you want momma and the babies, stick to the water. The larger coon will travel miles for corn, grapes or what ever is in season and they are feeding on. That said, they won't pass up some nice Jack Mackeral on the way. So I guess food sources are more of a location thing then a bait type thing.
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