Post by Rick on Feb 18, 2006 10:46:06 GMT -5
Bill, centering the target's foot in the trap is huge....as is a host of other issues in canine trapping. And trimming your pans is good advice.
And maybe I misunderstood the original question.
Seems to me the dude was asking opinions on the 1.65 as a "tweener" trap. Fox, Fisher, and the occasional Coyote.
Look at the differing opinions here overlayed on a map of N.Y.
If trapping a population of Fox almost completely devoid of Coyotes as I was here 12-13 years ago....nobody can convince me that the #1 1/2 coilspring isn't THE perfect fox trap....with the need for some bigger iron only for later season conditions.
Pre-Coyote days my trap of choice was the #1 1/2 Victor. Coyotes changed that but the #1 1/2 Montgomery RJ still plays a big role on my line.
The Coyote also made me look for a "tweener" trap....#1.75s of various brands, including a few 1.65 Bridgers which is a 1.75 sized trap, with varying degrees of modifications as I learned more trying to find the perfect mix. Also an increased arsenal of bigger stuff, mostly #2 Monty RJs, #2 NWs, and about a dozen BMI K9 Wolfers.....although the jury is still out on them BMI's.
The thing is, here in extreme Western N.Y., my catch ratio is just over 90% fox....just under 10% Coyotes.
Move a bit East of me, (The Rochester guys can correct me if I'm wrong), it looks like 20% Coyotes.
Sounds like if you get beyond Syracuse it almost turns upside-down......70-80% Coyotes, 20-30% Fox.
So, the conditions we all face.....both the canine population ratios.....and the human population, (how much of our trapping is done in suburbia), is going to have a big impact on how we all feel on the big-trap-small-trap-perfect-canine-trap issue.
So, KKbait needs to keep his own trapline in mind when sifting through all the responces. I answered from a Western N.Y. perspective....working on a Red Fox population, with the occasional Coyote, where we don't even know what a Fisher is.....some kinda giant land-mink or somethin' aint it?
Rick.
And maybe I misunderstood the original question.
Seems to me the dude was asking opinions on the 1.65 as a "tweener" trap. Fox, Fisher, and the occasional Coyote.
Look at the differing opinions here overlayed on a map of N.Y.
If trapping a population of Fox almost completely devoid of Coyotes as I was here 12-13 years ago....nobody can convince me that the #1 1/2 coilspring isn't THE perfect fox trap....with the need for some bigger iron only for later season conditions.
Pre-Coyote days my trap of choice was the #1 1/2 Victor. Coyotes changed that but the #1 1/2 Montgomery RJ still plays a big role on my line.
The Coyote also made me look for a "tweener" trap....#1.75s of various brands, including a few 1.65 Bridgers which is a 1.75 sized trap, with varying degrees of modifications as I learned more trying to find the perfect mix. Also an increased arsenal of bigger stuff, mostly #2 Monty RJs, #2 NWs, and about a dozen BMI K9 Wolfers.....although the jury is still out on them BMI's.
The thing is, here in extreme Western N.Y., my catch ratio is just over 90% fox....just under 10% Coyotes.
Move a bit East of me, (The Rochester guys can correct me if I'm wrong), it looks like 20% Coyotes.
Sounds like if you get beyond Syracuse it almost turns upside-down......70-80% Coyotes, 20-30% Fox.
So, the conditions we all face.....both the canine population ratios.....and the human population, (how much of our trapping is done in suburbia), is going to have a big impact on how we all feel on the big-trap-small-trap-perfect-canine-trap issue.
So, KKbait needs to keep his own trapline in mind when sifting through all the responces. I answered from a Western N.Y. perspective....working on a Red Fox population, with the occasional Coyote, where we don't even know what a Fisher is.....some kinda giant land-mink or somethin' aint it?
Rick.