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Post by oldman50 on Dec 8, 2012 15:31:13 GMT -5
Well here we go. I have tried everything in this swamp. It will eat you up. Two foot deep in one place and a foot away it's up to your eyes. It's killin my back. Aches just thinkin about it. Along the one outside edge there is a current. The water was clear so I can see the bottom pretty good. Where the current exists, you can see that the bottom is worn right down to the sandy bottom through the silt. Per austinp's advice, I set every pinch point I could find. I only had 6 120's and 2 110's left, so they all went in. I did notice that there seem to be a few rats moving into some of the root balls from the downed trees in the area. There wasn't much sign along the current spots but there are plenty of cuttings in the larger, cattail choked parts of the main swamp. Got my fingers and toes crossed. The only thing left for me to try is to lower myself down from a helecopter, cause I aint walkin through that mucky hell again.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Dec 8, 2012 15:45:12 GMT -5
the local rats will always use that main channel for major travel... but there are better times than others. they are... #1: rising waters following rain #2: frozen surface of still waters to condense open water travel #3: late Jan into Feb when rats begin to pod up those root ball locations are probably feeder dens and/or housing dens the 4.5" traps will work ok, but you'll probably miss more than the 6" to 7" traps would not miss. I understand the use-what-you-got reality, but that's no different than framing a fur shed with ball peen hammer because you don't have a framing hammer. They both drive nails... but there is a decided difference in overall results
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Post by mikeb on Dec 8, 2012 19:17:12 GMT -5
As austin stated when i started using my 220s-since they are not legal on land(almost sold them all!!!)glad i did not as 90% of my rats in swamps are taken with them-i just removed 1 spring to cut down on weight and be easier to set.Hope this helps. Mike
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Post by proratman on Dec 8, 2012 19:59:59 GMT -5
Use whatever size conibear fits the location.
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Post by oldman50 on Dec 8, 2012 21:49:31 GMT -5
Actually the 6 are 220s with a spring off. I said 120. I really apreciate the help guys. I'm going to get a doz. 160s. I've needed them for a few yrs now. Thanks again for good solid advice Austin. I'm chompin at the bit here to check those 8 traps out of the 30 that I have out. Caught the 20th rat today. Started about a week ago.
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Post by mikeb on Dec 9, 2012 10:04:48 GMT -5
yes keep us updated!!! Thanks Mike
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Post by oldman50 on Dec 9, 2012 18:53:02 GMT -5
Nothing on the first check but we have some cold weather coming. There will be ice on it by tommorow night. Takes a long time for the ice to go off it. It's down in a valley, so it stays like a freezer down there. Sooner or later, those sets are gonna pay off.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Dec 9, 2012 19:12:31 GMT -5
I managed to get out 48 sets for rats today in a section of ditches network that hasn't had muskrats present in many years now. But last year they were dredged, this year grown in with watercress and cornfields bordering. I actually found trails and slides up to corn, feedbeds with corncobs, etc... brought me back in time 20+ years ago! <lol>
Anyways, should be a one-check and pull sequence, about everything in those ditches will find a #160 somewhere or other tonight. If I leave them until Tuesday, it'd be for picking off any mink. Tuesday resumes the fox line rollout from then thru late January, so might just yank the rats sets and use the extra time Tuesday on fox.
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