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Post by walleyed on Apr 3, 2014 6:28:19 GMT -5
Sure is fun following your trappin,much better than just a tailgate. you like the hardware cloth and has it helped improve your catch? I don't know if it helps or not but on floats where I don't have a stake through the middle to stabilize it because of rocky or hard bottoms, the float is un-stable. I add the Hardware cloth so the rat can use it's teeth or claws on the cloth to make it easier to climb aboard without prematurely upsetting the trap. w
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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 Apr 3, 2014 6:46:39 GMT -5
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Post by walleyed on Apr 3, 2014 10:52:38 GMT -5
Only Two rats today, One On The Sanctuary Brook under Route #3 on a float, and one in the bottom Edge set under the fallen willow tree. I was Hummock Hopping out to the Set and could see that I had another catch in the #160 and drew out my Nikon Coolpix S-6200 Digital Camera to take a photo of the scene. Well, you know what happened next as my next step onto an underwater willow branch was not to be as the branch broke sending walleyed plunging into over hip boot deep water. A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and despite my best attempts to stay upright, I began to fall to my left, which was the hand holding the Nikon. I instinctively put out the only hand that could save me and the camera went under about two feet before I jerked it back out and started shaking the water off as vigorously as I could. If I didn't have it turned on with the lens extended and open, it might have survived the dunking but a ride on the heater/defroster and through wipe down did not change the outcome as although I still took photos, The camera will not download them onto my computer, and It will now no longer take another picture. Looks like I won't be able to take any more photos to share with you fellow trappers until this fall when I can spare the $$$$ to buy another. w
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Post by newfox1 on Apr 3, 2014 11:12:33 GMT -5
try putting it in a bag of dry rice ive heard it works for cell phones, that's a bummer im going to miss your pics,i just got done checking I did not go over my boots thankfully,set two beaver traps yesterday had one beaver today probably 35 pounds looks real skinny.looks like a male no visable tits if theres only a pair do you usually leave the female if you catch the male first.? I set the trap back its a good otter creek but im wondering if I should have. the house is small that's what makes me think there is probably only two beaver.
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Post by jdpaint on Apr 3, 2014 20:06:11 GMT -5
You have the worse luck , was it this year you went under or thru the ice?Always an adventure.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 3, 2014 20:27:47 GMT -5
You have the worse luck , was it this year you went under or thru the ice?Always an adventure. X 2 up to the waist and crotch in January and below zero. Yep, I have some Good luck coming somewhere. w
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Post by walleyed on Apr 4, 2014 15:56:19 GMT -5
Had a rat toenail out of the trap off of one of my float at the Wiffle Tree Farm flooded pasture.
I caught one on a Float a few stops Later, and missed a beaver at the Castor mound set in put in yesterday.
My Blake & Lamb #4 Jump was pulled down the Drowning wire but empty.
The Annual spring Northern Pike Run Has begun out of Renshaw Bay into Cranberry Pond via the Connector stream and all my series of six Duke #330's had Pike in them or were snapped off.
The water in most of the Brooks I am trapping has subsided to a low condition and the Rat Dispersal run has fallen off but the Heavy Rain forecast for this afternoon and tonight should bring them back up and re-ignite the Muskrat migration.
Hope to see some of you fellow trappers at the Mannsville Fur auction in the Morning.
See You There.
walleyed
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Post by walleyed on Apr 5, 2014 20:12:55 GMT -5
Caught five more rats today and missed three more than fired or knocked over a trap.
They moved good with the overnight rain.
Hopefully tonight they will do the same.
w
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Post by walleyed on Apr 6, 2014 9:05:15 GMT -5
No Muskrat Catches Today but I did finally manage to Catch a 30 Lb Beaver in a Channel Set, and missed another one in a castor mound set.
The #4 Jump was pulled down to the sand bag weight but no catch.
Tonight is the Last Hurrah for the 2013-2014 Beaver/Otter Season so perhaps I'll get one more before the Closure tomorrow.
Good Luck Beaver Trappers.
walleyed
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Post by camohoyt340 on Apr 6, 2014 14:09:16 GMT -5
I hope you are successful on the beaver tonite. I added a couple more myself. One more shot.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 7, 2014 18:16:10 GMT -5
Pulled my seven Beaver sets this morning with no Catches. Ran my whole float line and only picked up one Muskrat. Things in the brooks are Low and Dry with little movement last night. The North and South Branches of Sandy are still high and muddy as are Big and Little Stoney Creeks. Met up with New Wave Dave around 11:00AM and He loaded up my Old Towne canoe in His Silverado and a Bunch of #1 1/2 Long Springs and we headed to the marsh. Dave dragged the Canoe through the Cattails 200 yards to Mud Brook Below the Beaver Dams and together, we punched in around 30 Feed-bed and Toilet Sets. The water was low as it was a southeast wind and the brook was Draining/flowing out into the Lakeview Marsh so we were plowing mud and hanging on stumps and logs but there was a good amount of rat sign present. With a good soaking rain falling this afternoon and forecast for tonight we should be able to pick up a few more rats. Walleyed is Back Sore and Arm weary from push poling thru thick mud all afternoon. Stay Tuned Muskrateers. w
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Post by walleyed on Apr 8, 2014 14:51:44 GMT -5
The long Soaking Rain Yesterday afternoon melted a heckava lot more snow and rain than walleyed expected and area Brooks were all up around two feet this morning. walleyed garnered five more rats off his floats, along with three more chains down with fired traps, and three rolled floats with snapped traps possibly due to extreme high water interaction. All of yesterday's freshly made feed-bed and Toilet sets were submerged and invisible under two feet of chocolate milk water and thus, rather than feel blindly about with the Tater Rake, we will hope for a receding water level tomorrow at the 48 hour check mark in order to make for a more efficient and effective trap maintainance schedule. The North & South Branches of Sandy Creek are Well, Well over their banks, and flooding, and a lot of "Lumber" is migrating down the Creeks Giving Woodville Renewed Good Reason for it's Namesake Moniker. I'd say the Muskrats will be moving well again tonight and perhaps We'll scratch out a few more Rat catches in the near future. w
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Post by Lonny Mattison on Apr 9, 2014 5:14:18 GMT -5
Everything is flooded here Bob.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 9, 2014 11:42:36 GMT -5
The Brook water Levels are on the drop here this morning as it got cold enough here to freeze puddles and stiffen the wet ground.
The Mud Brook where we made 30 something feed-Bed & Toilet Sets on Monday were still under about 10 inches of water but that far from the 2 to 3 feet of yesterday morning.
Ran through them leaving some in place and adjusting others and adding new ones.
Pulled five rats out of that spot plus five rats on floats plus a few misses and rolled over Float units.
Ended up with 10 nice big plump rats. No biting on yesterdays rats when fleshed last night so that was a good outcome.
Saw five different Sand Hill Cranes today and heard the Shrill Warbling & Trumpeting Sounds of Others in the Marsh.
The Storky Looking Things are really starting to gain a Toe-hold here at Lake View Wildlife Management Area the Last Five years.
It's Cool to see a new species of Large Bird Populating the area for the first time.
The Fans are Blowing on the Rats to dry them nice and fluffy before Skinning, and I have Sunday's Last Beaver to Flesh and Board.
Thanks for Looking.
w
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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 Apr 9, 2014 11:53:59 GMT -5
I've watched three rats swimming circles around my backyard pond all morning. I assume they are new arrivals as the creeks all went top of banks level yesterday. Still waters are just losing ice in the marshes, so annual rat-race has begun. Fresh roadkills to start showing up real soon.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 10, 2014 9:57:46 GMT -5
Picked up another seven Muskrat today off a combination of Floats, Feed Bed Sets, and Toilets.
The water has receded in all the Brooks and Small Creeks but the Bigger Creeks coming off Tughill are still more or Less at Flood Stage.
Seeing a Small bite on every third Rat now, but nothing Excessive.
Most of the Marshe's Cattail Shoreline is just now getting Free of Ice, and thawing to a point where rats are beginning to work these areas.
A Myriad of Waterfowl, Herons, Bittern, and SandHill Cranes have arrived in the Marsh and are flying everywhere. The Snow Geese Have almost all moved on.
It's a good week to be a Rat Trapper.
Thanks for Looking.
walleyed
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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 Apr 10, 2014 10:25:10 GMT -5
are the larger creeks flowing enough to float them without having to push thru mud flats? If so I might be interested in a float trip or two this weekend.
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Post by walleyed on Apr 10, 2014 10:40:04 GMT -5
are the larger creeks flowing enough to float them without having to push thru mud flats? If so I might be interested in a float trip or two this weekend. IN My AOO, The North and South Branches of Sandy Creek into Lakeview Marsh are wide open, and floatable. Colwell Ponds are open as is Half of Lakeview Pond. Not sure about Goose and Floodwood Ponds. Nobody has been down them that I know of, and someone with floats or setting floating logs might clean up down there. Not going Down There myself because my back won't take the extended canoe time. No more than an hour on the water for me, without extreme agony. w
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Post by jdpaint on Apr 10, 2014 21:04:27 GMT -5
Heck of a job ,they are addin up !!
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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 Apr 11, 2014 5:26:41 GMT -5
walleyed, if weather permitted I'd clear my schedule and float those areas you mention. But the forecast calls for strong winds straight thru with tomorrow and Sunday warm, Monday hot to cold on Tuesday with strong southwest winds continued. I'm not going to gamble the 2+ hour drive each way only to get setup and blown out of the water and/or battle those surge floods you speak of in such conditions.
the interior waters where I usually trap are still locked up. No spring season action for me this year... blocked out until October comes :/
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Post by walleyed on Apr 11, 2014 13:41:45 GMT -5
Only got a couple of rats today and pulled the Mud creek section as Only Rat was caught, and another on a Brook Float. we had misses on four or five sets at Black pond this morning and I suspect they are from the naughty Traveler beaver as mudpies have sprung up everywhere in the vicinity.
Looking around this afternoon for a few more small ponds for the last Hurrah to set and pull on Tuesday morning after four check nights.
about to see an onslaught of Turtles, invading the marsh.
Stay tuned.
walleyed
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Post by walleyed on Apr 12, 2014 19:07:25 GMT -5
Woke up at 1:43AM Saturday Morning, and pulled my 31 rats off the stretchers, bagged them and some other stuff and headed out on a Night Road Trip to the Herkimer Fur Auction.
Stopped in Pulaski for a Gas fill-up and some coffee, and headed south on NYS Route #13 thru Williamstown to Camden,Route 69 to Rome, and then took the expressway to Utica. Picked up Route #5S and made Herkimer at about 3:45AM.
Six boys from Camden were already in the VFW parking lot waiting to the opening of the doors.
I had the 5th group of Lots that went before the Buyers.
Got $5.50 for my measly two castors sets. $10.50 for my 1/2 pound of Rat Glands. $43.00 for a 64" beaver. $10.00 Each for Five Rats XL Slights. $11.40 Each for Ten Rats XL Slights. NO SALED Eight Rats 2XL Slights (offered under $10.00) $11.50 Each for Six Rats 2XL Clears. $11.60 Each for Two Rats 3XL Clears.
I was on my way back to Woodville by 7:45AM.
Checked traps and picked up 3 more rats all on floats in small brooks.
At 12:00 Noon I headed down to North Syracuse for my Mom's 76th Birthday, and picked up four Intact RKed Muskrats Along the Route 81 Northbound Lane on my way home.
Hope to set some more traps on Sunday.
w
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Post by psb1011 on Apr 12, 2014 21:01:23 GMT -5
Your getting rich Walleyed,glad for you. Word on the street is rats are gonna drop in price,I was told a number,but will not say.But it isn't a crash. Take it for what it is worth.
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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 Apr 12, 2014 21:06:16 GMT -5
sounds like a lot of dead marsh rats on the highway there in north Syracuse. I'm gonna have to comb thru that area come Oct 25th, sounds like the population didn't hardly get dented over there this year. Should be a bumper crop of ditch rats to hammer out come next fall
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Post by walleyed on Apr 13, 2014 5:09:47 GMT -5
Your getting rich Walleyed,glad for you. Word on the street is rats are gonna drop in price,I was told a number,but will not say.But it isn't a crash. Take it for what it is worth. A week ago yesterday I averaged $13.44 on some Spring rats at the Mannsville, N.Y. Auction. You can see the numbers on Rats from yesterday's Herkimer Auction, so I'd say they were already dropping a bit. My Saturday Herkimer Average was $11.14 per rat. That works out to $2.30 Less per Rat at Herkimer or in this case $53.00 Less than what they would have averaged at Mannsville exactly a Week Earlier Some of These rats did show a little more Bite damage though. w
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