austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 5, 2019 3:38:42 GMT -5
I agree Dave and I believe you without you posting a pic...lol.... I rarely take pics, unless it is something out of the ordinary. Most know I have been trapping Rats for over 30 years and I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I don't see any need to take pics to get "likes" on Facebook or have my ego stroked as some others do. A few years ago my kid set a trap and caught a rat the next day.....I believe that was the last catch pic I took. That meant more to me than catching a thousand rats and it is a memory that I will never forget. wow 13 posts in one day... took you from a zero to a one. Keep up the good work, sonny. I suggest you try FB as well. Posting pics is not about egos, it's about socializing in social media. Being friendly. Guys talking shop. Not anti-social, depressive aggression where a few mental-emotional defects go around trolling everyone in efforts to drag them down into the same depressed abyss. You'll find that a lot on message board forums, seems to attract and collect those mentally ill individuals who self-medicate by bashing and trolling. A hallmark id for such is repeated banning and creation of new alias over and over and over and over again, desperately seeking negative attention because they simply cannot make friends. Social rejects, they are. Sad.
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 5, 2019 3:44:29 GMT -5
The guy gets banned more than anyone else in the history of this site and every time they let him back on here he ALWAYS proves why he should never be allowed back on. It's like Lucy and Charlie Brown with the freakin football... Austin, TELL ME you know that joerat2 is actually a-hole joe, right?!?!?! Only guy I recall like that was Joseph Alexander, but he left here a long time ago after repeated banning, right. Poor guy was compelled to argue, bash and troll everything just for attention sake. Desperate cries. He passed thru FB but I think flatiron banned him from the NY Trapping page and unfortunately I had to unfriend him from my site which is almost unheard of for me. Out of 3,000+ followers I've only ditched maybe 5 guys total, mostly for extreme profanity, extreme porn or extreme anti-social antagonistic actions. He was one of the few, the unproud. Thing about FB is one & done. ID a problem, eliminate it, gone forever
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 5, 2019 3:47:04 GMT -5
I don’t post pictures either. Mostly because I’m an ugly sumbitch. But I sure do enjoy looking at everyone else’s. Thanks Austin, it’s good to see stacks of fur. I’ll share a story for you all to laugh at though. I have a small creek that I trap water based furbearers in. Well, due to the semi freeze/ thaw conditions I decided to temporarily pull the line. I did however, keep a coyote set in at the far corner of a field that borders this stream. And since I had to walk back every day to check the set, I also decided to leave in a set that was quite productive for me this fall. The set is just a simple landing where traveling furbearers get out of the water and sit on the bank. I set a #4 Blake and Lamb DLS in about 3 inches of water in front of the landing. I had caught 3 beavers an Otter and a handful of muskrats in that set since November. The creek has frozen and thawed at least 3 times now. So the trap has been frozen in and the ice would partially recede and freeze again. I almost pulled the set a few different times but laziness, and the fact that I had to walk right past in anyway made me just leave it. So a few days ago, it started to get warm, I knew it was going to stay warm so I chopped the ice out of the set and cleared it out, fluffed up the set with a few strategically placed sticks and left it. The next day, on my way by I glanced down and noticed the trap missing. The cable was stretched way out into the creek and firmly tangled around a dead snag underwater. I of course was wearing knee high muck boots and the creek is chest deep. I waded into that cold azz water to untangle and retrieve my trap. It took waaaay too long I was just miserable trying to unweave the cable and trap chain from the under water tree branches. I pulled the trap up and there was my second Otter in that set, ( 4th for the season ). I had to run, not walk 200 yards back to my truck in order to keep my legs working. Nature is harsher when you’re in your mid 40’s. From now on I’ll keep my waders in the truck. we are out there for the memories and experiences, things we'll look back on forever.Sounds like one of those to me, for you. If you think mid-40s is a challenge, mid-50s awaits you with new realities. Don't ask me how I know
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 5, 2019 17:41:02 GMT -5
Yesterday was so sunny & warm that I just had to get some sets in. Hit three different spots that have all been hit before... heavily. But we still managed to scrape 16 nice winter primes from 48 #160s out of retread waters.
The last stop is a big pond on the Conesus Inlet WMA. The front d**e has yielded 40+ rats already. I set the back side by canoe, when it was still open water. Must have cooled off last night because today there was 3/8" of ice to paddle = bust thru. This is why I run $15 paddles from WalMart... muskrat trappers cannot have nice things [lol]
Pulled stakes and idle until next weekend. Focus on career work, household tasks and putting up some fur. Be a nice break, been going non-stop deer hunting and/or rat trapping since Oct 1st. Then again, by Wednesday I'll be itching to get back out there again. Need to let the bipolar weather patterns pick one personality or other, hopefully soon.
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Post by nyrat on Jan 5, 2019 18:17:12 GMT -5
not many trappers out there this year. looks like you have all big rats you should do well when you take them to market , good luck and keep at it.
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Post by ratter2 on Jan 5, 2019 18:54:37 GMT -5
Austin what are the Facebook sights that you and von are on and how do I get accepted to thanks
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Post by ratter2 on Jan 5, 2019 19:00:26 GMT -5
Austin how do I access the Facebook sites that you and von are on
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 6, 2019 3:49:33 GMT -5
Austin how do I access the Facebook sites that you and von are on
send me a friend request and PM about the NY site and I'll push you thru that. The security level is "private" which means it is invisible to non-members.That keeps the antis riff-raff out
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 6, 2019 4:04:40 GMT -5
not many trappers out there this year. looks like you have all big rats you should do well when you take them to market , good luck and keep at it. absolutely nobody on the public WMAs around here. I have all of them to myself. Fur prices are 1,000% the driving force. I had an inkling back when things got crazy with $14 - $18 rats at NAFA that next time they crashed and settled around $5 - $8, guys would not be interested again. I've had several by-passers stop at Hi-Tor and Conesus when I'm loading up the rig, comment on how the catch went, ask what prices are. One guy actually said, "I hear they're only selling for $8 or so" to which I replied maybe $4 - $5 avg tops. He along with all others so far retorted, "not worth it" for the effort involved. The new mental benchmark is $10 or more to 80% of the trappers out there, using the universal law of 80/20 rule.
my catch is actually running larger than usual, a lot of big rats and far fewer mediums - smalls than the big sizes. no complaints about that
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Post by Dave Morse on Jan 6, 2019 6:36:40 GMT -5
It sure was a blue bird day yesterday, I saw dozens. Also saw about 25 deer, one was still sporting a 10 pt rack. I managed 2 more coon and a red yesterday. I managed 7 new sets yesterday afternoon, I hope to at least double that today. Found a fresh dug den on top of a big pile of debris that I believe was dug out by k 9. The temps tonight will ruin your open water canoe trapping or I would go set some today in the water.
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 6, 2019 9:39:20 GMT -5
It sure was a blue bird day yesterday, I saw dozens. Also saw about 25 deer, one was still sporting a 10 pt rack. I managed 2 more coon and a red yesterday. I managed 7 new sets yesterday afternoon, I hope to at least double that today. Found a fresh dug den on top of a big pile of debris that I believe was dug out by k 9. The temps tonight will ruin your open water canoe trapping or I would go set some today in the water. haha yeah, I thought a low around 29F wouldn't freeze, misjudged how cold the water is now. Wants to lock up, we'll see if it does and can stay that way. Winter of 2015-16 was just like this, not one single day of safe ice to walk in many places back then. But it would freeze and thaw repeatedly, prevent extended float lines in open water. First time in several years we have ample muskrats distributed, big tease that most can't be reached :/
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 8, 2019 5:11:16 GMT -5
Muskrat trappers finally have solid ice-making weather on its way here after today. These are two recent-day views from the back of coni's truck over there in 'zuma. He's about to put the smackdown on those 4+ lb males cruising widely just beneath ice cover. I've been told there are enough active houses up in his unit to keep him busy for awhile
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Post by slyfox74 on Jan 8, 2019 21:01:30 GMT -5
I like the lath strips you’re using for stakes. Where do you get them?
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 9, 2019 5:32:06 GMT -5
I like the lath strips you’re using for stakes. Where do you get them? I use common lath stakes purchased at any local or big box store that sells lumber. They come in bundles of 48 for +/- $15 depending on where you shop. But I inspect them before purchase because quality varies widely. I'm looking for solid but slightly flexible wood... some of them are wispy and wide-grained, very flimsy. Others are tighter-grain wood and durable. I have some that are 10 years old now, can't tell them from last year's purchase other than ribbon - paint colors from long ago
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Post by mb6504yotes on Jan 9, 2019 6:07:07 GMT -5
How many rats so far to date? Also if you have Amish around you, they make up stakes(oak). Keep up the good work.
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 9, 2019 6:35:55 GMT -5
How many rats so far to date? Also if you have Amish around you, they make up stakes(oak). Keep up the good work. the only challenge with oak stakes is weight. Big consideration when walking in traps on foot or loading a canoe for long float. Ditch-hopping by truck, they'd be great.
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paintedpaw
Retired NYSDEC Lake George Ranger
Posts: 691
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Post by paintedpaw on Jan 9, 2019 15:17:37 GMT -5
I, for one, will never go back on facebook. I don't trust the site and I don't care about so many people posting about when they fart or hiccup.
Austin, were you serious about squeezing the piss out of muskrats or were you joking?
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tmc
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,447
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Post by tmc on Jan 9, 2019 18:10:22 GMT -5
It goes back to the old "hay set" threads, where the guy was adamant about the EXACT number of drops to use at the haysets, lol. "NO MORE, NO LESS!!!" It became one of the "legends" here. So, I'm not speaking for Austin, but I took it as a joke.
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Post by mikemason on Jan 9, 2019 18:23:12 GMT -5
AL, I have a gallon to sell,but it is very rare,I have to get $150/gallon!(but 2 drops goes a long way)
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 10, 2019 4:16:05 GMT -5
I, for one, will never go back on facebook. I don't trust the site and I don't care about so many people posting about when they fart or hiccup. Austin, were you serious about squeezing the piss out of muskrats or were you joking? haha both... I do keep muskrat urine frozen in case of late winter that - spring season when soaking natural toilets will freshen them up.
FB agreed but you see the exact-same thing and far worse in big brown site that occasionally posts a trapping related thread, too
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 10, 2019 4:18:13 GMT -5
It goes back to the old "hay set" threads, where the guy was adamant about the EXACT number of drops to use at the haysets, lol. "NO MORE, NO LESS!!!" It became one of the "legends" here. So, I'm not speaking for Austin, but I took it as a joke. and then afterwards his commie-pinko socialist friend came in here to exact revenge. FB has absolutely nothing on the drama that takes place between middle-age adult men in message boards originally designed for trappers
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 10, 2019 4:18:57 GMT -5
AL, I have a gallon to sell,but it is very rare,I have to get $150/gallon!(but 2 drops goes a long way) lolol! I only sell in bulk to serious fox long-liners who've presoaked their locations with used fryer grease all summer. Get that area's alpha female red fox, and every other fox for miles around will suck right in too
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Post by coni on Jan 10, 2019 7:55:12 GMT -5
Ice on the way should be good for Saturday about time
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austin
test results are back... I am joerat's daddy
Posts: 483
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Post by austin on Jan 10, 2019 9:23:09 GMT -5
Ice on the way should be good for Saturday about time cloudy and snow-covered but at least we can walk wherever we want! Hope you find enough live houses out there to keep busy for awhile
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Post by tony1967 on Jan 10, 2019 13:05:01 GMT -5
Any pics of your recent catches Austin? Haven’t heard how it’s been going out there this week.
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