paintedpaw
Retired NYSDEC Lake George Ranger
Posts: 688
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Post by paintedpaw on Oct 14, 2020 13:36:07 GMT -5
Lets talk some trapping for a change. When it comes to using conibears on running poles or set in cages mounted on trees how do you position the triggers? I have read different ways. I like to position my trigger in an upside down V in the middle of the trap on the DOWNHILL jaw. My reasoning is that when an animal hits the trigger that jaw is leaping downward towards the animal, and that the trigger folds up along the neck of the animal. I think that setting the trigger on the uphill jaw presents too much opportunity for that trigger to jam into the pole or the back of the fisher. Also I have gone from using 220's to 160's because I was catching too many females still alive. I've gone more to cable than chain, have had big males actually break the chain. Can't sat say enough for swivels in the chain. The 155's are legal on the ground in New York, but I'm just not sold on them; I think the fisher has to be positioned perfectly to make a catch. I'm old school and believe that suspension is the quickest and most humane method of dispatch. I don't want my fisher laying on the ground; I've lost some to voles and even other fisher. I know about the suspension law, but I try to gage my cable or chain length so that just the hind feet and tail touch the ground to remain legal. I rarely set a foothold for fisher, but when I do I like the Sleepy Creek # 2 DBL longsprings. I'm going more and more to using cages which can be mounted on any tree, rather than hunting for the "perfect" pole. These are just some of my ideas, I would like to hear yours, and why. Thanks.
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Post by trapperjack on Oct 14, 2020 21:56:03 GMT -5
I use 155 and 160 coni’s for fisher. I converted my triggers to wood pans. I drill 2 holes through the piece of wood and run the wires through the holes. I then bend the wires to make pan lie flat. Traps are dyed green and brown as well as the pans. Has been working well for me the last 2 years. I also made cages to hold my bait and traps. I replaced the chains on my coni’s with cable. I have loops at both ends of the cable. I run the cable around the tree and then through the other loop. I attach the trap with a s hook or swivel to that loop. This makes it hard to steal my trap. My wire cages are placed a couple days before season so they “season”. It’s all good.
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Post by turtledale on Oct 16, 2020 14:00:34 GMT -5
I'm using mostly cages this year with 160's. Have a few boxes with 220's I also use. Going out tomorrow to put cages out and pre-bait. I don't have alot of property to trap for them but plan on putting out 15 sets. I'll put my trigger in a vee upside down on the front jaw also. Using a sweet bait in a couple and steelhead and deer in a few. Some homemade fish oil from walleye and some castor lure. I still use chain and wire. Maybe next year switch to cable. Extra swivels in all chains.
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paintedpaw
Retired NYSDEC Lake George Ranger
Posts: 688
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Post by paintedpaw on Oct 16, 2020 17:07:15 GMT -5
I ope4n the stomach of every fisher that I catch. I have found everything from chipmunks to apples, grapes, and nuts. Just a suggestion, but try bananas. Strong long lasting odor.
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tmc
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,447
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Post by tmc on Oct 16, 2020 17:17:33 GMT -5
paintedpaw -so far, every fisher I've caught including bucket-headed males have been in 155's, almost all ground cubby boxes. I also use 160's 4' up on running pole sets but it's the 155's that have been doing the catching. I also place the V-trigger on the outer/downhill side, sometimes on top jaw but also on bottom, haven't noticed a difference. YET... I swap-out the factory twist-link chain for #2 machine chain, haven't had any issues. Again, YET... I baited some stone cubbies (no trap yet obviously) today, made 3 baited dirt holes (same, no trap), and buried some roadkills to let the animals work them to show me where they're putting their feet so I can set appropriately when the season opens. And I use the #2 Sleepy Creek double long springs at fisher sets but again - only getting them in 155's. All that said, I haven't checked my notes so it's possible that I'm wrong about ONLY catching them in the 155's. For running poles, I mostly use 1/4" hardware cloth to cover beaver tails etc., leaving them large enough at the downhill end with the set trap and tight to the pole at the top, picture a half-funnel more or less. Just a few fence staples and all done. Faster and easier than making cages but I do also use hardware cloth "cages" but it's so much faster and less space to have a flat stack of pre-cut hardware cloth than cages that can get squashed.
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tmc
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,447
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Post by tmc on Oct 16, 2020 17:18:02 GMT -5
Bananas rule for mink!!!
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Post by turtledale on Oct 17, 2020 4:47:23 GMT -5
Did use bananas in two dirtholes for a change-up last year. Caught two skunks and a possum. I love skunks. Will try some bananas in Fisher cages this year. Maybe mink sets? What do I have to lose. With these prices I like to do experimenting even more. Thanks for the idea
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tmc
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,447
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Post by tmc on Oct 17, 2020 8:50:49 GMT -5
Night Owl makes "Top Banana," I think it beats bananas because it's stable - unlike the smell(s) of bananas that change throughout the process of becoming soil lol.
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Post by nightowl on Oct 18, 2020 7:29:52 GMT -5
Very True no green to brown transition just full time yellow....lol and it smells wonderful too
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Post by mikemason on Oct 18, 2020 7:36:21 GMT -5
Thorpe's mink eliminator lure was banana.
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