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Post by trappeur on Jan 5, 2021 17:59:16 GMT -5
Happy New Year everyone.
With this COVID-19 crazyness I hope everyone is doing ok.
How is your trapping season going so far?
Are you guys picking up fur? More than last year?
The weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year, did it have an impact on your fur harvest?
Hunter 1
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Post by trapperjack on Jan 5, 2021 18:28:36 GMT -5
Warm weather in November hurt big. Hung up fisher and marten traps for year. I trapped some nice yotes, reds and greys. Prices at recent auction look bad though. I’ll never quit trapping totally though, it’s in my blood after 50 years of trapping.
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Post by trappeur on Jan 5, 2021 21:28:03 GMT -5
Same here, situated just North of the border near Ottawa. We haven't had the the cold weather nor snow accumulation that we usually get at this time of the year. I picked up some fisher, yotes rats, unfortunately due to this warm weather I also picked up more raccoons than I wanted.
I don't know about you guys but here setting leg hold traps for yotes has been an on-going challenge...traps freezing at night, and or flooded due to heavy rain accumulation... just plain frustration.
With price of fur I can see several guys putting everything on hold. Regardless, I will keep on trapping.
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Post by turtledale on Jan 6, 2021 9:15:09 GMT -5
Caught some reds coon rats mink skunk grinners beaver. Was gonna trap yotes but for a week now 35° and mud during the day and 31° at night and freezing up the mud and wet snow. Might hang it up and start rabbit hunting more. Caught some fur and put it up so that itch is scratched. Take care all
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tmc
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,447
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Post by tmc on Jan 6, 2021 9:44:10 GMT -5
Same here, trapperjack. Trapping since - '66? '68? No matter, I was hooked the first time I ever saw a steel trap.
My season may be over, at least at the remote farm I think it is. And yes, primarily due to this COVID crap and the uncertainty of my having to homeschool my grandsons through another quarantine period, and not being sure if I would be able to make daily trap checks there... at the home farm, I'm torn, I can't see having time for putting up coyotes if I DO have to aid with quarantines. But, being able to just walk out the back and check traps, and better still being able to see about 3,000 feet down rows of leafless apple trees to "pre-check" traps, very tempting. Along with the fact that on Sunday a truck hit a big mama doe out front and she ran down into the orchard to the perfect place for a carcass bait (yes I observe all laws about trap placement distance from a carcass), AND that we've had as many as 7 coyotes at a time feeding on her since Sunday night... VERY tempting!
As far as flood and freeze-ups, guys, honestly consider some variation of a hayset where applicable. It works for me. An appropriate thickness of hay laid down, then if necessary sticks or whatever placed for support of the trap to keep it above the ponding/freezing, then a thin hay covering. "MY" experience has shown that canines (especially fox, it seems) are not concerned about stepping on moving objects under hay like they are with improperly bedded traps moving at dirt holes, which only reinforces my opinion that it's not the trap movement at the dirt hole that "scares" them but rather that they're already in "CATCH IT BEFORE IT GETS AWAY OR I'LL STARVE!!!" mode, so yes, in spite of the slamming that haysets generally get, they work great for me especially in ridiculous winter weather patterns. ...when I get to trap that is.
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paintedpaw
Retired NYSDEC Lake George Ranger
Posts: 688
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Post by paintedpaw on Jan 6, 2021 10:29:53 GMT -5
This has been my worst year ever for trapping. Wanted to concentrate on fisher, just got my sets going and came down with anaplasmosis from a tick bite. Ended up in the hospital and out of commission for weeks.Had to have friends pull my traps. Fortunately I have fully recovered, but this Covid thing really gave me cabin fever.The fur sale results are very discouraging, but I can't just sit in the house. I've got a handful of sets out just to be doing something. Ice on some of the smaller ponds, but the big lake is wide open when it comes to fishing. I am, however very thankful to still be above ground, walking around, and still able to set a few traps. Already planning for next season.
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Post by trappeur on Jan 6, 2021 14:49:06 GMT -5
Thanks TMC I may just try those hay sets. It is one thing I haven't really used yet.
I have been getting yotes and a couple reds on foot holds but had to cover my traps well to prevent freezing but still had a number of frozen traps with tracks in the center of my dirt hole sets. I have been using RCRs and it has worked for me. I caught some nice yotes with this device.
In my views it is better to be in the bush than stuck in the house worrying about this COVID-19... No social distancing or requirements to wear mask there !
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Post by markg on Jan 6, 2021 17:08:01 GMT -5
Hay sets all the way in these conditions. Put a bunch of sets in after Christmas all of them hay sets. Picking up a few reds each day with a few coon and coyotes mixed in.
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Post by turtledale on Jan 6, 2021 17:36:39 GMT -5
Doesn't take much arm twisting for me. Going to the farm down the road tomorrow to get a bale of hay. I can always put a few sets on the farm in and check. Never made a hay set before but have seen and read plenty about it. Thanks for giving me a little push lol
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tmc
#2 Newhouse
Posts: 2,447
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Post by tmc on Jan 7, 2021 17:04:23 GMT -5
GAH!!! It's almost too much to bear... I just got home about 15 minutes ago, watched 3 coyotes come to the carcass about a minute apart, all taking turns going in to it for a bite and backing off. Nice, big, coyotes... Have to go pick up my grandsons! Oh well, maybe this weekend.
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Post by trappeur on Jan 7, 2021 18:22:22 GMT -5
Did two hay sets and another three additional blind sets today. Will do couple more hay sets tomorrow. Looking forward to tomorrow and weekend checks.
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Post by trappeur on Jan 10, 2021 18:07:33 GMT -5
No yote in my hay sets but lost one out of my blind sets. He ran to a ditch with the drag and somehow was able to get out of the trap. Likely caught by a toe.
Just one of those days...
Hoping for better luck tommorrow.
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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 15, 2021 7:59:55 GMT -5
we sure miss "creekboy" here... self-professed inventor of the hay set. Ah the good ol' days... wonder whatever happened to that SEPA nut job down there? surrounded by beavers here in Livingston - Wyoming - Allegany counties, no great sense of urgency to trap them yet. Zero pressure from other guys so far, zero beaver sets or trapper activity seen anywhere. So I've been enjoying open-water walleye fishing locally. Landed +/- 35 fish in the past two weeks of sporadic fishing. About half were egg-laden females 2+ to 5+ pounds that got released. The other half are vac-sealed fillets in the freezer. I'll swap the St Croix for Duke next week as the arctic air shuts down open-water river fishing. Start to slap the steel on winter prime beavers, done with the walleye'd pounding for now
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Post by redcloud on Jan 17, 2021 13:04:12 GMT -5
hi austin The nut job passed on this past summer . He did leave quite a legacy .
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