WaterfowlForum.Net

assateague wrote:

obxbufflehead wrote:And the first plain was what? I it involves pintails I say screw that because we all k ow what's going to happen

It did. Plan A (the only plan) was a wooded point in the bay, surrounded by marsh. Probably still going to do that one, since I have no desire to hunt flooded timber.

Whenever it floods here in KS/MO, I love hunting flooded timber for wood ducks and mallards.

AT, you using conibears or leg holds?

the only thing i've ever trapped were otters.

I trapped a mouse in a trash can today. It was an empty can so I set a trap in the can and herded the mouse towards the trap with a stick. SNAP!

Bufflehead wrote:AT, you using conibears or leg holds?

the only thing i've ever trapped were beaver.

Amen

Olly wrote:

Bufflehead wrote:AT, you using conibears or leg holds?

the only thing i've ever trapped were beaver.

Amen

But roofies will beat a leg hold any day of the week. Just sayin'.

Bufflehead wrote:AT, you using conibears or leg holds?

the only thing i've ever trapped were otters.

All leg holds. I don't have time to run muskrat lines (110s), and only have one questionable place for otter (330s). A lot of folks used to use bucket sets for coons with 220s, but we're not allowed to do that anymore. Basically, up here, any conibear has to be set in water.

So far, the luck is holding today. As much as I bitch about MD, it does provide some pretty good opportunities.

So far. I'd like to get into some reds, but I can't complain.

JGUN wrote:I trapped a mouse in a trash can today. It was an empty can so I set a trap in the can and herded the mouse towards the trap with a stick. SNAP!

you should make something from the pelt

assateague wrote:So far. I'd like to get into some reds, but I can't complain.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353609737.243500.jpg

very cool Jimbo

assateague wrote:So far. I'd like to get into some reds, but I can't complain.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353609737.243500.jpg

Some fat rich yuppie woman is going to love her new coat.

I'd make a banana hammock if I were you.

3legged_lab wrote:

assateague wrote:So far. I'd like to get into some reds, but I can't complain.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353609737.243500.jpg

Some fat rich yuppie woman is going to love her new coat.

I'd make a banana hammock if I were you.

Jgun can make you one from his mouse pelt

Flightstopper wrote:

3legged_lab wrote:

assateague wrote:So far. I'd like to get into some reds, but I can't complain.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353609737.243500.jpg

Some fat rich yuppie woman is going to love her new coat.

I'd make a banana hammock if I were you.

Jgun can make you one from his mouse pelt

:lol:

Nice AT

3 weeks in. Unfortunately, fur prices are going down, dammit.

May be a dumb question, but is it worth it to skin them yourself? I trapped when I was sstill in high school and I always just sold them whole. Got about half the price of it skinned and stretched, but also mess free.

There's only one guy anywhere close who buys fur in the round, and the hit is about 50%. This may be different in other areas, but around here it's definitely worth it to skin them yourself. Even for green hides, the hit is about 25%. Definitely worth it to go the extra little bit and sell finished furs.

assateague wrote:There's only one guy anywhere close who buys fur in the round, and the hit is about 50%. This may be different in other areas, but around here it's definitely worth it to skin them yourself. Even for green hides, the hit is about 25%. Definitely worth it to go the extra little bit and sell finished furs.

Said like a man not scared of work

Shit's getting ridiculous. Another skunk and two possums today. Starting to think I should have kept track of how many possums I catch. And apparently, this one got me a bit. I couldn't wait to reset until tomorrow, so only have him an hour to "cool off" after I shot him. That dirt was horrific. At one point, I thought about spraying my face with the bottle of fox urine to make the stink go away while I was resetting the trap. Had to take several breathers, mouth was watering, drooling, not pretty. Better have a fox tomorrow

assateague wrote:Shit's getting ridiculous. Another skunk and two possums today. Starting to think I should have kept track of how many possums I catch. And apparently, this one got me a bit. I couldn't wait to reset until tomorrow, so only have him an hour to "cool off" after I shot him. That dirt was horrific. At one point, I thought about spraying my face with the bottle of fox urine to make the stink go away while I was resetting the trap. Had to take several breathers, mouth was watering, drooling, not pretty. Better have a fox tomorrow

Sounds like when my dog got hit in the face last summer!

I haven't kept up with this thread lately Jim. Did you ever trap for that farmer that approached you?

Not yet. I told him I'd get to it, but probably not until Christmas week. I wish I had more time, but I just don't.

Not to overwhelm you with questions, but if it's not too personal, how much would you estimate you get from furs yearly?

My best year was 6 years ago, in 06, when I netted $1,800. Prices were low (if I remember), but I had access to a bunch of places for otter, and they are always pretty high dollar. Gas prices and equipment prices influence it quite a bit. My neighbor usually clears around $8,000, but he runs a lot of farms. That last pic I posted up is around $500-$550 worth of fur, at current prices. I need to get on some reds, badly, but no matter what, it's fun. I enjoy the hell out of it, and try not to "count" on the money, so whenever the check comes in the summer, it's a nice little surprise extra.

I'm going to get back into it, all in time. I still have a lot of my traps, just need to get some more land to trap now.

I don't know about up there, but I could easily have access to enough land to keep me busy 14 hours a day, just constantly running traps. Heck, technically I guess I do right now, with access to a little over 2,000 public acres of state forest land I got authorized for.

How do you deal with fleas on the critters?

I try to pretend like they're not there, and I don't see them. I skin out in the barn, and all the pelts stay out there, away from the house. I think the ticks are worse, though. For some reason, they really eat up the red foxes. Just about every red fox I've ever skinned has a hundred ticks which have burrowed in so deep, they've been healed over and died. They're found on the INSIDE of the hide, between the skin and the meat. Gives me the heebie jeebies, but I've only ever seen this on reds. Just made me start itching typing that.

Worry about jr bring fleas home to the critters, he told me about the ticks in red fox, how does he know this shit? Internet generation...