My trapping journal

[AKPirate]

Nicely done! Its always fun to get the family out in the woods like that. I remember when we were expecting our first daughter, I had her up to her knees in snow, eight months pregnant setting and checking rabbit snares. Those were good times.

Did your wife ever find out about your girlfriend?

We never got married. Before we knew it, we had two kids, a house to raise them in and not enough left over for a wedding. Just as well I guess, all the other couples we used to hang out with are divorced now.

[quackhead]

todays catch

[assateague]

What's the slot in the side of the box for?

[QH's Paw]

What's the slot in the side of the box for?

I don't know the terminology for all the parts of the trap but, if you go back to his original post on this thread and, look at the last picture. Blow it up and you'll see the handles of the trap sticking out the slots.

[assateague]

Gotcha.

[quackhead]

Yes, it is for the springs on the conibear

[quackhead]

Well, my boy and I went out and set 1 fox trap yesterday. I put it by a bunch of blue plastic 10plus inch pipes. There were some old pallets next to them. So I dug a hole under the corner of the pallet and dug a bed in front. The ground is frozen solid so this was quite a chore. I double staked with 2' rebar stakes then rapped my trap in a produce bag. I took what snow was available and dropped it from a few feet above the trap. This snow was very wet and the snow coming from the sky was almost rain. I threw some gusto down the hole and placed a touch on the corner of the pallet. I also laced little orchestra of grass around the trap.
I checked the trap tonight and no fox. However, I had fresh tracks all around and at least 3 times the fox set his paw on my pan. Problem was it was frozen solid. Damnit! Almost. Maybe I should go but some peat moss.

[assateague]

Definitely peat moss. The problem with using all peat moss (no dirt) is that it's hard to get the trap bedded worth a damn. It'll always be "spongy". You're just using snow to sift on top? That has to suck a lot.

[quackhead]

Definitely peat moss. The problem with using all peat moss (no dirt) is that it's hard to get the trap bedded worth a damn. It'll always be "spongy". You're just using snow to sift on top? That has to suck a lot.

Yep, I don't have any dry dirt. I was thinking about making a piece of plywood routered where the trap sits in it. This would give more surface area so no wobble. Not sure if anyone has tried it but it ses like it would help.

[assateague]

That's a pretty damn good idea, actually.

[assateague]

You can use "regular" dirt on top, too. No need for dry dirt. Thought you were just using the snow for it to "blend in". If that's not an issue, just set it like normal, and sprinkle table salt in the bed and on the sifted dirt. That's what I use to keep it from forming a crust, or freezing the jaws to the ground if I don't have any peat moss. I keep a container of salt (whatever size they are- those big round cardboard cans) in my bag pretty much all winter. Makes the traps rust quicker than hell, but they get redone at the end of the season, anyway.

[quackhead]

I was using the snow to cover the trap since there was no way in hell im breaking up the dirt and sifting it. It's rock hard and marshy dirt. I think I'll try some peat but not until weekend. I reset it the best I could since I didn't have any gear with me. I think it's not bedded good enough now and it's barely covered with a sprinkle of snow, so the fox is prob gonna hear the bag make noise. We'll see, even a blind squirrel finds a nut

[(MT)Montanafowler]

hey quack, this may be a dumb question but how do you stake a ground set in heavy snow?

[quackhead]

Right now I can still get to the ground. When there is to much snow then it's drags or tie off to a tree

[assateague]

You use cables? I have to use them on all my sets in the woods, because there's no dirt, just fluffy loam and roots. I don't really like cabling to a tree, but it seems to work ok.

[quackhead]

I only set in deep snow 1 time since last spring was my first at trapping. When I put in my set I just braided a few wires together and tied to big logs. Right now I've got 2 2'pieces of rebar holding my set.

[assateague]

If you're sure it's a fox, that much rebar is sort of overkill. I only use 18" rebar, and only singles (although I have switched to cable stakes, because of the increased coyotes poking around). If you're getting a good grab in the dirt, one is plenty. Foxes will only pull sideways trying to get out, flat to the ground. They don't jump. I've had tons of catches, and when I got the fox out, the stake would pull out of the ground with two fingers from where he had loosened it by running and pulling in low circles.

That being said, I don't know the circumstances or ground where you're trapping, so by all means, do what you feel is necessary. But if I had to get 2 24" stakes out of the ground when it was time to move, I would have a bitch of a time.

[quackhead]

It is fox. However there is potential for yote or cat. I it 1 2' stake in and pull it up no problem so I cross staked it and it's solid now. It's gonna suck to pull out since it's prob frozen in the ground now.

[QH's Paw]

It is fox. However there is potential for yote or cat. I it 1 2' stake in and pull it up no problem so I cross staked it and it's solid now. It's gonna suck to pull out since it's prob frozen in the ground now.

Just ask yourself, "what would Assa do?". 50/50 he would piss on it. That's how he fixes most things and in this case a good option.

[quackhead]

Checked 1 fox trap and 4 beaver traps tonight. The fox trap came 3 ft from snatching a dog. 2 beaver traps were froze in, 1 that was set under water was knocked over( didn't stabilize good enough) and the 4th had a green head in it. Not a great check and it was 0 degrees out to boot

[quackhead]

Finally connected with my first fox. It was colder than shit! 4 deg with 20+ mph winds. I got him in a 1.75 with back breaker in my dirthole

[assateague]

That's awesome! Reset that thing, and if I were you, I'd add another within 5 yards. Reds almost always travel in pairs, so double sets are the way to go. And careful scraping it- they will tear like a motherfucker, in the armpits and at the bottom on the belly.

[quackhead]

I should've had another set cause there was definitely at least another one with it. Unfortunately I didn't the tools or time to reset hopefully I can later today. I'm at work now:( your dispatch method was very easy. They are delicate critters. Did you ever get a necker?

[assateague]

No. I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money. Maybe next year.

[Flightstopper]

Necker? That the skinning contraption?

[assateague]

It's a brand of fleshing knife. They're really nice, but high dollar, about $80 (mine now was $9). Honestly, I could probably make the $80 in increased prices for my coons if I caught enough, but I don't want to spend it.

[quackhead]

If I get my fnt gift cards I'll be buying 1.
Here's a daytime pic of my fox and a pic of the remake.

[assateague]

That's a nice fox!

[quackhead]

That's a nice fox!

Wasn't sure if it was very big or average or small. Never got one before. It's a 12lb female. I'm thinking of mounting or tanning it. (Taxidermy mount sickos)

[assateague]

That's a pretty decent female. Around here, a large male will go 15 pounds, and that's rare. Most all (females and males) are between 9-12, so that's definitely on the heavy side. Looks like she's hit nice color, too.