Another Season

[assateague]

Been slow. 3 reds and a gray since last Saturday. Considering its been raining all day every day, I shouldn't complain though. Got a little snow last night, enough for me and Layniebug to find a few paths through the cut corn fields that you can't find without snow on the ground. Fox are funny- they'll find the path of least resistance, even in a cut field, and then use that nonstop. Even now, I feel like a dumbass hanging snares in the middle of an open field, but they do work.

The bad part about the snow and rain is that just about all my sets are nothing but frozen puddles. Went around salting them this morning, and freshening the backer with some new urine- hopefully I can get a couple to put a foot wrong if I can keep them from freezing under the water.

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But altogether, it was a good morning for a walk. My back was covered with snow, since Layniebug thought it was hilarious to grab a handful of snow, make a snowball, and throw it at me as I was walking in front of her. Over and over again.

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This one was the robber, that I finally caught yesterday after a week of much consternation and flipped traps. But I got her 3 legged ass.

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[jehler]

Jr hasn't had a critter all week

[3legged_lab]

Hey! Go easy on the tripods.

sent from my Galaxy S3 using tapatalk 2

[QH's Paw]

This one was the robber, that I finally caught yesterday after a week of much consternation and flipped traps. But I got her 3 legged ass.

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I'm guessing that forth leg, and it's demise, was the life lesson that taught her to be more cautious.

[assateague]

Yep. Whenever I catch a 3 legged one, I always feel like I've done something, since there's a pretty good chance that they learned the hard way to be cautious.

[BrewGUN]

My first yote success snared! Thanks for the help Assa.

[JGUN]

Jr's going to be jealous, brew beat him to the first yote.

Over at Vinnie's?

[assateague]

My first yote success snared! Thanks for the help Assa.

Nice, man! Glad it worked out!

[assateague]

I forgot to tell you also- if deer are using the trail too, hang the snare like normal, then lean a stick, a little smaller than a wrist, over it. Deer will jump or walk around, but the yotes and fox will go under. Keeps your snares from getting knocked shut by deer.

[BrewGUN]

Jr's going to be jealous, brew beat him to the first yote.

Over at Vinnie's?

Yeah over at Vince's in the swamp, I set ten snares last night, wasn't expecting much with the storm Rollin in, either that one or another one wrecked one of my other snares too with 50ft of that one.

Assa, I checked most of the deer trails and not much yote sign at the moment, I got 9/10 snares set on coyote freeways. I read about the jump sticks but havnt needed them yet.

[BrewGUN]

Not a monster but still came in at 30# even, nice male. I think I'm gonna dig this kind of yote hunting if I can be consistent on catching them. I tried the air technique with this one and it worked alright, I think I need more air though, still had a decent amount of skinning, not as bad as a two day frozen one though!

[assateague]

If you didn't, you should set two other snares, about 15 yards either side of where you caught. Always set back where you catch something, because they piss all over when they're in a trap, and that'll draw more.

[BrewGUN]

If you didn't, you should set two other snares, about 15 yards either side of where you caught. Always set back where you catch something, because they piss all over when they're in a trap, and that'll draw more.

funny you say that, ive got 4 other snares within 40 yards of that one, two on that trail and two on a couple trails that branch off. I either missed another one or the one i got today wrecked one of the other snares just before the one that got him. If this starts getting productive I think we're gonne get serious and start slaughtering some yotes.

[BrewGUN]

So Im thinking that one coyote was beginners luck, havnt had squat near any of snares lately. Im guessing its mostly because of the storm and nasty conditions. What few tracks ive found have been random and not on/near any trails, just randomly going through the swamp and woods. I had one walk next to it, but nothing. Im gonna give it through the weekend, hoping some decent weather will get them moving again, if nothing im gonna yank a bunch of them and reposition in other areas. So yeah, either beginners luck or I got the pack idiot!

[assateague]

Three days is pretty standard for legholds (nothing in three days, move it), but snares are a little different. The animals roam so much that it's not necessarily that they're not moving, but they might have found some good eats at a farm 8 miles down the road. A fox will cover 8-12 miles a night, I'd imagine a coyote is double that unless they find some food. Weather does help, but I've found that strange weather helps more- fog, unexpected rain showers, crap like that. For some reason furbearers prefer a change rather than a pattern, like the ducks and deer do.

Not sure if this made sense or not. I'd give the snares a week at least. Remember, 3 days for a leghold is when you're trying to get a critter to step in a small circle using bait and smell-good stuff, and maybe a visual attractant. A snare you're trying to get him to step in the same circle just on pure dumb luck. Takes a little longer.

[assateague]

Just got word that the first fur sale of the year concluded. (this was not the one my furs went to- this is a somewhat smaller, earlier one, but is generally a pretty good indicator) Buy rates were over 99%, with coons averaging $18 (which is crazy high, almost $7 higher than I hoped), reds averaging $65 ($25 higher than I hoped), and grays averaging $35 ($5 higher than I hoped), and most everything going 100%. I'm certainly not counting my chickens before they hatch, but I only wish I could've had more furs ready for the early sale. The later sale usually drops about 25% in value, at least. Next year if prices stay this high, I'm gonna have the furs in the damn living room drying out so all I have can go to the early sale.

[BrewGUN]

Maybe I'll switch to coon at that price! I've got some snare sets that I've got a pretty good feeling about, only one really fresh track today but several last night suggesting they might be moving more this weekend. Here's hoping!

[BrewGUN]

lots of rabbits moving last night/yesterday, hoping that will get the dogs moving too, had one within 2 ft of my set last night but he was running parallel to it several yote tracks in other areas so their starting to move again.

[assateague]

lots of rabbits moving last night/yesterday, hoping that will get the dogs moving too, had one within 2 ft of my set last night but he was running parallel to it several yote tracks in other areas so their starting to move again.

Get a big chunk of a stick and set it in his way. It doesn't take much to funnel canines, they're pretty lazy. I catch foxes in snares in the middle of wide open cut bean fields by hanging them in the hard pack where the irrigation systems roll through. You should be able to redirect them into your snares pretty easy if you see their tracks. Just make sure to wear rubber boots when you're doing this.

[bill herian]

Pa talked to his trapper buddy last night. He trapped over 500 muskrats this winter. He's quitting because the ice is too thick. Guy also works full time.





500 rats.


Five. Hundred.

[assateague]

And they're averaging around $8 this year. Good money, but I don't have time for rat trapping- too much travel.

[one2many]

Just got word that the first fur sale of the year concluded. (this was not the one my furs went to- this is a somewhat smaller, earlier one, but is generally a pretty good indicator) Buy rates were over 99%, with coons averaging $18 (which is crazy high, almost $7 higher than I hoped), reds averaging $65 ($25 higher than I hoped), and grays averaging $35 ($5 higher than I hoped), and most everything going 100%. I'm certainly not counting my chickens before they hatch, but I only wish I could've had more furs ready for the early sale. The later sale usually drops about 25% in value, at least. Next year if prices stay this high, I'm gonna have the furs in the damn living room drying out so all I have can go to the early sale.

sounds like a good check will be coming
how much do you charge to skin a coon? with them bring that kind of money i will ship you all you want and we can split the check

[bill herian]

And they're averaging around $8 this year. Good money, but I don't have time for rat trapping- too much travel.

This guy is in his late forties and said he's in the best shape of his life after this season.

[JGUN]

Brew got two more.

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[assateague]

Hell yeah!

[one2many]

nice looking dogs

[BrewGUN]

Nothing this morning but boy are they moving, they're out on the field edges and hardwoods, not so much in the swamp now that the storm has passed. Put out a few more sets out, but need to get some more supplies and get some more sets made.

[assateague]

I buy my snares, it's cheaper. Get them for $13 a dozen, complete.

[BrewGUN]

I buy my snares, it's cheaper. Get them for $13 a dozen, complete.

Source please. The cheapest i can find them is 16$ most around 20, gander has them for $32 >:( (dozen)
We have to have the stupid deer stops on them here in MI also, supposedly so it cant close more than 4.25 ", BS IMO, but laws are laws.
I might buy a nother couple dozen at $18-20/dozen. I can rebuild them with new wire when they catch or get messed up, basically just getting the parts is about the same as buying them premade, but if i can reuse the swivels and washer locks, then all i need is a few stops, cable crimps and cable. Now that they are moving again, i wanna pepper Vince's farm with them. I might even throw a few sets up on our hunting property to see what i can find up there.

Seeing the price of coon this year makes me wanna go after some coon in 2013! Hell even possum and skunk are bringing ok money, not premium redfox money, but for the amount of coon, skunk, and possum we've killed and buried at Vince's, we coulda had a few steak and lobster nights!

[assateague]

Blueridgeoutdoorsupplies.com

I will say I've never used a deer stop, so have never priced them, but this place is the cheapest I've found for most everything, and the guy ships very fast, too.