Any interest in trapping?

[Paul Roberts]

12 hours ago, Bassin' Brad said:

It's amazing how much damage these little things can do to a yard. They're like micro wild hogs lol 

Yes, it's true. But they aren't all bad. My house is in a natural mountain meadow, and gophers abound. They are important ecologically in natural landscapes, by turning over soil which aerates it, and increases plant diversity by renewing plant succession opportunities. 

[Bassin' Brad]

Somehow, this cat managed to get under the bathtub of my brother in laws just remodeled house. The space it was in was impossible to get to so I had to trap it. Unfortunately for the cat it refused to drink water and died shortly after being removed. Fortunately for my brother in law I got it before it died under his tub which would have been really bad. 

[TnRiver46]

Bill Murray would be jealous

[Oregon Native]

Gosh...memories.  I remember over fourty years ago wanting to trap so I tried it.  Caught a white foot by a creek.....DONE.  I'm a woooos

[TnRiver46]

Didn’t need to trap this mole today....... mango crunched it for me. Good girl mango !

 

 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Didn’t need to trap this mole today....... mango crunched it for me. Good girl mango !

Need to rename her 'Mongo'

 

"Mongo no like moles."

 

(5 pts to whomever gets the reference)

[TnRiver46]

R.I.P. mole

[J Francho]

 

My cousin did a fair amount of trapping when he was younger.  Made decent money doing it, too.  Not for me, though I've been known to lay out a few snap traps.

[Bassin' Brad]

Couple of fat boys I caught. 

[RoLo]

 

In early adulthood, I trapped muskrats as a diversion (the trapping side of my firearm license).

I used #1 jump traps and sold the pelts to Taylor Fur and Sears. I was living in New Jersey

at the time, when Louisiana was marketing by far the most muskrat pelts.

However, we had the the so-called “Jersey Dark Rat” which fetched a higher market price

because they were used for simulated mink.

 

I'd set each trap in 3” of water, then stick twigs around the trap with a tiny piece of parsnip 

on the end. In 3” of water, the front feet of a muskrat are swimming, which

guarantees a hind-leg grab. Caught by a front leg, muskrats are notorious for wringing off their foot. 

 

My wife was always a good sport, and held onto the hind feet of the muskrat 

while I cased it out. Casing a pelt is tacky around the head & eyes, where it tears easily 

 

Roger

[TnRiver46]

That sounds awesome @RoLo! I wish I was around when fur was valuable. I still skin some just to keep the tradition alive but it’s a negative endeavor as far as cash 

[Smells like fish]

Me and a buddy participated in trapping this past Winter. Just predator control on our hunting grounds. Ended up with 3 coyotes, couple Bobcats, 3 fox, 5 coons and 2-3 possums. I could really get into it if it was 200 years and I was in a vast wilderness. We both had never trapped though I've had footholds and cage type traps since I was a kid. YouTube was a good teacher. Gonna give beaver, otter and muskrats a try this winter just for the experience. 

[TnRiver46]

7 hours ago, Smells like fish said:

Me and a buddy participated in trapping this past Winter. Just predator control on our hunting grounds. Ended up with 3 coyotes, couple Bobcats, 3 fox, 5 coons and 2-3 possums. I could really get into it if it was 200 years and I was in a vast wilderness. We both had never trapped though I've had footholds and cage type traps since I was a kid. YouTube was a good teacher. Gonna give beaver, otter and muskrats a try this winter just for the experience. 

I never catch anything out in the woods, right up against people’s house is where you can rack up haha. I can catch 15-20 critters (skunks, raccoons, and possums) in fairly quick order with cage traps set up against the siding of lots and lots of houses. I think a few species of animals have changed their diet from what they can find in the woods to what they can find in a neighborhood. Some of our customers have trail cams and they are always shocked by how many different critters are in their yard every night. Lots of customers see foxes in their yards daily, it’s like the discovery channel! Neighborhoods are always full of pet food, bird seed, garbage, and well irrigated lawns full of worms and grubs. The woods are full acorns, hickory nuts, and bugs.....

[TnRiver46]

Well, I had a stinky situation on my hands today....... 

 

[TnRiver46]

Ever wondered what sound a skunk makes?

 

[king fisher]

I trapped a few winters in Alaska. A friend would fly me and my supplies to his hunting cabin in late October, and come pick me up in early May.  It was a good area, and I caught lots of fur.  Would make enough to pay for my supplies and have a little left over.  Great memories, but in end got I tired of talking to myself all winter. I always dream about spending another winter in the bush, every time the stress of modern life gets me down.  Last winter I spent there was in 1992 no one has trapped that valley since then.  Should be great trapping.  Would be difficult to talk my wife in to living in Isolation for 6 months.  I guess I was ahead of the times, with self isolation.  I guarantee there will never be Corona Virus in that place.

[TnRiver46]

double!

[J Francho]

Trash Pandas!

[billmac]

I have a farm, and I have a real problem with rats.  Somehow they've gotten wise to snap traps and electro traps.  It seems the only way I can kill them is with poison, which I hate to do because of cats and dogs, although I haven't had any of them get poisoned.  I have a rat raiding the pantry in my house and I simply can't catch it.

 

I too have gotten a bit soft-hearted as I have gotten older and I am reluctant to kill things.  But not rats. I hate rats.

[TnRiver46]

17 hours ago, billmac said:

I have a farm, and I have a real problem with rats.  Somehow they've gotten wise to snap traps and electro traps.  It seems the only way I can kill them is with poison, which I hate to do because of cats and dogs, although I haven't had any of them get poisoned.  I have a rat raiding the pantry in my house and I simply can't catch it.

 

I too have gotten a bit soft-hearted as I have gotten older and I am reluctant to kill things.  But not rats. I hate rats.

You sir have a ninja rat. I’ve encountered many such rats, they suck. When you say they have grown wise to snap traps, you mean they rob the bait or they won’t touch them? 

[J Francho]

Havahart, and a bucket of water.

[billmac]

I have had them steal the bait, but mostly they avoid the trap.

 

[TnRiver46]

17 minutes ago, billmac said:

I have had them steal the bait, but mostly they avoid the trap.

 

I just left a new rat job. If they are stealing the bait , you’ve got them right where you want them. Just keep re baiting every single day and they will make a mistake eventually. Try fiddling with the trip pan tension or adding wider things to it like wire mesh they might step on. The ninja rat Refuses to be captured and avoids all traps. The ninja rat is always alone and can sometimes take several months to catch. I usually have to get creative with a size 55 conibear or a snare to get the ninja. One time there was a ninja rat stuck in a garage that figured out how to live there. Between me and the customer, we tried it all. After several weeks the rat started chewing on door jambs leading me to believe he was stuck. The only thing that worked was crack the door and let it out. Don’t even get me started on the subterranean rats that travel old sewer lines and show up in houses. If trapping rats was easy, they would be extinct and the plague wouldn’t have killed several million people 

[J Francho]

[Smells like fish]

You ever watch the lil terriers on YouTube they use as ratters around poultry farms? Catch couple hundred in a day? They're putting you outta bizzness! You gonna have get mad dog mean like those lil guys. You've probably watched them but if not you're in for a treat. 

 

 

 

 

A rat snare? If you make a catch I'd love see pic in snare.