Any one here trap Fisher, Fox, Coyote and Bobcat?

[Highland Lofts]

If any one here trap Fisher, Fox, Coyote and Bobcat.
Actually water trap as well let's have a discussion about sets, baits and lures.

I started trapping again last year after a decades long break.
I live forty miles north of Seattle and fly back to Upstate New York for hunting and now trapping.
I will be focusing mainly on Fisher and Coyote, but will set up for fox, bobcat, beaver, muskrat and mink.

I invited Charlie, Justin and Jake from Hoosier Trapping Supply to come back to Upstate New York for fisher, fox, Coyote and bobcat trapping.
If it turns out it will be a fun trip.
Last year we caught two fishers and three red fox.
We didn't have many traps set last year. This year we will focus alot more on trapping while we are out there small game hunting and deer hunting.
We did buy our Pennsylvania hunting licenses to hunt deer down there. If we spend any amount of time there I will get a Pennsylvania trapping license.

Pictures of the two fishers and two of the red fox we trapped last fall.

 

[Chuck R.]

I only trap beaver and muskrat, and those are strictly in "self defense".

Apparently I should have read up on pond maintenance before buying our place. 9 acres of water generate quite a few nuisance aquatic mammals here in KS. There's nothing like "discovering" a den the hard way while driving a zero turn or the tractor to put me in "Jeremiah Johnson" mode for a couple weeks at a time.

 

[Speedo66]

If any one here trap Fisher, Fox, Coyote and Bobcat.
Actually water trap as well let's have a discussion about sets, baits and lures.

I started trapping again last year after a decades long break.
I live forty miles north of Seattle and fly back to Upstate New York for hunting and now trapping.
I will be focusing mainly on Fisher and Coyote, but will set up for fox, bobcat, beaver, muskrat and mink.

I invited Charlie, Justin and Jake from Hoosier Trapping Supply to come back to Upstate New York for fisher, fox, Coyote and bobcat trapping.
If it turns out it will be a fun trip.
Last year we caught two fishers and three red fox.
We didn't have many traps set last year. This year we will focus alot more on trapping while we are out there small game hunting and deer hunting.
We did buy our Pennsylvania hunting licenses to hunt deer down there. If we spend any amount of time there I will get a Pennsylvania trapping license.

Pictures of the two fishers and two of the red fox we trapped last fall.

View attachment 1106273 View attachment 1106274 View attachment 1106275 View attachment 1106276

I remember when all the cool kids had a fox tail flying from their car antennas.

 

[Barbaroja]

I’ve been interested in trapping for the last few years as I was surrounded by beaver and muskrat when in Washington, I took my trappers Ed class there so I can get my license (which I have yet to do) I was put off by the laws in Washington as far as what traps you can use. They only let you use cage traps which are prohibitively expensive so I never actually did any trapping.

Fast forward to now, im in Alabama with National forest off my back pasture. So im back in trapping mode. I picked up 2 bins full of traps second hand from an estate sale. $40 for the 2 bins. They contained 48 110 conibears, 10 victor #1 long springs 20 #4 double long springs and a few other miscellaneous traps. It was a steal.

I’m a complete newbie but have been reading a lot and I am signed up for a 2 day trapping workshop that the state puts on. Day one they show you how to set a trap line, day two you go check the traps and they demonstrate fur handling techniques. For now I’m just preparing my traps. I’ve got them all outside rusting up a bit before I die and wax them. Im planning to target mostly coyotes, fox and raccoons more as predator control around the farm than to get the furs as they are not worth a lot. Still collecting all the bits and pieces I’ll need but I’m looking forward to spending some more time in the woods and thinning the predators to the benefit of the deer, turkeys and livestock around me.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Barbarous
Smart move getting out of dodge. The trapping laws here in Washington State Suck. Colorado just got wiped on their Trapping too.
In your spare time YouTube has lots of good trapping videos. Hoosier Trapping Supply has a series of trapping videos. They are on their eleventh year with many trapping videos per year.

The series is Hoosier Trapper Outdoors.
I have watched every single video in the series.
They show trapping locations, trap placement, and is very informative.
They make and use TOP DOG PREDATOR BAIT.
And they make a lot of difference lures and scents.
They sell lures from other vendors as well and have a good selection of trapping supplies.
Once you get a little experience under your belt things will make more sence.
Trap location is very important to achieve catches.

I use to trap in Upstate New York decades ago and just got back into trapping again last year.
This year we will get more serious about it and try to aquire more private land to trap on.

Remember Never Wax CONIBEAR TRAPS!.
On the foothold, clean the tip of the dog and where the dog goes into the pan.
We uses earth anchor, we bought a couple dozen of them last year. We ordered the stuff to make them this year.
I stay with my brother back in New York and hunt with him mostly, he never trapped before and wanted to get into it so we will incorporate trapping in with our hunting.

Last year he caught a red fox and missed one. I caught two fishers and two red foxes. We only had a few traps set out. This year we will set several dozen traps out for fisher, fox, Coyote and bobcat.
Then we will set out for mink, muskrat and beaver when they open.
I have a fisher and a red fox in to get mounted for my gun room.
I want to get some hides tanned for hanging on my wall.
It is a fun hobby and very rewarding in time spent in the outdoors.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I will be picking up two complete frozen beavers tomorrow afternoon for fisher bait. I will thaw them and get then processed in to bait over the weekend and save the casters. He will be giving me some beaver tail oil lure for a fisher attractant.
I am picking up another fourteen- 160 conibears for trapping fisher and a dozen 110 conibear traps for mink & muskrat.
Things are starting to shape up for this trapping season.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I picked up the frozen beavers yesterday. I will let them thaw out and get them processed today or tomorrow.
This trapping season should be a good time.

 

[brewer12345]

Ok, once you trap the critters and skin them, then what? We shoot beaver and muskrat, but I don't know what to do with the freshly skinned fur.

 

[Highland Lofts]

In the fall there are places to sell the hides.
Or you can get them taned and sell the hides on here or Craig's list.
Some of the tanning companies will buy them..

 

[brewer12345]

In the fall there are places to sell the hides.
Or you can get them taned and sell the hides on here or Craig's list.
Some of the tanning companies will buy them..

Do you flesh them and dry or salt them?

 

[Highland Lofts]

I use to case skin them and roll the hide up and freeze them until I sold them just before I sold them I'd thaw them out. What we catch this year we will do the same and then sell them to a tanning place.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I picked up three beavers from a nuisance trapper out here in Washington state last Friday for trapping bait back in New York.
They were frozen so I had to let them thaw out to get them cut up into usable bait size.
Had several beers last night and got them all processed, vacuum sealed and put back in the freezer for for our flight from Seattle to Syracuse New York tomorrow morning.
Looking forward to catching fishers come October 25th.

 

[brewer12345]

I picked up three beavers from a nuisance trapper out here in Washington state last Friday for trapping bait back in New York.
They were frozen so I had to let them thaw out to get them cut up into usable bait size.
Had several beers last night and got them all processed, vacuum sealed and put back in the freezer for for our flight from Seattle to Syracuse New York tomorrow morning.
Looking forward to catching fishers come October 25th.

Imagine explaining what is in your bag to the TSA...

 

[Highland Lofts]

At least my name isn't Jeffery Dommer.
They say his favorite meal was GROUND CHUCK.

 

[brewer12345]

Owing to spectacularly stupid state law, trapping bis illegal here. So instead we hunt beaver and muskrat. Usually it is a combo hunt where we try for waterfowl and have a rifle handy for the swimmers. Retrieval can be challenging, as I am not that eager to go wading in 10 degree weather in the dark. Challenging shots, but lots of fun. We consider beaver to be good eating.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Over fifty years ago my older brother inlaw use to take me to a river back flow a kind of shallow swampy area off the susquehanna River in Great bend Pennsylvania and he let me shoot muskrats with a 22 rifle.
We should do good this year trapping.
I see Colorado just lost their trapping rights. It sucks for everyone who enjoys the trapping scene and it will highly impact the prey animals.
If I could afford it I'd spend more time trapping back in Upstate New York.
At this time in life six weeks works for me.
If I can find a few acres out it the country to put a hunting camp on I'd spend another month or so.
We'll see what's available this trip.
What state are you in.

 

[jmorris]

I have only trapped coyotes and it’s generally a dead chicken that got dropped that becomes the bait.

I set up along a no climb fence and try and get it in a position where is only approachable from one angle. Dig out for the trap so it’s level with the ground and cover it with a sheet of dark fabric. Then I place sticks before and after it. Coyotes don’t like to step on the sticks and will put their foot right in it. They have to have light triggers though as they are not much for stomping.

 

[brewer12345]

Over fifty years ago my older brother inlaw use to take me to a river back flow a kind of shallow swampy area off the susquehanna River in Great bend Pennsylvania and he let me shoot muskrats with a 22 rifle.
We should do good this year trapping.
I see Colorado just lost their trapping rights. It sucks for everyone who enjoys the trapping scene and it will highly impact the prey animals.
If I could afford it I'd spend more time trapping back in Upstate New York.
At this time in life six weeks works for me.
If I can find a few acres out it the country to put a hunting camp on I'd spend another month or so.
We'll see what's available this trip.
What state are you in.

Colorado. Trapping has been verboten since the 90s.

I actually went so far as to gin up a cast rifle load specifically for beaver and skrat.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Yesterday we took a ride up to a gun shop. We seen some road kill fur.
Three nice broad striped skunks.
A gray fox.
A live mink crossed the road and several dead deer.
Land trapping starts next Tuesday.
Looking forward to trap checks next week.

 

[Barbaroja]

Well this past weekend I finally had my trapping workshop that the state of Alabama put on. It was incredible! So much info packed into two days of fun. They did an incredible job putting it on. Then we were split into small groups and assigned a mentor,who were all biologists for the State of Alabama and very skilled trappers. We went out and set a trap line and the next day went out to check it. Unfortunately my group came up empty handed but the other groups got a coyote, a couple opossums and a beaver so they then showed us basic fur preparation. Skinning, fleshing, etc.
Anyway, I’m hooked and just ordered the rest of the equipment I need to get started.
I very well may go to the next workshop they are putting on next month, it’s a $10 class where you get invaluable information and they sent us home with a duke dog proof trap, a tail stripper, a bottle of raccoon lure and the NTA Trapping handbook so id say I came out in the green!

 

[Highland Lofts]

Glad you enjoyed the seminar and found a new hobby.
Our trap line hasn't been that productive.
I'll write about it in a couple of days.

 

[Barbaroja]

I’m hot on the trail! Finishing prepping new traps today and then I’m going to go set some for this guy. Found this track scouting yesterday, due to rain it can’t be more than 3 days old. Pretty sure that’s a bobcat based on the shape.