Trapping!

[Seeker]

Been a member here for awhile now and just stumbled on this section. I haven't trapped in a couple of years now as there is no one to sell fur to anymore. I started teaching my Grandson to trap two yrs. ago and the hides are still in the freezer. 4 big beaver, some coon, fox and rats. We had a great time but need to have room in the freezer for venison too and I won't toss em'. I'll flesh em up, tan em' and sell em' that way if I have to. The memories we made together are priceless though. The mention of trapping always brings back memories of my younger days on the line and of coon hunting. Best of times was 1979 when we averaged $50 ea.for coons no matter if they was little ones or super jumbos. I'll be looking in here from time to time if you guys don't mind a new guy hanging around.

[Tenbender]

Seeker, 78-79 were good years. I could make $200 a day catching fox. The season only lasted 2 month here though.
Spring this on the grandson. Get an $1.00 pocket watch. " That will cost you $20 now " Dig your trap bed and put the watch in a zip bag and sift it in under your trap. You will have your fox by both front feet the next morning. lol
An old fellow , where I would park to check my traps, was waiting on me one morning when I got back. Thought I might be in trouble but he started a conversation about trapping. He told me about the watch. He said that was how he did it back in the depression years. He also told me more . Catch a mink with a broken piece of mirror glass. lol ect. I miss those days. Now I doubt if I could set a 1 3/4 coil. Still have some of the stuff laying around though.

[472x1B/A]

Hi Seeker, please do come back soon. Let's hear some of your experiences on the line from years back. We would all like to hear them, short or long.

Tenbender, what an interesting trick, with the watch. Would have never thought of it. My grandfather told me about using small pieces of shiny tin on the trap pan to get coons in the creeks. Worked almost time for me, untill they were thinned out and only the old ones were left. Please don't be strangers guys.

[nagantguy]

Running a trap line under the supervision of my dad in the winter of 87 is one of my best memories of all earned enough from catching coon mi k and such to buy with my own money a pump shotgun and the next winter a slug barrel for it. Done a little trapping since then 2008 had a great year on mink. Now with the farm we are trying to run and all the chickens coons have gone from a pest to an arch enemy.

[Tenbender]

The guy that told me about the watch said to wrap it in wax paper . Guess thats all he had in the 30's. I used a zip bag. lol He also told me the trapping money helped feed the family even though he was just a kid or at least a young man. Try to get a kid to help his family now. I have wished several times that I had ask him to join me some of the times. I could of learned a lot I bet.

[bignut]

You can mail them to a buyer. Not worth much this year though. Coyote seems to be the best bet right now here.

[trapper9260]

For the shiny tin foil I have used it from time to time for coon ,they love shiny objects.Mainly if they see in in moven water.they can not past up but try to grab it and then you got them.I also use tin foil to mark my sets and on my stake for rats and coon and mink ,I would have the tin foil tape wrap around a stake away from the shore and with part of it hang over the end and twisted that way when you shine a light on it you will see it if you are checken your set in the dark and the coon see that and will want to check it out.I had them do that alot back east when i done alot of rat trapping by canoe.As for the mirror, I had a guy that use to be a mink farmer told me about ,when a mink got away from him he would set up a box trap with the mirror that when the mink see it he think it is another one and go into the trap after it.I have not try that out.But the tin foil I have.

[trapper9260]

Been a member here for awhile now and just stumbled on this section. I haven't trapped in a couple of years now as there is no one to sell fur to anymore. I started teaching my Grandson to trap two yrs. ago and the hides are still in the freezer. 4 big beaver, some coon, fox and rats. We had a great time but need to have room in the freezer for venison too and I won't toss em'. I'll flesh em up, tan em' and sell em' that way if I have to. The memories we made together are priceless though. The mention of trapping always brings back memories of my younger days on the line and of coon hunting. Best of times was 1979 when we averaged $50 ea.for coons no matter if they was little ones or super jumbos. I'll be looking in here from time to time if you guys don't mind a new guy hanging around.

Welcome to the club on here. There is a number of fur buyers you can ship your furs to also.there is also a state trapping assc. in your state you can check on fur buyers .If you like to know more on it let me know I will find there link and you can contact them and go from there.Or you can go to the NTA web site and will have the states . http://www.nationaltrappers.com/

[William Yanda]

I have heard of using a small Christmas tree ornament rather than a piece of mirror to catch the interest of and a raccoon itself.

[trapper9260]

here is another link to fur buyers in your state of PA

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbt...yers_Directory