General trapper tips

[Tfng]

I thought I would start this thread to share ideas on how you organize your gear or any other ideas that make running your line easier.

I always hated flagging tape because it never stays on the roll and makes a mess in my pack. Since I've started snaring flagging tape is a must have.

My father showed me to heat a piece of wire and push it through the roll. This melts the tape and it will only unravel one layer at a time. It works great but make sure you use good quality tape or it will tear at the melted area in low temps.

Another thing that has been working well for me since the snow fell has been to not follow your broke trail across fields with your pick up. Make a trail going in and make another beside it on the way out. I've found this helps with lessening drifted snow in your trail, much like plowing ridges along your lane way.

[HunterDave]

Here's what I learned today. Place a stick with flagging tape on it to mark where your weasel boxes are in case they get covered with snow. It'll save you from feeling around the deep snow with your foot to find them.

If you want your coyote bait to last a little longer, put your trim in a rubbermaid container and fill it with water. Let it freeze and you'll get a meatcicle that the yotes will have to chew on a bit. Just make sure that you use containers with smooth sides that taper towards the bottom so the meatcicle will slide out with just a little coaxing.

One of the best mods that I did in my little 10' x 12' skinning shack was to put small hooks every 3" along an 8' piece of 1" x 3" and attach it to the ceiling. It saves on space and you can hang everything from wet muskrats and beaver castors to coyotes that you take off of boards to finish drying them.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Hunter Dave, just tie a knot in your flagging tape each time you use it. Loop through hole then single knot.

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Hunter Dave, just tie a knot in your flagging tape each time you use it. Loop through hole then single knot.

That helps but it will still unravel, been there done that. If you melt a small hole through it it will never unravel no matter what. To each there own but I will never have a roll of tape that hasn't been melted again!

[jim summit]

Tip for the guys that use a snowmobile on the line. Cross small creeks and runs at an angle so you can keep some speed.
If you cross at right angle and have to slow down, you might end up like this.
Hollow ice and water underneth.
Have a "comealong" winch if you are traveling on ice, it will save your day.

[Tfng]

That's a bad day right there Jim.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by TFNG

That's a bad day right there Jim.

x2

[backyard]

Originally Posted by jim summit

Tip for the guys that use a snowmobile on the line. Cross small creeks and runs at an angle so you can keep some speed.
If you cross at right angle and have to slow down, you might end up like this.
Hollow ice and water underneth.
Have a "comealong" winch if you are traveling on ice, it will save your day.

My grand father used to cut logs to fit across something like that and just shovel snow on it to make a bridge for the winter....

[KegRiver]

You can feel the bottom of a beaver run with a stick. The soil will be harder under the run and most of the time there will be no debris.

You can find the entry into the lodge with a curved stick, Find the run, use stick to find lodge entry and with those two bits of information you can then determine the exact path of the run.
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That makes it easy to place your set centered on the run and at right angles to the run.

Hang a large piece of Beaver carcass near your Marten and Fisher sets.
It needs to be out of reach of anything on the ground and on a thin enough branch that Marten and Fisher can not reach it from the tree.

It will attract Whiskey Jacks which will attract Marten and Fisher from much further then scent or visual attractants can. And it will keep the Whiskey Jacks busy and out of your set.
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Don't overstretch your pelts, it thins the fur and reduces the value.
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You can dry off a Beaver you've just removed from the water by repeatedly dragging it through soft snow.

I do this by grabbing one front paw and then swinging the Beaver back and forth in front of my rather like waving a flag, but pulling it through the snow on each pass. Think of drawing a figure eight in front of you with the beaver.
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If your hands are cold, immersing them in ice water for a moment will get them warmed up. Yeah it sounds crazy but it works. I believe the shock stimulates increased blood flow which then warm your hands.

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Many fur bearing animals sleep in Confer trees during the day. A patch of spruce is a good place to set because of this.
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Beaver meat is the best bait you can get.

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Mink like to check out Beaver Lodges. A set at the base of the Lodge will often catch those curious Mink.

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Beaver Castor and Vodka make a basic call lure that will not freeze.

Dry the Castors, crush to a powder, add enough Vodka to make a paste and you're ready to make sets for Marten, Fisher, Mink, Weasel. It might even work on Fox and Coyote but I've never used it for that purpose.

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Beaver Castor do not spoil. Dry them and keep them if the prices are low.
Sell them when the price is higher.

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If you plan on freezing a raw pelt for an extended period, first fill the bag with water, then put in the pelt and squeeze out the excess water. This will do a lot to prevent freezer burn.

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For sets made off the ground, Marten and Fisher, if you can tie your anchor chain as far as possible out on a branch, that way when a catch is made it will hang out away from the tree which will help to stop rodents from damaging the pelt.

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If I think about it I can probably come up with more tips.

[bill9044]

Wow. Keg some good stuff there. Muchly appreciated.

[crazyfish]

When walking on ice around beaver lodges or on creeks , always carry an ice chipper ad tap the ice in front of you as your walking ! Saved me from a swim let weekend.

[buffalohunterchalsie]

Instead of using a whammy or plastic collar, use a small zip tie. They work awesome!

[H380]

Originally Posted by buffalohunterchalsie

Instead of using a whammy or plastic collar, use a small zip tie. They work awesome!

paper clips work well too .

[KegRiver]

Speaking of plastic, that reminds me. I like to put my snares in sandwich bags for when I'm carrying them on the line. It helps to keep them from tangling.

I put one Coyote snare in each bag, with a few pine needles.
For beaver I put four snares in each bag. I find that the average set requires four or more snares.

Another tip, when spring hunting beaver I would skin them while waiting for the next beaver to pop up. Then I'd put the hide in a plastic shopping bag to keep it clean and make it easier to transport. I could easily carry four or five pelts in one hand that way.