interested in trapping

[deaner]

this is a broad question, but i would like to start trapping ( coyotes - bobcats mainly )  and have no idea where to begin as far as figuring out what gear i need or how to use it.  ive been reading trapper heavy magazines like ffg and backwoodsman, but none of that seems like it will help a complete beginner like myself.  im in the unfortunate position of not knowing a single person who has ever done any trapping so i guess what i need is advice on books that will help me get started from my current full blown ignorant position.  any suggestions?

[dayn]

You want the good news or the bad news 1st?

I'm serious...

[Machias]

Great book is S. Stanley Hawbaker's Trapping North American Furbearers.  It gives alot of great set locations, scents, trap care etc...  Problem is you can't use any of the methods in the book as trapping with bodygripping traps, ie legholds, snares and conibears has been outlawed in WA.  But it's still a good book and can help even with box traps.  You're not going to catch any coyotes in a box trap.  Yes a few have been caught in one, but you have as good a chance of winning the state lottery.  Bobcats on the other hand are suckers for cubby sets and box traps are excellent cubby set traps.

[onetrapper]

Come to the WSTA fur sale in Feb

[deaner]

Come to the WSTA fur sale in Feb

                specifically when and where?

[onetrapper]

March 16th 2013  Borst Park Centralia opens at 9 am..www.watrappers.com   
Join us,
Darryl

[Humptulips]

Take a look at this site: http://www.cagetrapping.com/
Mercer has some very good videos on youtube you can link to through his site.
Do a search on youtube for more cage trapping videos and you will find plenty.

[deaner]

Great book is S. Stanley Hawbaker's Trapping North American Furbearers.  It gives alot of great set locations, scents, trap care etc...  Problem is you can't use any of the methods in the book as trapping with bodygripping traps, ie legholds, snares and conibears has been outlawed in WA.  But it's still a good book and can help even with box traps.  You're not going to catch any coyotes in a box trap.  Yes a few have been caught in one, but you have as good a chance of winning the state lottery.  Bobcats on the other hand are suckers for cubby sets and box traps are excellent cubby set traps.

                  okay so what im hearing is that there is no effective way to trap coyotes that is legal in washington?

[Humptulips]

That is pretty much true. Damage control with a special permit you can trap coyotes with padded jaw traps and that works but that is not fur trapping. Pelts are unsaleable with the special permits.

[deaner]

i dont see how people are supposed to keep coyote populations in check if the only means to do so is calling and shooting.  no way can that get enough to show a significant decrease in coyote densities.  so we basically have our hands tied behind our backs and can do nothing to help fawn survival numbers.  anybody optimistic about the trapping regulations being changed to allow the leg hold traps ?  my interest in coyote trapping isnt so much making money as it is helping out the deer.  hate hearing coyotes howling every night and finding little fawn hooves and skulls laying around.

[dayn]

I knocked the sheet out of them when snares were legal, didnt make much money, I was always in favor of a bounty on them and nutrias, aint gonna happen in this state.

[TheNoob]

I do know one guy that has had pretty good luck with cage traps but I need to get some traps that are big enough and try on the westside. I will ask him if he dont mind if I let people know how he does it. Think he got 5 or 6 last year and only did it for a few weeks. He did alot of testing

[deaner]

well if he has a working technique id love to give it a try after getting trapping license.  if i do get started on this ill be trapping in 121

[TheNoob]

If he does not mind then I will post for everybody. He is over by the Moses Lake area. We need to get rid of these damn Yotes. I have been told that they have killed off the Fox population over here as well.

[deaner]

yeah from what i understand if there are a lot of coyotes around foxes will move out or be killed.  only fox ive ever seen in washington was in a suburb in south king county where there were very few yotes.  other than that only seen them in alaska

[dayn]

We couldnt decimate them when trapping was legal, aint gonna happen guys, they are survivors like crows, possum, cockroaches and rats, put a $100 bounty on their head and you might slow em down, seriously though, they'll be on this planet when we are all gone....

[Machias]

If he does not mind then I will post for everybody. He is over by the Moses Lake area. We need to get rid of these damn Yotes. I have been told that they have killed off the Fox population over here as well.

Are you saying you know a guy who routinely and effectively traps coyotes with cage traps?  Because he would be a rock star in the trapping world, there have been literally hundreds and hundreds of good trappers trying to catch coyotes in cage traps.  I think the average is 1 or 2 coyotes out of a few thousand sets.  Tell him he NEEDS to divulge his secrets, the trapping world and deer fawns need him to come clean! 

[bob maier]

Catching coyotes in cage traps! I think this is a exercise in futility and wasted time and money. If you want to catch coyotes get a permit and use footholds. With the price of fuel and cage traps no way you can ever break even. I think it's great some people want to give it a try, I'll pass as I can only afford to lose so much money trapping. Sorry for being negative, just trying to give a realistic view. Merry Xmas.
 

[deaner]

Catching coyotes in cage traps! I think this is a exercise in futility and wasted time and money. If you want to catch coyotes get a permit and use footholds. With the price of fuel and cage traps no way you can ever break even. I think it's great some people want to give it a try, I'll pass as I can only afford to lose so much money trapping. Sorry for being negative, just trying to give a realistic view. Merry Xmas.

            are you saying that you can get a permit to use foothold traps?  that runs contrary to what everybody else has been saying.   looks like i need to spend some quality time with the trapping regs

[TheNoob]

Deaner, What he means is that you can get a nuisance permit from Fish and Wildlife if you go through thier class and the land owner has a problem with them kill livstock or something to that affect. After you get yout trapping test done you can go though a nuisance wildlife class. If you know landowners that need Yotes taken out then you can get a permit to do it. The problem is it is illegal to sell the pelts if they are not tanned first. You can only do i if they are trapped with a cage trap and that is with all animlas you catch.

[oldleclercrd]

Youtube has some good info on trapping. It may not provide ALL the information you need, but has some good info.

[bob maier]

Deaner, go to watrappers.com web page, on that page you will see an application for a permit to remove a problem animal. If you have a rancher with livestock you can get a permit to remove said problem animal. I have in the past gotten a permit before a problem happens as during calving season. It's a historical problem and happens every year. You put down dogs and hazing as methods used to prevent problems. All ranchers have dogs and shooting at coyotes is hazing. As thenoob stated you can't sell the raw pelts which is correct. But if you happen to be calling coyotes while trapping, which is perfectly legal, I know of no way to tell those coyotes apart once skinned.

[Humptulips]

Deaner, What he means is that you can get a nuisance permit from Fish and Wildlife if you go through thier class and the land owner has a problem with them kill livstock or something to that affect. After you get yout trapping test done you can go though a nuisance wildlife class. If you know landowners that need Yotes taken out then you can get a permit to do it. The problem is it is illegal to sell the pelts if they are not tanned first. You can only do i if they are trapped with a cage trap and that is with all animlas you catch.

You do not need to take the NWCO class to get a permit to use padded jaw traps or conibears underwater. Any one can apply for the permit. You don't even need a trapping license if you are the landowner.