Doug's trapping season

[Carp Commander]

I imagine the water is starting to close up

Yes I am loosing a lot of water to the ice. I have a few ditches that I have never seen freeze solid.

[Carp Commander]

Interesting experience on the rat line this weekend. I was running my colonies and have gotten in the habit of reaching into the water and grabbing the colony at the door. Just seems easier with gauntlets on. When you grab a colony like that it opens the door. So I grabbed the colony and pulled it from the grass and YEH got another one...but wait this one looks different...it's still alive! Before I realize it the muskrat makes a run for the open door of the colony and does an Olympic dive back into the canal!

Having a great year so far. Skinned out a frozen coyote yesterday! Forgot just how hard skinning a cold yote could be.

Caught 23 muskrats this weekend and the struggle to catch mink seems to be continuing from last year. 

[Carp Commander]

Maybe some of you seasoned vets can help out with a muskrat question. I have couple of new properties to trap this year. Both of the pounds are fed by canal systems and the beaver have gotten into them. The beaver sign is very noticeable as they are about to take down several large cottonwoods. I have searched and searched for muskrat sign and I just can't find any. There are no dens, push ups, feed beds or toilets. Thinking that I must be crazy I waited until it iced over thinking the bubble trials would be all over it. Checked yesterday and nothing!

In small areas like this will the beaver run the muskrat out? I wouldn't think so as they don't compete for the same foods.

What would make a pound like this, fed by a canal system full of muskrats, with year round water, not hold muskrats?

[onetrapper]

Set some colonies in the beaver runs there are probably rats in pond sign can be hard to find at times. Make sure you wire colonies as the beaver will move them

[Carp Commander]

Had a good day today. Nice to feel the sun again. The teenage son of a coworker helped on the line and had a blast. My bet is he will be begging dad for some wire tonight.

No mink yet but there is always tomorrow. I have two mink traps that the coons keep getting into. I will set for coons once all the duck hunters are gone for the week. Those bigger traps are hard to keep hidden.

My friend's son, Easton, with a few rats from today.

[Machias]

Nice!!

[Carp Commander]

Went over 50 on muskrats this weekend and have been seeing a ton of coon sign. I hope to get some sets out Wednesday evening.

Started working on a skinning machine. Seems to work so far just need a coon to put on it.

Haven't decided on how I am going to attach the fur clamps to the base of it. I went with a 2000 pound, 12volt wench and 4x4 wooden frame.

Only took about two hours to put together and I have less than $100 into it.

[Turner89]

We haven't had an update in awhile How's the rat attack?  Have you figured the Mink out yet?

[onetrapper]

Catch any rats in those beaver runs

[Carp Commander]

Been slow around here. I took some time off from the trap line for Christmas and I got engaged. Great gal who has put up with my crap for nine years already. I figured to make her an honest women before we hit the decade mark.

I have been playing around with muskrat floaters again this year. I have all but given up on mink (for now). I am in the 60's on rats this year so I think Ill make the goal of 100.

Looking forward to hitting it hard January and February!


Doug

[onetrapper]

Make any changes to floats what seems to work best for bait
Thanks
Darryl

[Carp Commander]

Make any changes to floats what seems to work best for bait
Thanks
Darryl

Yes went from that big platform looking thing from last year to a more compact version. Still fascinated with making floaters work! Not sure what I am doing wrong as I can not get consistency with them and the numbers have been horrible.

I took one of Mike's "holey grails" GREAT trap by the way and put it head-to-head with one of mine. Six days and I caught one rat. I caught the only rat in the holy grail. Both baited with the same thing and same lure. I am thinking about moving them to ponds and seeing if that makes a difference. Later on I will try them again with gland lure and see what that does.

[Carp Commander]

Another great day on the trap line. Ten more rats this morning and I shuffled some more colony traps into a new area.

Ice is still preventing me from getting back into a honey hole. I hope the ice leaves before the rats start getting all bit up!

Some of the best help a dad could have!!!!!!!!!

[3nails]

Those are good times!!! 10 rats is a good day. Let me know when you get those floaters figured out. 

[Ole man fintucky]

Just wondering what is the going rate for rats and coyotes? And who do you sell them to?  A guy named roger used to buy mine 15 to 20 years ago. He would come down from Spokane twice a year.