Doug's 2014 Season

[Humptulips]

Washington Turtles, Protected! No soup!

[ouchfoss]

Are non native turtles protected? I think that's a red eared slider which is what everybody let's go when they realize they don't like having a turtle as a pet!

[pnwmtnmn]

That is a western painted. they are protected.

[ouchfoss]

That is a western painted. they are protected.

Didnt realize there was any turtles native to Washington. Nice to know.

[Carp Commander]

I got a nice rat line out today. Anxious for tomorrow!

As I put out my line today I got to thinking about colony sets and a habit I have gotten into over the past few years.

I really like double setting the location and will very rarely set an individual colony. My thought process is that it increases the amount of trap in the run or den hole and its easier for me to keep an accurate count, if I know that every set has two colony traps I keep better accountability.

However by doing this I decrease the actual amount of sets out. For example if you have 100 traps, setting singles gives you a hundred sets. By doing it my way I only have fifty sets (locations) out.

Here is another example; I trap a lot of culverts. In deep water I will put as many traps across the bottom as possible and then sometimes stack colonies on top of those so that the culvert is completely plugged with traps. I made a set today that took five colonies to plug. I keep wondering; by completely plugging that hole, am I better off because I am going to get the rats that try to swim over the bottom ones or would those traps be better off in another spot?

I am not sure that I am gaining anything by doubling up. Maybe some of you have some thoughts on the subject?

[Da stump]

I like painting colony traps a off brown or camo pattern, not for the rats, they don't care. just so the average joe doesn't pull up your trap and stomp on it
 

[pnwmtnmn]

Doug;
By setting more than one colony at each set location you decrease the number of nights you need to be at that location. At the example above with the 5 colonies you should be looking for another spot for those trap  in 3 nights, you will have caught the easy rats in those nights time to move. setting multiple traps at a set location means you can set more locations over the season. IMO it's what I do.

[TeacherMan]

When there swimming there usually right on the bottom.

I got a nice rat line out today. Anxious for tomorrow!

As I put out my line today I got to thinking about colony sets and a habit I have gotten into over the past few years.

I really like double setting the location and will very rarely set an individual colony. My thought process is that it increases the amount of trap in the run or den hole and its easier for me to keep an accurate count, if I know that every set has two colony traps I keep better accountability.

However by doing this I decrease the actual amount of sets out. For example if you have 100 traps, setting singles gives you a hundred sets. By doing it my way I only have fifty sets (locations) out.

Here is another example; I trap a lot of culverts. In deep water I will put as many traps across the bottom as possible and then sometimes stack colonies on top of those so that the culvert is completely plugged with traps. I made a set today that took five colonies to plug. I keep wondering; by completely plugging that hole, am I better off because I am going to get the rats that try to swim over the bottom ones or would those traps be better off in another spot?

I am not sure that I am gaining anything by doubling up. Maybe some of you have some thoughts on the subject?

[Humptulips]

Doug,
Notice what the catch percentage is where you stack? That might tell you a lot about the best way.
One place recently I had a couple 10x18 stacked for some problem beaver. I never caught anything on the top. Second to the last time in I put them side by side instead of stacking and caught an otter, rat double. If your colonies are wider then long you might try that too and see what happens.

I like painting colony traps a off brown or camo pattern, not for the rats, they don't care. just so the average joe doesn't pull up your trap and stomp on it
 

I spoke to Milt Brownell this summer (Milt is a top rat guy from CA. He caught like close to 2000 last year which isn't too bad for a guy in his 70s.) He paints his colonies white or silver so he can see them better under water. He said he could check them a lot faster because a rat in the trap showed up well even in deep water. Apparently he sets the bottom and forgets about the top.
Of Course Milt traps out of a boat so I imagine he has less problems with theft.

[Carp Commander]

Thanks for all the input!

On this morning’s check I noticed that several of my double sets (side-by-side) connected on rats that a single may not have caught. On the other hand every trap that was stacked was empty.  I’m convinced that stacking is a waste of a trap, however it will be interesting to see if the double sets continue to pay-off.

On one rather wide run I actually used four traps to cover it all the way across. Each trap had a rat!
Not a bad day today. Cold but brought home 15 rats. Took some photos of some very obvious rat sign.

[eburgtrapper]

Interesting concept Doug. I have 22 traps and try to keep them all in the same area to save on gas but I've never set side by side. May have to try that. I like spreading the area to try and clean it out fast and moving on. I only trap an area for a couple days to not wipe out the population.

[Machias]

Nice job!!

[Carp Commander]

Another great day of chasing rats!

I got a nice surprise in a colony this morning. A little buck Mink couldn’t resist the temptation of a free meal. Problem is that he went into the wrong colony trap and well then there is the fact he went into a colony trap! Glad it wasn’t a female and I wish he was bigger.

Ironically enough I caught him in one of my side-by-side sets I discussed earlier.

Took a photo of a pinch point that I used three traps to plug up. Still watching and learning. Yesterday each of the three had one rat each today there was a double in one and it was the stereotypical bottom edge. I guess you never know which ones will catch fur and sometimes I wonder why they do when they do!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nice 

[Machias]

Great job!!!