Smossy's 2014-2015 Trapping Season.

[3nails]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=233044

[Humptulips]

It's called Green Belly!  It's caused by not being skinned soon enough. I would rub some borax on it and and you might save it.

20 mule team borax is available at Safeway

[Cap.Silver]

...it means that I can see the carpet under your feet and I hope you're not doing it inside of the house 

[Smossy]

...it means that I can see the carpet under your feet and I hope you're not doing it inside of the house 

lol Indeed inside, but in the garage. We have scrap pieces of carpet layed out to try to keep any mud out of the actual inside. Cant do it outside its too dark.

[Smossy]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=233044

Lots of good info on there, Thanks. Seems like its pretty easy to rid of if I run into the problem again.
Likely the first one or two of every species I catch for the first time is going to go into my personal collection. So as long as it doesn't destroy the pelt Im not worried about a score on these guys.

[Carp Commander]

It's called Green Belly!  It's caused by not being skinned soon enough. I would rub some borax on it and and you might save it.

20 mule team borax is available at Safeway

I have had several green bellies this year. I skin just as soon as I get home and I am convinced that it has a lot to do with what the rat ate recently. Also, noticed that it is worse when the sun is out. Maybe directly sun light increase the odds?

[Smossy]

Not quite sure what happened here but +1

[h20hunter]

Looks like the little bugger almost got out!

+1 indeed.

[Jonathan_S]

I had a colony with 2x2 welded wire (don't ask where I got it  ) half the rats I caught were stuck like that

I catch a lot of mink with their heads through the 1x2 wire.  I think I lose a few small mink every year because the young females can fit out but I don't want them anyway.

[Smossy]

I had a colony with 2x2 welded wire (don't ask where I got it  ) half the rats I caught were stuck like that

I catch a lot of mink with their heads through the 1x2 wire.  I think I lose a few small mink every year because the young females can fit out but I don't want them anyway.

Yeah It was surprisingly a trap I thought I lost and I couldnt find it, I happened to just come across it checking my other traps I was excited then seen that guy sticking out I was like wtff

[Jonathan_S]

I had a colony with 2x2 welded wire (don't ask where I got it  ) half the rats I caught were stuck like that

I catch a lot of mink with their heads through the 1x2 wire.  I think I lose a few small mink every year because the young females can fit out but I don't want them anyway.

Yeah It was surprisingly a trap I thought I lost and I couldnt find it, I happened to just come across it checking my other traps I was excited then seen that guy sticking out I was like wtff

Well he was just as dead 
I had a couple of colony traps below a beaver dam that I thought were stolen.  Turns out a beaver had moved them about 12 feet into deep water.  There were 2 mink in one and 1 in the other   seems like whenever you can't find them, there is an animal in them  good motivation to keep looking

[Humptulips]

One should always wire your traps up to something. Animals in the trap can move them or the current. When attached you can always find them.

[Jonathan_S]

One should always wire your traps up to something. Animals in the trap can move them or the current. When attached you can always find them.

Yeah, now I always wire them or stake them down at least.  I had a raccoon that kept pulling my colony traps out to get the rat for dinner.  I made the craziest set ever to catch him:  A large cage trap with a beanie baby inside half submerged.  Caught him   

Smossy - what're you catching?  Get more traps out, where there are a few there are many 

[Smossy]

One should always wire your traps up to something. Animals in the trap can move them or the current. When attached you can always find them.

Yeah going to be picking up some trolling braided wire soon and making some noose style lines to put on all my traps.

One should always wire your traps up to something. Animals in the trap can move them or the current. When attached you can always find them.

Yeah, now I always wire them or stake them down at least.  I had a raccoon that kept pulling my colony traps out to get the rat for dinner.  I made the craziest set ever to catch him:  A large cage trap with a beanie baby inside half submerged.  Caught him   

Smossy - what're you catching?  Get more traps out, where there are a few there are many 

I don't seem to be getting many hits, Ive got 10 colony traps out and 2 larger guillotine door traps and not getting much. 1 Beaver and 3 muskrat. I seem to average about 1 muskrat a week and with the area I thought Id be getting more but Ill take what I can get, Its hard to find area's that I can go within reason around the house and get out to every few days. With my work schedule Im pretty much guaranteed to be checking traps in the dark. I want to find someone in the area one day to get me out and kinda show me what they look for and how to setup some traps, for now Ill do what I know how and keep the wheels turning. March is coming fast and don't got much time left.

[Smossy]

Do you guy's know anyone in WA that will tan furs for a decent price? Everything this year I think I'm pretty much going to keep everything for my personal collection so I have something to keep me motivated through-out the off season. Need to make some more traps to.