I was just curious...hope I don't offend anyone

[Machias]

I used to trap ALOT, next to chasing bears and whitetails during the rut, I looked forward to trapping more than anything.  Scouting and reading sign, preparing the traps (which is a fair amount of work).  I had to gather walnuts, cut the hulls off and boil my traps with the walnut hulls to dye and rust proof the traps.  I had to collect scat from fox, bobcat and yotes for sets.  Then once you set traps you have to check them every single day, no matter the weather, no matter how you feel.  Usually checked traps before daylight, you didn't want Johnny Sneakum stealing your fur and your traps.  You could walk up and look at 95% of my sets and unless you were a trapper would have no clue they were there.  All those years of tapping I never once caught a dog, cat  or any animal I wasn't targeting, except the first year I set a trap, actually one of my very first sets ever, I caught a great horned owl.  He was released and none too happy.  I made a real novice set, half a cottontail set above a #2 trap.  Serious rookie mistake.  After that I got some really good books.  In my opinion best book for new trappers is S. Stanley Hawbaker's "Trapping North American Fur Bearers".  I never set traps in areas close to town or near farms.  Some of it was luck, but I'm very proud of the fact I never caught none targeted animal. Most of the fox I trapped were sleeping when I got back to check my trap.  Coon, muskrat and beaver were all set to drown and be out of sight quickly.

[Kain]

 

Machias, Ill check out the book thanks for the suggestion.  Did you ever try to convert your knowledge/skills to the new trap rules.  If so how easy/hard was it?  The reason I ask is that most of these books are all about traps we cannot use here.  It might be easy for an experienced trapper to transfer and adapt his knowledge but what about a newbie?

[Hannibal]

there is no suffering in a cage trap,,,,,,   



Most of the time the targeted animal is curled up and sleeping.....
If I capture a cat an let it out of the cage without shaking the trap first,,,,that cat will come back for a "safe"  FREE MEAL THE FOLLOWING DAY......

Mink are the same way,,,,,One year I trapped a female mink 3 times before I moved the cage....
3 times,,,,,,,hum,,,,,pretty selecting means of Harvest if you ask me,,,,

I read earlier about waiting to take a shot,,,,,ect, ect,,,,,,,There is still no guaranty for that "perfect" shot.....

My version of kains video using bigger traps,,,,closed on me hand while stabilizing it ,,,,,#5 double long spring,,,, probably the biggest trap you will see commonly used,,,,,,,,

I took the time to photo,,,,,instead of rushing to get it off,,,,No damage,,,,,,

[Machias]

Machias, Ill check out the book thanks for the suggestion.  Did you ever try to convert your knowledge/skills to the new trap rules.  If so how easy/hard was it?  The reason I ask is that most of these books are all about traps we cannot use here.  It might be easy for an experienced trapper to transfer and adapt his knowledge but what about a newbie?

The book is still very good because it covers the most important aspect of trapping, location and making sets.  Even a new person would learn ALOT from the old trapping books.  I have several, this one was one of my favorite.

[Humptulips]

If you still have questions about trapping you might check out FAQs on watrappers.com. Answers for any non-trappers out there that are curious about trapping.