Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Trapping => Topic started by: steelhead4life on November 04, 2018, 02:54:03 PM

Title: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: steelhead4life on November 04, 2018, 02:54:03 PM: This is only my second season trapping and after a tough learning season last year I'm excited to get out and trap some fur this year.
Friday night was a late one making my first sets for the year. Dropped in a couple of Bruce's swim through traps and a dozen colony traps. Pulled them this morning and scored a nice muskrat, but both swim through traps had been tripped, but empty!
I had set both in different slides that are in around 3 feet of water. One is "funneled" with cattails and the other is +/- 8 feet wide. It's like they some how triggered it from outside the trap or swam through without getting caught. I figured I would ask if this is something that occurs often with you guys? Possibly I need more funneling?
I don't want to educate them.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: jasnt on November 04, 2018, 03:46:35 PM: Could be debris setting them off.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: steelhead4life on November 04, 2018, 04:02:17 PM: Thinking about it, they could be dragging stuff past them. Are slides a good trap location? Both sets are in ponds.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: jasnt on November 04, 2018, 04:39:53 PM: Got a picture of the set or location?
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: steelhead4life on November 04, 2018, 04:44:38 PM: I don't. Next weekend I will be back at it again. They are there, I just need them to cooperate.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Trapper John on November 04, 2018, 05:24:21 PM: It could be debris. I had the same problem with his traps last season.

I would hold off on going after beaver until Christmas or the end of the year.
Beaver don't "Prime Up" until that time of the year and than their only worth $10.00.

I would spend my time going after Muskrats. They should be close to prime and this time of the year they are big.
Plus, there easier to skin and put up and less time than beaver.

Grab your varmint rifle and go shoot some coyotes, that is where the money will be.
JC
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: lewy on November 04, 2018, 06:45:02 PM: Are you running a dive stick on both ends? If not they may be tripping the cage by going over it. Also like mentioned above debris on the trigger in current may trip the trap, if so drive a stick a few feet in front of the cage to catch the debris but not so close that it restricts enrtry into the cage. Another thing to consider is those cages seem to trip easier in one direction than the other due to the mechanism so face them accordingly with current :twocents:
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Humptulips on November 04, 2018, 06:59:12 PM: In my experience if they are tripped it is because they climbed over the top of them. Make sure you have some substantial dive poles at each end.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: 3nails on November 05, 2018, 06:28:44 PM: You'll have great success this season from what you learned last.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: steelhead4life on November 05, 2018, 07:27:02 PM: Thanks everyone for the advice and kind words. I decided to put a couple game cameras up on my sets and possibly catch some of the action.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on December 17, 2018, 07:22:39 PM: What are the rules to trapping with in city limits, on public property?
There is a pretty sweet spot (a set of trails along many water ways) in a near by town. I understand that most of the locals are not keen on trapping. So, i understand that i will have to be discrete with my traps and set locations. I just can't find any regulations prohibiting recreational trapping with in city limits. Any help is much appreciated. :tup:
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: steelhead4life on December 18, 2018, 05:00:29 PM: Most of the ground I am trapping is state, BLM, and national forest. State parks are off limits and city property is by permission only. For me, there is way more time invested in scouting areas then trapping. There are some great areas that are just off limits and believe me people figure out what you are up to no matter how discrete you think you are. Just make sure you are in the rite before setting out that trap. Phone calls from the warden are not pleasant.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on December 23, 2018, 08:31:34 AM: I took your advice and found a slew not too far from my house on public hunting land. i set my first traps EVER yesterday morning, i saw some otter (I do not have traps for otter yet) and an incredible amount of muskrat feed piles. Thank you for you advice.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on December 30, 2018, 03:46:24 PM: I have that X-Large Duke cage trap and I am having trouble catching beaver in it. I have tried castor mound sets and I have tried a dam set. What are your guys' recommendations on trapping beaver with a single door trap?
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Norman89 on December 30, 2018, 03:59:54 PM: Fatslinger I believe your best to answer this question. Karen does good numbers with single door traps
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Humptulips on December 30, 2018, 05:22:19 PM: Quote from: Buck457 on December 30, 2018, 03:46:24 PM
I have that X-Large Duke cage trap and I am having trouble catching beaver in it. I have tried castor mound sets and I have tried a dam set. What are your guys' recommendations on trapping beaver with a single door trap?

I'm going to start a new thread with a description of a set you might try.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: fatslinger on December 31, 2018, 09:58:01 AM: If you have a spot where beaver are leaving the water and working on a tree this set is golden. Find the trail they are using and flatten it out so it is level and the trap doesn't wobble at all. Put the opening of the trap in the water and put some castor on a stick in the back of the trap. I used to build a castor mound in the back of the trap but not anymore. Use a stick shaped like a Y and put a nice gob of castor on the end of it. Then just drop the stick in the top of the trap so it hangs down inside the trap. You can also 'fence' the opening of the trap with sticks to funnel the beaver in. Give it a try, I think your Duke trap will be fine.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on December 31, 2018, 11:31:10 AM: Quote from: fatslinger on December 31, 2018, 09:58:01 AM
If you have a spot where beaver are leaving the water and working on a tree this set is golden. Find the trail they are using and flatten it out so it is level and the trap doesn't wobble at all. Put the opening of the trap in the water and put some castor on a stick in the back of the trap. I used to build a castor mound in the back of the trap but not anymore. Use a stick shaped like a Y and put a nice gob of castor on the end of it. Then just drop the stick in the top of the trap so it hangs down inside the trap. You can also 'fence' the opening of the trap with sticks to funnel the beaver in. Give it a try, I think your Duke trap will be fine.

Thank you so much Fatslinger, I know of a few spots like this. I'll let you know how it goes.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on January 07, 2019, 12:52:46 PM: I'd like to start off by thanking this wonderful community in being so incredibly helpful in sharing their knowledge and experiences. Special thanks to Bruce Vandervort, 3nails and Fatslinger for your advice, tips and tricks. I caught my first beaver ever this morning in my Vandervort swim through trap, that I had only received last week and only had in the water for 4 days. I had it set in a channel with some fencing and dive sticks. I broke his damn and spread castor scent around his pond that I've been working for about a week and a half now. Before I had my Vandervort trap I was trying to use an X-Large single door duke treadle trap (I've got more to learn with this trap).
Today is a huge victory for me, I've been working my tail off for this beaver. Thank you all! :tup:
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: JakeLand on January 07, 2019, 01:13:03 PM: :tup: keep at it now the fun of putting him up
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: ouchfoss on January 07, 2019, 02:21:57 PM: Quote from: JakeLand on January 07, 2019, 01:13:03 PM
:tup: keep at it now the fun of putting him up
:yeah:
Congrats none the less :tup:
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Machias on January 07, 2019, 03:09:58 PM: Awesome! Welcome to the addiction!!!
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: 3nails on January 07, 2019, 04:57:32 PM: Congrats! Never gets old walking up to see fur in the trap. Now the work begins.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Norman89 on January 07, 2019, 05:25:33 PM: Let us know if you need any tips on putting up the fur some very knowledgeable folks here for that as well
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on January 07, 2019, 06:52:55 PM: well, I just spent about 2hrs skinning it. It was definitely hit by a car, so the pelt is holy... (I contributed my fair share of holes to it as well.) :IBCOOL:
It weighed 47lbs.
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Norman89 on January 07, 2019, 07:06:48 PM: Good size for a first one! As Bruce says the hardest ones to skin are the first couple hundred :chuckle:
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: Buck457 on January 08, 2019, 05:38:59 AM: Quote from: Norman89 on January 07, 2019, 07:06:48 PM
Good size for a first one! As Bruce says the hardest ones to skin are the first couple hundred :chuckle:

lol, oh geeze. :chuckle:
Title: Re: 2018/19 learning as I go!
Post by: steelhead4life on January 08, 2019, 06:19:12 AM: Congratulations. It seems like the first one was the hardest. After that, your confidence grows and it goes better. I just trapped my first also in November.