Tips and tricks thread

[jasnt]

I been scouring the web reading everything I can trying to weed threw all the body grip info and finding that little peace of info I can apply here in wa.  Carp suggested we have a place to put all the tips, tricks, and anything that can make a things just a little easier.  Or that one brand of "blank" that works better then all the rest. Or maybe a supplier that goes the extra mile and always makes it right.

I'll start
This isn't mine but I liked it.  Survey ribbon seems to be every where and always in the wrong spot at the wrist times.  This guy uses plastic clothes line clips painted to mark trap spots.  Not so easy to spot and reusable.

[Carp Commander]

Thanks for getting this started. I think this thread has some real potential for the new guys and veterans alike.

When trapping mink in single doors, save your wire and zip ties. Fold a muskrat leg or tail through the back of the cage. This will keep the bait from falling under your pan and fouling the trap and will give the mink something to tug on giving you better odds of a closed door.

Doug

[Turner89]

 :tup:right on guys. This should get pretty good.

[Hank]

I have found this effective. When I really hit the scouting hard usually around the beginning of October. I also start building my sets. I don't put traps out, but, for instance, I will start driving in funnel sticks at my beaver sets, when the season opens all I have to do is drop in my traps and place my dive sticks. A big time saver.

[Hank]

Hank Tip #2 and probably more important than my first tip.

Tell'em you're a trapper. A little education can go a long way. Practice your speech on trapping friendlies first. Some great talking points are:

Trapping keeps fur baring species at or under carrying capacity of the land.

You are helping to cull the species in order to keep it healthy.

You are reducing the amount of giardia in the water system.

These are just a few talking points. I have actually won over friends and coworkers who were well intentioned but misinformed about trapping. Raising awareness and educating is a very important responsibility of every trapper. 

[Cylvertip]

I am almost strictly a beaver trapper and I use a Cabala's Bird Belt for carrying my essentials on the line. It's made for phesant hunting. It has two side pouches with shell loops and a rear bag. The side pouches are divided which helps keep things organized.  The rear bag works great for carrying killer trap tongs and also a pair of fiskar lopers. I modify the shell loops in the left side pocket to allow them to hold linesmans pliers, fiskars sliding saw, and a multi-bit screw driver. I also carry some extra wire in the outside pocket on this side. On the right, trap tags go in the loops, a large craftsman handycutter goes in the large pocket , with scent bottles and drag rope in the outside pocket.

As a side note, an awsome tool for digging out sets, tearing out dams, clearing trails, and use as a wading staff is the V&B 36" Handy Mattock Tiller. It's a good attitude adjuster as well.  Pictured here with several 40lb+ critters

[Humptulips]

Myself I prefer a pulaski for digging. Use the axe blade for chopping. I cut the mattock part off and shortened it a bit, then welded back on. I'd like to find a smaller Pulaski then the full sized but haven't yet.
I carry rope about 7', great for packing in traps or packing out beaver, a pair of lineman's pliers, pruner and a bit of wire along with the Pulaski.

[Turner89]

Some of my beaver spots are a ways off the road. I have 2 old pack frames. They work pretty good for packing beaver. I leave one at each location. That way I don't have to where the pack for nothing, only when I get a beaver, or otter.

[Carp Commander]

Use a heavy rock or log on top of your mink traps to keep coons from turning them over and setting them off.

A piece of old carpet or a shingle makes for good flooring for cage weiry coons.

Doug

[Trapper John]

You can use different types of markers to mark were your traps are.  As you can see you can use surveyors ribbon in a lot of different colors, surveyors flags, there quick and fast comes on a small metal wire, and surveyors paint.   If your in eastern Washington running a muskrat line in a farmers ditch that runs for three to five miles you might want to think about paint.  Drop a paint spot in the road or on the side of the ditch / waterline where your trap is.
JC   

[jasnt]

Love the marker paint idea, something I use at work daily any way. Some great tips sofar everyone!  Let's keep this thread going  

[Trapper John]

Here is another tip ......... "Weasel Box"

I do several things to my boxes

First, I put a nail (one) in the top board in the corner so I can slide the top over to one side.  Using a nail instead of a hinge saves you money.

The second thing I do is use a small bungee cord to hold the top in place and put a small 3/16 cable cord holder to catch the bungee on..  I use to use wire.  I would anchor the wire on one side and pull it over to the other side wrapping it around a nail to hold it in place.

Third, I paint the snap trap brown to cover up the new snap trap.  This way I think the weasel can't see the new wood or the yellow pan.
JC   

[jasnt]

Here is another tip ......... "Weasel Box"

I do several things to my boxes

First, I put a nail (one) in the top board in the corner so I can slide the top over to one side.  Using a nail instead of a hinge saves you money.

The second thing I do is use a small bungee cord to hold the top in place and put a small 3/16 cable cord holder to catch the bungee on..  I use to use wire.  I would anchor the wire on one side and pull it over to the other side wrapping it around a nail to hold it in place.

Third, I paint the snap trap brown to cover up the new snap trap.  This way I think the weasel can't see the new wood or the yellow pan.
JC   

do you paint other traps as well?  Like colony traps or swim threw's that sit in the water for long periods?

[Trapper John]

do you paint other traps as well?  Like colony traps or swim threw's that sit in the water for long periods?

I do. I paint all of my cage traps even the ones I use on land like raccoon & bobcat cage traps.
JC   

[Trapper John]

Okay ~ I'll give you another one of my tip.

There are a lot of different ways or I should say products you can use to hold lures.  Over the years I have used shotgun shells, 35 mm film containers and pile bottles.  Put in a cotton ball and your lure than throw it in the back of the cage trap or down the dirt hole.

Being in the wildlife control business for 30+ years I have used a lot of different baits, lures and products.  The one I like is using a sponge for a lure holder.  If you look at the picture I have a small sponge hanging on the outside of the trap.  It is there "only" for you to see what I'm talking about.  You can see it in the middle of the cage hanging from the top by a paperclip.

Here is how this works.  Go down to the $1.00 store and buy a package of sponges.  You get six of them for a whole dollar.  Cut the sponge in half and than cut each half into thirds.  You should end up with six pieces out of one sponge.  Six times six sponges equal 36 pieces or 36 lure holders for $1.00.  Now if you use only one lure because it is your favorite, than here is what I do.  I take all 36 pieces put the paperclips on them, drop them into a small plastic bucket with a cover on it, throw in 4-8 oz of my favorite lure and let those sponges suck up the lure.  Now you have your lure on the holders and you can grab one and hang it quick without wasting time do it the other way.  Remember time is money and if you can move quick you can get more traps out.  This works just as good for you guys that use foot-holds in cat cubbyholes too.

I use a paperclip as the holder or to use to wire it to the top of the cage trap.  It only takes seconds to hang this lure holder.  Put your lure on the sponge and hang it from the top of the cage on the backside of the paddle.  The reason you want to hang the lure is odor stays up in the air.  If you throw the lure in a container and throw it in the cages floor than the odor stays on the ground and the animal sometimes will not smell the odor and walk away from your trap.  By hanging it, the odor stays in the air even on those morning when we get heavy fog.
JC