No tracks Greg, the mouse was gone and the "roof" of my cubby was disturbed, that's what led me to believe I had a miss. It's illegal to put any feathers above the set, but an old timer I talked to said he used to use a aluminum pie plate. What do you use?
Pretty stupid if you have to ask if a picture of an animal (it's a raccoon, by the way) is in a trap when it's posted in a trapping thread. And you're more pious than me because you drag a dead deer around the woods and position it just so in order to take a picture with it after you've sent a razor-sharp piece of steel through it? I'm sure that made all the difference in the world to the deer... I doubt the first raccoon I trapped which is pictured in this thread would choose to trade places with him, since he was released with little more than a sore foot for a day or two. How many deer have you released after arrowing them? It's one of the aspects appreciated by Conservation Departments: our ability to release non-target animals unharmed. The animals I choose to dispatch are not put under any undue stress from the extra minute or two it takes for me to take their pictures; people who have trapped any time at all will tell you of approaching animals asleep in their traps. The raccoon in this series calmly approached my 3-year-old standing just outside the catch circle, inquisitive. He's actually calmly sniffing him, and I had to warn against requests from both my boys to pet him as he appeared so docile.
It's legal to use feathers here. I hang a turkey feather above the set with monofilament line mostly. I've used small duck wings before. If feathers are prohibited, get some tinsel or some old cassette tape... works awesome.
That's beautiful. You seriously call me stupid.....and think your trapped animals are solemnly sleeping in their traps? I just asked you a question. I didn't ask to be insulted (my intelligence or otherwise).
I once caught the same 'possum in a foothold trap (almost every night) about 12 times. He'd get caught, eat the bait in the hole. Curl up and sleep until I'd let him go in the morning. He'd come back and get caught in the evening. (if a 'coon didn't beat him to it, which they usually they did not) He wore me out... I moved the set.
I'll ask a favor of anyone willing to oblige, please take the bickering to the thread designed for it. Greg, what "flagging" material do you use?
I'm not bickering, Ben. I'm just asking questions (and being insulted). I had no idea the animals were trapped. I didn't see the trap in the 'wildlife setting' photos.
If you can't use fur or feathers. Some aluminum foil, tinsel... anything that will catch a cat's eye and curiosity is supposed to work. Here we can't use any exposed bait/fur/feathers... but then again, we can't trap bobcats either.
Sorry, thanks. I may also try some flagging tape. I guess it just has to be artificial. The set that missed today had a 2 liter soda bottle hanging above it. (located just down behind the cabin by a small stream) I named it the Soda Set. Lol.
Ohhhh. Finally a use for it other than testing the dog's intestinal system. I am gonna try that. When are you gonna right a book? More importantly, what's the title?
I've only got seven sets in right now Ben; the landowner has some friends coming in to rabbit hunt over Christmas break, so I'm pulling all those after the morning's check.
Here's a question Greg/Christine. How often have you had a miss (with the bait being taken) and then reset and gotten a hit the next day? I feel optimistic about my reset because the target knows where he found a meal. Is this reasonable thinking?
You using a foothold or body gripper? Was the trap just sprung or did it look like it actually had a hold of the critter for a moment? (fur in trap?)
Ben, sorry so long in getting back to you; I was up early running and pulling my line and then I've been working at my Dad's all day helping to finish out his basement. First chance I've had to use one of those .22 blank-powered nail guns... boy, are those cool! I can't really recall a set where I've had my attractor taken without catching the animal. But let me clarify... I don't use "bait" per se, but am rather fond of gland lures soaked into a cotton ball and stuffed down a dirt hole as a visual attractor. When making flat sets, I often use a T-bone from a cow's vertebrae hammered into the ground, and I may stuff a cotton ball into the hole for the spinal column and then either smear a different gland lure on top or give it a squirt of fox urine or another smell to make an animal shift its feet. I also make urine post/rub sets, with urine or a skunky gland lure... took my first cat off a set like that. Missed a coyote last night on one, but connected on a big alpha male yote on a double-dirthole set a short distance away. Now... have I had animals "work" a set and not connect? Absolutely! The above paragraph is evidence. As you know, that's one of the beautiful things about trapping: matching wits with one of nature's best (there are no smarter animals in the wild than predators) and getting him to step EXACTLY where you need him to. To answer your question, I have connected a few nights later on the same set. In some cases, I've bedded a second trap away from the dirt-hole pattern, and then blended it in much like I would a flat set. I've built double dirt hole sets, lured one hole but not bedded a trap in front... then placed my trap in front of the NON-lured hole. There's all sorts of ways you can play the game... One of the best ways is to not get "married" to any one set on your current line. Of the seven traps I was just running, I had a double-dirt hole set, a "trash-pile set", a flat set, a urine-post set, a couple regular dirt-hole sets, and a couple "loud" dirt-hole sets for gray fox/cats. The wife's calling down that it's time to eat; I'll post up pics of the big alpha male songdog later tonight when I get time...
I remember a tip from an old timer but I never tried it. If you have a Yote that is slightly uncovering your trap, and it takes a very smart one, is to solder a very sharp fishing hook on the pan so as to stick enough in the pad to trip the trigger. You would want the barb facing the dirt hole. Im not sure now but back then we couldnt use feathers for an attractor. Greg I love those pics!!
Awesome pics Greg, exactly why I wanted to have this thread. Thanks for the tips too. My line was empty again today.
