ABOVETIMBERLINE
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I was just wondering if anybody was doing any good on thier traplines this year?
Trapping
- Thread starter ABOVETIMBERLINE
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Bowtecher
Guest
I only wish I could trap. But since dumb people voted on it years ago we got screwed. We can live trap but it's alot tougher to do considering the size of the traps. The only good thing is I get a good laugh when someone cries because "fluffy" got eaten by a coyote in some downtown area in Colorado.
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rifle666
Guest
got a handfull of coons
couple reds
4 yotes
0000 bobcats
2 skunks
1 rabbit
1 me
2 cougar pullouts
(the same day, same line, 30 yards apart, i
had a LARGE female with a 1year kitten, caught the momma twice)
luckily i was anticipating a possible lion catch so i removed all my drags on that line and chained to trees or other immovable object. so that an adult lion can pull out.
been a tough start this year.
couple reds
4 yotes
0000 bobcats
2 skunks
1 rabbit
1 me
2 cougar pullouts
(the same day, same line, 30 yards apart, i
had a LARGE female with a 1year kitten, caught the momma twice)
luckily i was anticipating a possible lion catch so i removed all my drags on that line and chained to trees or other immovable object. so that an adult lion can pull out.
been a tough start this year.
C
creamofthecrop
Guest
just set up last night. the last couple of years have been great. now that there is bangeter walmart and 300 homes across the street from my house i had to set up further down the road, so we will see how good it is. what kind of traps does everyone use?
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rifle666
Guest
i'm using #3 modified 4 coiled offset laminated vics.
and some#3 offset 4 coiled.
I have a few stock #2 dukes, but i don't like them much.
and some#3 offset 4 coiled.
I have a few stock #2 dukes, but i don't like them much.
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hooker
Guest
1 skunk
1 fox
2 coons
2 cats
2 trap lines started about a month ago all # 2 traps and some orgormons and milligan baits and lures oh ya and some homegrown bait..
1 fox
2 coons
2 cats
2 trap lines started about a month ago all # 2 traps and some orgormons and milligan baits and lures oh ya and some homegrown bait..
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NickJ1980
Guest
rifle666--wanna get rid of those Duke #2's???
I've got half a dozen out, but haven't had time to set the other 6. I've caught 3 gray fox so far, but no bobcats yet.
A couple of lions have moved into the area and there's not much new sign of anything else lately--I'm thinking of pulling out if these big cats don't move on soon.
I've got half a dozen out, but haven't had time to set the other 6. I've caught 3 gray fox so far, but no bobcats yet.
A couple of lions have moved into the area and there's not much new sign of anything else lately--I'm thinking of pulling out if these big cats don't move on soon.
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rifle666
Guest
nick
i don't know if i'm going to get rid of them or not, if i do i will be sure to let you know.
where in utah are you catching those greys?
they are some of the best looking furbearers in my opinion.
they beat reds all to heck. kit fox and bobcats are good looking, but those greys, man there great!
i don't know if i'm going to get rid of them or not, if i do i will be sure to let you know.
where in utah are you catching those greys?
they are some of the best looking furbearers in my opinion.
they beat reds all to heck. kit fox and bobcats are good looking, but those greys, man there great!
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creamofthecrop
Guest
caught a red fox last night finially. first of the year. what do you guys think is the best way to kill them? i have heard of people stepping on them before but i just use a 22
elkantlers
Long Time Member
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- 3,750
Been catching a few. Caught a huge tom the other day but didn't have a camera with me. I also have some reds and coyotes.
HunterHarry
Long Time Member
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That is so cool!
I love cats.
Lions, bobcats, leopards, all of them.
They are the ultimate predator.
Lightning quick, all muscle, and adgile beyond belief.
I just love them kitty's.
HH
I love cats.
Lions, bobcats, leopards, all of them.
They are the ultimate predator.
Lightning quick, all muscle, and adgile beyond belief.
I just love them kitty's.
HH
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rifle666
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Dec-22-07 AT 00:06AM (MST)[p]elkantlers
you trappin utah?
the scenery looks alot like what i'm trappin in.
but my spot is just full of lions
creamofthecrop.
i'd use a .22 . shot placement depends on what you want to do with them, fur trade, shoot in the head, taxidermy heart lungs,
they make dispatch (choke poles) but i have never used one. pretty dramatic i'd imagine.
as for stepping on them.. that would be cool to watch, but you'd probably get torn up pretty bad.
you trappin utah?
the scenery looks alot like what i'm trappin in.
but my spot is just full of lions
creamofthecrop.
i'd use a .22 . shot placement depends on what you want to do with them, fur trade, shoot in the head, taxidermy heart lungs,
they make dispatch (choke poles) but i have never used one. pretty dramatic i'd imagine.
as for stepping on them.. that would be cool to watch, but you'd probably get torn up pretty bad.
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NickJ1980
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Dec-22-07 AT 09:50AM (MST)[p]rifle666--pm sent
I'm using 22 shorts with hollowpoints out of a revolver. My buddies in SD use a club across the nose of their foxes and coyotes to knock them out, then take them by the back feet and use the motion you'd use to "snap" a towel to break the neck. Works for them, but I prefer the .22.
I'm using 22 shorts with hollowpoints out of a revolver. My buddies in SD use a club across the nose of their foxes and coyotes to knock them out, then take them by the back feet and use the motion you'd use to "snap" a towel to break the neck. Works for them, but I prefer the .22.
CAelknuts
Moderator
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This thread brings back some great memories. I haven't trapped in quite a while, as California banned most trapping quite a few years ago. I used to mostly trap beavers, racoons, and other marsh dwellers, including otters from time to time. I also did some trapping for grays, bobcats and coyotes in the Sierra foothills near my home, but mostly on the marsh where I duck hunt.
I mostly used 1.75 four coils, but also used some smaller 2-coils on the coons and foxes. For beavers, my favorite was a 1.75 on a drowning wire, though I also used 440 conibears in certain situations. The problem with the conibears was that we had a large otter population, and at least when they'd step in a leg trap you could let them go if they hadn't swam down the wire. Kinda hard to do that with a 440. Used to catch a lot of coons, as we have a huge population of them, and they're pretty dumb. For coons, I'd usually stake a trap on a dirt hole set made into the side of a bank right at the waterline, with the trap sitting in a few inches of water, and I'd often have coons in 50-75% of the sets I'd make the next day. I had one stretch of bank where I always made 4-6 sets along about a 100 yard stretch. I'd often find those sets "sold out" with no more available the next morning. I also snared coons, but they're so easy to catch with a good dirt hole, that it was my primary tactic.
About the best day I ever had with furbearers was with a buddy, trapping just off the Fort Hunter Ligget military base. He got there late one day and made a dozen sets before I arrived that night. Next morning, we got out early and ran the line. We had 4 bobcats, 3 grays and a coyote. That's a heck of a haul in one day off a dozen sets!
My son is getting into predator hunting now. He's getting a Foxpro digital caller for Christmas and has put a Tikka T3 in .223 on layaway. With that and some Dead Coyote loads, he's going to have a lot of fun in the coming months.
I mostly used 1.75 four coils, but also used some smaller 2-coils on the coons and foxes. For beavers, my favorite was a 1.75 on a drowning wire, though I also used 440 conibears in certain situations. The problem with the conibears was that we had a large otter population, and at least when they'd step in a leg trap you could let them go if they hadn't swam down the wire. Kinda hard to do that with a 440. Used to catch a lot of coons, as we have a huge population of them, and they're pretty dumb. For coons, I'd usually stake a trap on a dirt hole set made into the side of a bank right at the waterline, with the trap sitting in a few inches of water, and I'd often have coons in 50-75% of the sets I'd make the next day. I had one stretch of bank where I always made 4-6 sets along about a 100 yard stretch. I'd often find those sets "sold out" with no more available the next morning. I also snared coons, but they're so easy to catch with a good dirt hole, that it was my primary tactic.
About the best day I ever had with furbearers was with a buddy, trapping just off the Fort Hunter Ligget military base. He got there late one day and made a dozen sets before I arrived that night. Next morning, we got out early and ran the line. We had 4 bobcats, 3 grays and a coyote. That's a heck of a haul in one day off a dozen sets!
My son is getting into predator hunting now. He's getting a Foxpro digital caller for Christmas and has put a Tikka T3 in .223 on layaway. With that and some Dead Coyote loads, he's going to have a lot of fun in the coming months.
CAelknuts
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Yeah, 1.75s for beavers. I know what you're thinking, a buddy who knows a lot more about trapping who got me into it said I needed bigger traps, but I caught beavers up to about 70+ pounds in 1.75s. Generally, I'd catch a back foot and the 4 coil held good. They'd generally swim down the wire and I'd have a drowned beaver the next morning. I haven't bought traps in probably 12 or 15 years (remember, I live in California and trapping isn't allowed here for the most part)but the Conibeards I bought were the biggest made, and I'm almost positive that those were 440s. I could go dig them up in my basement to make sure, but would rather not. They listed everything back then, 110s, 220s, 330s and 440s which were the biggest.
It's too bad CA outlawed most trapping. It was a lot of fun and I caught enough fur to make it worth doing. Biggest animal I ever got while running my line (my foothill line) was a German Shepard. I didn't catch him in a trap, he was chasing a doe deer, and she ran past me with him a little ways back. He was panting like heck from running that deer, and when he came past me, I took care of his problem with some .22LRs. He wasn't out of breath for very long after that....
It's too bad CA outlawed most trapping. It was a lot of fun and I caught enough fur to make it worth doing. Biggest animal I ever got while running my line (my foothill line) was a German Shepard. I didn't catch him in a trap, he was chasing a doe deer, and she ran past me with him a little ways back. He was panting like heck from running that deer, and when he came past me, I took care of his problem with some .22LRs. He wasn't out of breath for very long after that....
CAelknuts
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Reddog, no offense taken. Wasn't thinking you were calling BS on me, I haven't done it in so long, I had to think about it a while to remember the conibear size myself. No, I don't remember ever getttin a front foot catch on a beaver with a 1.75. It did work well on hind feet, and they almost always took a swim after stepping in it with the back foot. I only had one large problem, once, with a hind foot catch. I made a set on a slide, that was located right next to a pipe that we use to drain our property. Well, the beaver stepped in the 1.75 with his back foot, and proceeded to jump up through the top of the board riser and tried to swim back the way he'd come, through the pipe! He couldn't go anywhere, and was stuck hanging upside down in the riser, having to hold himself up out of the water with his front feet so that he wouldn't drown. So far, so good. Only problem was, our local hero (me!) comes along a day later, and I have a buddy with me that I took duck hunting, but who'd never been trapping before. It was very foggy and we went to run my line in mid-morning after the ducks had slowed down for the day. As we approached the board riser, I see this strange thing flapping back and forth out of the top of the riser. I'm thinking WTF is that??? As we get closer, I realize it's the beavers tail. I beach the boat and jump out to get an upclose look. He looked pretty pathetic hanging upside down, so like the genius I wasn't that day, I decide to show him to my buddy and grab him by the tail and lift him up. Holy mother of Jesus!!!! That damned beaver spun around and tried to eat my arm off right then and there. I didn't know that fat ball of fur could be so agile and turn on a dime. You never saw anyone drop something so fast in your life!!! It didn't take long for common sense to return, and I went back to the boat and got my .22LR and "tamed" him right down. It was a lot easier to show him to my buddy after persuading him to quite down with a LR in the noggin!
I have an equally funny/dumb story that involves one very pizzed off otter, but I'll save it for later.
Just remember, stupid is as stupid does!
I have an equally funny/dumb story that involves one very pizzed off otter, but I'll save it for later.
Just remember, stupid is as stupid does!
That's funny, and one of the great things about trapping, never knowing what too expect! like yote's mostly just cower and know the gig is up, then there are some that are so vocal they are almost playful! some times makes it hard to dispach them. i had a beaver get into a 1.5 that was set for coon, it was on a slide but the cinder block wasn't goin to hold no beaver under! found him hanging in a tree and very pissed! i am jelous of you being able to trap otters, the few water ways that still have them in my area are illeagal to trap, i'd have to travel a considerable distance to leagally trap them.
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creamofthecrop
Guest
whats the wierdest thing you have caught trapping? i caught a hawk the other day and released it. cant believe it set the trap off
not weird animals but a rare sight! it was two fox in the same trap! wish i had a pic of it, once caught a golden eagle, it was in a bobcat set that i used cotton to spread around for eye appeal, caught it in a coyote cuff and luckey for me his leg wasn't broke, used my seat cover to throw over him and let him go, it was weird in that he didn't fly off right away, hopped off about 15 feet and sat their for about 10 min before flying off, guess he was tired! i rareley use exposed attracator's, even if artificial, it is just asking to catch a bird of prey.
CAelknuts
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-31-07 AT 04:32PM (MST)[p]Reddog, I wish they were legal to trap where I used to set. Our state hasn't allowed otters in many years, if they ever did at all. Any that I caught in a victor, I let go. The tough ones were the ones caught in Conibears. Our state requires an environmental review justifying all of our seasons, and I once asked a friend who worked for our fish and game how many otters they believed were "incidentally taken" in our state each year. He told me that they figured 10 to 12 otters a year in their environmental document. I assured him there were at least that many taken each year. Thankfully, he knew better than to ask how I was so sure of that many being taken.
One time, I had this big male otter with a back foot catch in a 1.75. He was sitting right next to where I'd caught him, looking pretty forlorn when I pulled up in my boat. I got my choke stick out, and dropped the noose over his neck in order to take his foot out of the trap. His foot was in great shape, nothing more than a few sore toes, and was pretty calm until I went to let him go, BUT......BOY, WAS HE EVER PIZZED OFF AT ME NOW! First, I tried to simply let him go, but each time I did, he immediately lunged at me, and they've got BIG TEETH! So, I tried calming him a bit by choking him before letting him go, that didn't work eihter, it only made him madder! So, I stood there, holding him at bay with the noose still snug around his neck, trying to figure out what the heck I was gonna do to let him go without getting eaten alive in the process. I decided to get in the boat and drive out to deeper water and let him go there, figuring he'd just swim off...WRONG!
When I tried to let him go in the water, he tried to climb into the boat with me and we weren't going there, no how, no way. Imagine a 240 pound trapper,wearing chest waders, in a twelve foot johnboat with a 35 pound pizzed off otter fighting to someone's death.....cause somebody was gonna die if he got in the boat, not sure who it would have been.
I finally got the bright idea to choke him, underwater, for as long as I dared without killing him. I tightened down on that noose as hard as I dared while holding him under water. When his fighting and thrashing mostly subsided, I loosened the noose enough for him to take a breath of swamp water. He came up coughing and choking and the last thing I saw was him swimming away....while I was going full speed in the opposite direction.
As for strange things, I never did catch anything real strange. Best unusual circumstance actually happened while we were predator calling. We had a Peregrine Falcon swoop down on the caller and land in the tree 10' above my buddy, chittering away at the caller. That bird scared the heck out of him. Going calling tomorrow evening, hoping to shoot some bobcats or coyotes with a load of Dead Coyote. It'll be fun, that's for sure!
One time, I had this big male otter with a back foot catch in a 1.75. He was sitting right next to where I'd caught him, looking pretty forlorn when I pulled up in my boat. I got my choke stick out, and dropped the noose over his neck in order to take his foot out of the trap. His foot was in great shape, nothing more than a few sore toes, and was pretty calm until I went to let him go, BUT......BOY, WAS HE EVER PIZZED OFF AT ME NOW! First, I tried to simply let him go, but each time I did, he immediately lunged at me, and they've got BIG TEETH! So, I tried calming him a bit by choking him before letting him go, that didn't work eihter, it only made him madder! So, I stood there, holding him at bay with the noose still snug around his neck, trying to figure out what the heck I was gonna do to let him go without getting eaten alive in the process. I decided to get in the boat and drive out to deeper water and let him go there, figuring he'd just swim off...WRONG!
When I tried to let him go in the water, he tried to climb into the boat with me and we weren't going there, no how, no way. Imagine a 240 pound trapper,wearing chest waders, in a twelve foot johnboat with a 35 pound pizzed off otter fighting to someone's death.....cause somebody was gonna die if he got in the boat, not sure who it would have been.
I finally got the bright idea to choke him, underwater, for as long as I dared without killing him. I tightened down on that noose as hard as I dared while holding him under water. When his fighting and thrashing mostly subsided, I loosened the noose enough for him to take a breath of swamp water. He came up coughing and choking and the last thing I saw was him swimming away....while I was going full speed in the opposite direction.
As for strange things, I never did catch anything real strange. Best unusual circumstance actually happened while we were predator calling. We had a Peregrine Falcon swoop down on the caller and land in the tree 10' above my buddy, chittering away at the caller. That bird scared the heck out of him. Going calling tomorrow evening, hoping to shoot some bobcats or coyotes with a load of Dead Coyote. It'll be fun, that's for sure!
ABOVETIMBERLINE
Member
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- 91
Dang hadn't checked this thread in a while I had a good year trapping. My dad and I both caught our limit of cats and 8 greys in just under a month. I was kinda dissapointed to be done but man it saved on gas. I use the bridger #2 offsets
