Morning trap check

  • amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #395565

    Got another nice boar coon and 2 muskrats this morning. I am up to 12 saleable furs At this rate, I should be able to retire in a week or two Just kidding, but I am having a blast. It is kind of funny, I can get up at 5 to check traps without a problem. But getting out of bed to be at work by 6:30 just killed me

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    #11708

    I hear ya Wats. 2:00am doesn’t come soon enough to chase eyes but 5:30am comes so fast on work days, I could swear I didn’t get any sleep at all
    Keep up the good work on collecting those furs. I’m sure you are having fun

    PS: Anymore tractor sign? I’m still waiting

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    #395575

    I hear ya Wats. 2:00am doesn’t come soon enough to chase eyes but 5:30am comes so fast on work days, I could swear I didn’t get any sleep at all
    Keep up the good work on collecting those furs. I’m sure you are having fun

    PS: Anymore tractor sign? I’m still waiting

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #11715

    Timbergrit-Thought I would let you know the coon I caught today was on a pvc set I have 2 other pvc sets out as well. I am going to bait them with bluegills in the morning. I have also been setting the traps a little shallower and getting a thinner layer of dirt over the pans, seems to be working

    Bret-Not sure on what size trap or what set would catch and hold a tractor I am thinking I need something BIG

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #395627

    Timbergrit-Thought I would let you know the coon I caught today was on a pvc set I have 2 other pvc sets out as well. I am going to bait them with bluegills in the morning. I have also been setting the traps a little shallower and getting a thinner layer of dirt over the pans, seems to be working

    Bret-Not sure on what size trap or what set would catch and hold a tractor I am thinking I need something BIG

    fishahollik
    South Range, WI
    Posts: 1776
    #11716

    This might do it…but you gotta cement in the stakes.

    fishahollik
    South Range, WI
    Posts: 1776
    #395638

    This might do it…but you gotta cement in the stakes.

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    #11724

    WOW. I see a couple of dogs going down before the tractor with that set

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    #395657

    WOW. I see a couple of dogs going down before the tractor with that set

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #11836

    The last few mornings have been pretty slow. But on Thursday morning the swamp was FROZEN . But, I later learned just how cold the water was under the ice I was walking along breaking the ice with every step and everything was going pretty smooth. Then I took a step into a little deeper water and somehow my foot got under either a small branch or the weeds and down I went. Nothing like doing the breast stroke in freezing water at 5:30 in the morning. Soaked my gloves, my coat, and my shirt and made it a LONG walk back to the truck. Ain’t trappin fun I have managed to pick up at least 1 muskrat a day.
    We also went calling coon last night on the river bottom. We tried a couple of places first that were no good as far as responses go. We then decided to go for one last calling session before we went to some different land. As we were getting ready to call this stand a dud, we could hear something in the tree not to far away. I shined the light up in the tree and right away we had some beady little eyes staring at us. He kept turning his head away from the light so we kept losing track of it. I at first thought it was a grinner. Finally after circling the tree a few times, I seen the ringtail and knew it was a coon. My buddy took a shot at it with the .17HMR and just grazed it. The second shot hit him good and knocked him out of the tree. When we walked up to the coon on the ground, it was HUGE I am not exactly sure how much it weighed, but I know it was over 20 pounds. I couldn’t hardly hold him off the ground for very long. When I carried him out, I had to throw him over my back. I got him skinned out today and it is going to bring some nice ching I think.
    Pulling a few traps tomorrow and moving them to the creek, and then going to pull all traps on Wednesday due to deer hunting getting in the way

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #396154

    The last few mornings have been pretty slow. But on Thursday morning the swamp was FROZEN . But, I later learned just how cold the water was under the ice I was walking along breaking the ice with every step and everything was going pretty smooth. Then I took a step into a little deeper water and somehow my foot got under either a small branch or the weeds and down I went. Nothing like doing the breast stroke in freezing water at 5:30 in the morning. Soaked my gloves, my coat, and my shirt and made it a LONG walk back to the truck. Ain’t trappin fun I have managed to pick up at least 1 muskrat a day.
    We also went calling coon last night on the river bottom. We tried a couple of places first that were no good as far as responses go. We then decided to go for one last calling session before we went to some different land. As we were getting ready to call this stand a dud, we could hear something in the tree not to far away. I shined the light up in the tree and right away we had some beady little eyes staring at us. He kept turning his head away from the light so we kept losing track of it. I at first thought it was a grinner. Finally after circling the tree a few times, I seen the ringtail and knew it was a coon. My buddy took a shot at it with the .17HMR and just grazed it. The second shot hit him good and knocked him out of the tree. When we walked up to the coon on the ground, it was HUGE I am not exactly sure how much it weighed, but I know it was over 20 pounds. I couldn’t hardly hold him off the ground for very long. When I carried him out, I had to throw him over my back. I got him skinned out today and it is going to bring some nice ching I think.
    Pulling a few traps tomorrow and moving them to the creek, and then going to pull all traps on Wednesday due to deer hunting getting in the way

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    #11837

    You will be peeing on your shoes I bet the next few days
    I never called coons. What kind of a call are you using Wats, if you don’t mind me asking? 20 pounder, thays a nice coon

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    #396158

    You will be peeing on your shoes I bet the next few days
    I never called coons. What kind of a call are you using Wats, if you don’t mind me asking? 20 pounder, thays a nice coon

    timbergrit
    Raymond, Iowa
    Posts: 90
    #11840

    Bait it and they will come. Way to go. I just got my new trap tags in and will be making my first set on the 21 of this month. Gas is 1.97 down here

    timbergrit
    Raymond, Iowa
    Posts: 90
    #396173

    Bait it and they will come. Way to go. I just got my new trap tags in and will be making my first set on the 21 of this month. Gas is 1.97 down here

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #11842

    I hear you on the gas price. We are down to 2.31 and it is taking a toll on my pocket book. I drive around 30 miles roundtrip to get to my trapping area. I have a couple of leads on some more farm land that is half the distance, so hopefully the coon don’t den up by then. I have 3 sets baited with bluegills and I am really hoping they connect soon.

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #396176

    I hear you on the gas price. We are down to 2.31 and it is taking a toll on my pocket book. I drive around 30 miles roundtrip to get to my trapping area. I have a couple of leads on some more farm land that is half the distance, so hopefully the coon don’t den up by then. I have 3 sets baited with bluegills and I am really hoping they connect soon.

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #11866

    My trapping tales are over for awhile I pulled all the traps this morning due to the wet weather coming, deer season almost upon us, and the line has not been producing as well as I hoped. But, as soon as deer season is over I am going to reset and try and get a few more rats and maybe a mink if I am lucky. The wet freezing weather gets me every year when the ground freezes my traps in the ground. Some year I am going to get more organized and have dry dirt saved or waxed dirt. I usually have some peat moss, but I am not real confident in using peat to bed traps tight. I ended up with 6 coons, 10 muskrats, 2 possums, 1 fox squirrel, 1 pine squirrel, 3 snapped traps, and only 1 lost trap. Not bad for my second year and not really knowing too much to begin with

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #396365

    My trapping tales are over for awhile I pulled all the traps this morning due to the wet weather coming, deer season almost upon us, and the line has not been producing as well as I hoped. But, as soon as deer season is over I am going to reset and try and get a few more rats and maybe a mink if I am lucky. The wet freezing weather gets me every year when the ground freezes my traps in the ground. Some year I am going to get more organized and have dry dirt saved or waxed dirt. I usually have some peat moss, but I am not real confident in using peat to bed traps tight. I ended up with 6 coons, 10 muskrats, 2 possums, 1 fox squirrel, 1 pine squirrel, 3 snapped traps, and only 1 lost trap. Not bad for my second year and not really knowing too much to begin with

    john_r
    LaCrosse Wi
    Posts: 306
    #11869

    Wats–you can usually gets some nice dry dirt under bridges that will work. I used to get some there, always seemed to work for me. There is also some type of husk that guys used. I will try to find the name of it. that stuff never froze.–John

    john_r
    LaCrosse Wi
    Posts: 306
    #396393

    Wats–you can usually gets some nice dry dirt under bridges that will work. I used to get some there, always seemed to work for me. There is also some type of husk that guys used. I will try to find the name of it. that stuff never froze.–John

Viewing 21 posts - 31 through 51 (of 51 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.