Started the trap line today

Beaver summer sausage, jerky, and barBques. It’s all good and you can do the same with the ‘marsh rabbits’, muskrats.

Mink Coats

Mink Coats

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Beaver summer sausage, jerky, and barBques. It’s all good and you can do the same with the ‘marsh rabbits’, muskrats.

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Yep….yummy

Thanks for the fix and pics Wats

Quote:

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Beaver summer sausage, jerky, and barBques. It’s all good and you can do the same with the ‘marsh rabbits’, muskrats.

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Yep….yummy

Thanks for the fix and pics Wats

This is a great read Wats!

I love it!

This is a great read Wats!

I love it!

Dito on the great read man….my buddy actually has a few traps and bought a lisc. and i have been going out with him.. so far he has got 2 rats a mink and a than he has 2 220’s out and has gotten 2 coon in the last two weeks but only has 5 out and just does it by work so it is nothing to extreme

Dito on the great read man….my buddy actually has a few traps and bought a lisc. and i have been going out with him.. so far he has got 2 rats a mink and a than he has 2 220’s out and has gotten 2 coon in the last two weeks but only has 5 out and just does it by work so it is nothing to extreme

I was oh so close to reaching the 100 mark this morning. I picked up 10 more and almost had 11.
Every morning I have 2 choices on the direction I can take to get to the traps. Now, have you ever made a decision even though you know full well that it probably isn’t the best one? Well, today I made one of those decisions. See, if I go the longer way around, the ice is solid for 90% of the way. The other way is much shorter but the ice is terrible. This morning I made the decision to go the short way thinking the ice was going to be stiff enough since it has been cooler at night. Well, about half way there I was thinking I made the right decision. About then is when I ran into the thin stuff and crashed through the ice. So now I am basically stuck using the push pole to bust through the 1/2″ or so of ice. It takes forever to break through ice in 5-6 foot increments. In the back of my mind, I knew it was not the best idea but I went ahead and did it. Needless to say, tomorrow I will not make the same decision.
From the weather reports I am hearing, tomorrow will more than likely be my last day until this next front moves through. I have heard from 1-3″ of snow could hit us. I am not sure how the skiff will slide across snow and I am not willing to take that chance and possibly have 40 traps out that I can’t get to. If the snow doesn’t appear, it won’t be a problem to get back out after Christmas and set them out again.
This morning I checked all the traps as usual and moved a few. Once that was all done I walked out right past all the traps and checked them again just because they were right there. I got up next to one of the traps and a rat came swimming out of the hole right over top of the trap. So, I raised it up a little so when he comes back, he should get nailed. Then as I was walking across the slough another rat came out of a house. I kind of followed him and tried to keep him headed toward the shore toward another trap. I almost succeded in catching the 100th one. He swam within 6″ of the trap and went into a bank den. The pic I have today is my makeshift drying rack in my shed. Once I get them home, I use a towel to get a majority of the water off the hides, then hang them up by the foot. I have a fan and a heater blowing on them to speed up the drying process. It is much nicer skinning when they are dry and then they are ready to go in the freezer.

I was oh so close to reaching the 100 mark this morning. I picked up 10 more and almost had 11.
Every morning I have 2 choices on the direction I can take to get to the traps. Now, have you ever made a decision even though you know full well that it probably isn’t the best one? Well, today I made one of those decisions. See, if I go the longer way around, the ice is solid for 90% of the way. The other way is much shorter but the ice is terrible. This morning I made the decision to go the short way thinking the ice was going to be stiff enough since it has been cooler at night. Well, about half way there I was thinking I made the right decision. About then is when I ran into the thin stuff and crashed through the ice. So now I am basically stuck using the push pole to bust through the 1/2″ or so of ice. It takes forever to break through ice in 5-6 foot increments. In the back of my mind, I knew it was not the best idea but I went ahead and did it. Needless to say, tomorrow I will not make the same decision.
From the weather reports I am hearing, tomorrow will more than likely be my last day until this next front moves through. I have heard from 1-3″ of snow could hit us. I am not sure how the skiff will slide across snow and I am not willing to take that chance and possibly have 40 traps out that I can’t get to. If the snow doesn’t appear, it won’t be a problem to get back out after Christmas and set them out again.
This morning I checked all the traps as usual and moved a few. Once that was all done I walked out right past all the traps and checked them again just because they were right there. I got up next to one of the traps and a rat came swimming out of the hole right over top of the trap. So, I raised it up a little so when he comes back, he should get nailed. Then as I was walking across the slough another rat came out of a house. I kind of followed him and tried to keep him headed toward the shore toward another trap. I almost succeded in catching the 100th one. He swam within 6″ of the trap and went into a bank den. The pic I have today is my makeshift drying rack in my shed. Once I get them home, I use a towel to get a majority of the water off the hides, then hang them up by the foot. I have a fan and a heater blowing on them to speed up the drying process. It is much nicer skinning when they are dry and then they are ready to go in the freezer.

How much ice are you chopping where the sets are?

How much ice are you chopping where the sets are?

Most areas now are maybe 5″ at the most. Some of the better runs are only 1/4″-1″ of ice. It isn’t too bad getting the sets in, it is just getting to the areas that are giving me fits.

Most areas now are maybe 5″ at the most. Some of the better runs are only 1/4″-1″ of ice. It isn’t too bad getting the sets in, it is just getting to the areas that are giving me fits.

Lots of open water and very soft ice today out there. There was areas with 4-5″ of ice that wouldn’t hold me today It is a good thing I stayed in the skiff most of the time while I was traveling. I got 6 rats today that put me over my goal With all the rain making a lake on the ice and the ice disappearing, I made the decision to pull the traps from this area. By the time I got done with checking I was soaked to the bone even with rain gear. I am not done trapping yet either. I am going to do some scouting tomorrow and try to find areas with little current which will hopefully lead to better ice. I think I am going to raise the goal to 150 since I still have time to get out there. The next areas may be more of a walking type area. I have a packbasket as well as the Otter sled if I end up going through the woods to get to water. I know there are still plenty of rats to find and trap if a person is willing to put in the time and get out there.

Lots of open water and very soft ice today out there. There was areas with 4-5″ of ice that wouldn’t hold me today It is a good thing I stayed in the skiff most of the time while I was traveling. I got 6 rats today that put me over my goal With all the rain making a lake on the ice and the ice disappearing, I made the decision to pull the traps from this area. By the time I got done with checking I was soaked to the bone even with rain gear. I am not done trapping yet either. I am going to do some scouting tomorrow and try to find areas with little current which will hopefully lead to better ice. I think I am going to raise the goal to 150 since I still have time to get out there. The next areas may be more of a walking type area. I have a packbasket as well as the Otter sled if I end up going through the woods to get to water. I know there are still plenty of rats to find and trap if a person is willing to put in the time and get out there.

Here is a pic of the rats pelts after my expert skinning skills

Here is a pic of the rats pelts after my expert skinning skills

Nice job once again Mike!

Nice job once again Mike!

Very nice

Very nice

I’ve been reading your reports from the beginning.

I know nothing about trapping but I still find your daily reports very entertaining.

Good stuff Mike.

Keep up the good work.

I’ve been reading your reports from the beginning.

I know nothing about trapping but I still find your daily reports very entertaining.

Good stuff Mike.

Keep up the good work.

Leaving the traps hung up for a few days didn’t last very long I went to another area I have never trapped before. I got on terra server and started looking at the aerial photos of public areas around home. It didn’t take too long to decide to take a walk this morning. I grabbed my packbasket, 20 traps and stakes, and a hatchet and took a stroll. I found lots of water but not as much sign as I had hoped. The thing I found the most of I can’t trap and that was beaver sign. Also found lots of coon sign as well as coyote tracks going through the dry creek bottoms. I was able to get all the traps set but they are scattered for over a mile. I am not really sure what to expect in the morning, but any catch is a good catch right now.

Leaving the traps hung up for a few days didn’t last very long I went to another area I have never trapped before. I got on terra server and started looking at the aerial photos of public areas around home. It didn’t take too long to decide to take a walk this morning. I grabbed my packbasket, 20 traps and stakes, and a hatchet and took a stroll. I found lots of water but not as much sign as I had hoped. The thing I found the most of I can’t trap and that was beaver sign. Also found lots of coon sign as well as coyote tracks going through the dry creek bottoms. I was able to get all the traps set but they are scattered for over a mile. I am not really sure what to expect in the morning, but any catch is a good catch right now.

I really like the post, very enjoyable. What type of coon scent are you using?

I really like the post, very enjoyable. What type of coon scent are you using?

When I had coon sets out, I have quite a few different scents and lures I have been using. Hardcore, Midnight Madness, Cavens fox lures, anise, vanilla extract, shellfish oil, and a few others that I can’t remember right now. Most of the coon I have caught in the last couple years have come mostly of of fox gland lures. I have tried fish like jack mackeral, tuna, and fish fillets but end up with more possum than coons.