It ain’t over quite yet

Well, I took a drive this morning to check out boat ramps and some small ponds around Trempeleau this morning. The ramp is wide open at the dam in Tremp with not a lick of ice anywhere on the river. I then went around and checked the small ponds out there as well. None of the 3 lakes are really accessible right now. But, while I was out there, it dawned on me to take a walk through the woods to look for rat sign. I had forgot about an area that is a little bit of a walk, but not too terribly bad. Right away I started to see fresh bubble trails under the skim ice. The shorelines have eroded out from 3-20 feet with paper thin new ice on the shore. I went back home grabbed 20 traps and made my way back. I got them all set and then went and looked at more water. I was able to find some more runs that I will be able to set in the next few days or so.

One other thing I found was a permenant shack that is now 3/4 of the way underwater/ice. It must have flipped on its side before it sunk because you can see where the holes are on the bottom. The roof must have also busted off when it flipped because it is sitting half under water next to the shack. Some people must not have a clue as to what warm weather and rain does to ice.

Anyway, now I have a short line out and just might make the 150 mark yet this season

Alright Mike, can’t wait for tomorrows report!! The saga continues!!!

Ed

Alright Mike, can’t wait for tomorrows report!! The saga continues!!!

Ed

GIT- ER -DONE- Good luck wats.

GIT- ER -DONE- Good luck wats.

OUCH!!! For the first time this year, I drew a big goose egg That kind of bruised my pride a little
I did learn somethings about trapping small ponds that are fed from the river. Water levels can and will rise a lot overnight. As I was driving down the road this morning, I noticed right away that all the small creeks and rivers were way higher than they were yesterday. In fact one place that is usually a parking lot is now underwater and it is quite a ways from the small river. Well, all that water flows downstream and eventually feeds into the pond where I had the traps. The other thing I found was these ponds really silt in overnight. I had about half my traps covered in silt this morning No obvious signs of rats doing this. I pulled all of them from this area and went in search of different areas. I really couldn’t find much else to set. I think I have 5 sets left out. I really want to get the skiff back out, but I don’t think my knee is quite ready for that yet.

OUCH!!! For the first time this year, I drew a big goose egg That kind of bruised my pride a little
I did learn somethings about trapping small ponds that are fed from the river. Water levels can and will rise a lot overnight. As I was driving down the road this morning, I noticed right away that all the small creeks and rivers were way higher than they were yesterday. In fact one place that is usually a parking lot is now underwater and it is quite a ways from the small river. Well, all that water flows downstream and eventually feeds into the pond where I had the traps. The other thing I found was these ponds really silt in overnight. I had about half my traps covered in silt this morning No obvious signs of rats doing this. I pulled all of them from this area and went in search of different areas. I really couldn’t find much else to set. I think I have 5 sets left out. I really want to get the skiff back out, but I don’t think my knee is quite ready for that yet.

Hey Mike, one set I read about before, never tried it my self, was put a piece of apple or carrot on the trigger of the conibear. Some thing you might want to consider.

Ed

Hey Mike, one set I read about before, never tried it my self, was put a piece of apple or carrot on the trigger of the conibear. Some thing you might want to consider.

Ed

I think the one thing that’s hurting Mike right now is the ground he’s trapping has probably been hit at least once or twice. There’s an incredible amount of guys out trapping right now. Anything with water and a rat house has probably seen more than one trap. Bait may work, but after talking with Mike, about what he’s seeing in the water, I doubt there’s much left.

Mike’s a very capable trapper, but if there ain’t much around or left, all he’s doing is getting some great exercise….

I think the one thing that’s hurting Mike right now is the ground he’s trapping has probably been hit at least once or twice. There’s an incredible amount of guys out trapping right now. Anything with water and a rat house has probably seen more than one trap. Bait may work, but after talking with Mike, about what he’s seeing in the water, I doubt there’s much left.

Mike’s a very capable trapper, but if there ain’t much around or left, all he’s doing is getting some great exercise….

I totally agree. I got called in to work tomorrow and possibly Friday so I went ahead and pulled the few traps I had out.
I basically have 2 options right now. The first is to hang it up for the year. The second is to wait and see if we get a cold snap again and the water freezes. If that happens before the season closes it will be just like starting at the beginning of the season. I will then be able to see fresh runs if there are rats around. Right now I definitely hitting areas that were trapped before. That is next to impossible to find right now when you are limited in transportation.

I totally agree. I got called in to work tomorrow and possibly Friday so I went ahead and pulled the few traps I had out.
I basically have 2 options right now. The first is to hang it up for the year. The second is to wait and see if we get a cold snap again and the water freezes. If that happens before the season closes it will be just like starting at the beginning of the season. I will then be able to see fresh runs if there are rats around. Right now I definitely hitting areas that were trapped before. That is next to impossible to find right now when you are limited in transportation.

I was just throwing some ideas out there, from reading his previous thread I know he is a very capable trapper and if what I said came out that way then I apologize to Mike for that. It’s been a few years since I’ve trapped but was fairly decent at it my self. One year on pure chance I caught 3 albino muskrats in a 2 week period. They weren’t worth any thing because of the color difference but was quit neat to catch them. Sorry for rambling, and keep us updated Mike.

Ed

I was just throwing some ideas out there, from reading his previous thread I know he is a very capable trapper and if what I said came out that way then I apologize to Mike for that. It’s been a few years since I’ve trapped but was fairly decent at it my self. One year on pure chance I caught 3 albino muskrats in a 2 week period. They weren’t worth any thing because of the color difference but was quit neat to catch them. Sorry for rambling, and keep us updated Mike.

Ed

Ed- Blue didn’t mean to sound rude with his response
Basically what he was getting at was the areas I have been trapping. When they went with me to pull my traps when my knee was beat up, the seen the territory I was in at the time. The airboats had been in there before me and possibly the area was hit during the early part of the season as well. With my limited transportation, I was not able to get far enough away to find fresh areas. Basically I was trapping areas that had been hit hard for a month before I even got there. Anything along the river or the backwaters has a great deal of trappers out in these areas. I know there are still areas with good rat populations but the problem is getting to them. If the price of rats was still at $2.80 like last year, it wouldn’t be a problem. But since rats are high this year, the competition is fierce and everybody with a trap is out again.

Ed- Blue didn’t mean to sound rude with his response
Basically what he was getting at was the areas I have been trapping. When they went with me to pull my traps when my knee was beat up, the seen the territory I was in at the time. The airboats had been in there before me and possibly the area was hit during the early part of the season as well. With my limited transportation, I was not able to get far enough away to find fresh areas. Basically I was trapping areas that had been hit hard for a month before I even got there. Anything along the river or the backwaters has a great deal of trappers out in these areas. I know there are still areas with good rat populations but the problem is getting to them. If the price of rats was still at $2.80 like last year, it wouldn’t be a problem. But since rats are high this year, the competition is fierce and everybody with a trap is out again.

I understand Mike, I started trapping in the 70’s and all through the 80’s when fur prices were outrages, you had anybody and everybody trapping then, and if you didn’t have land already spoken for it was tough to find any. Good luck, and your reports bring back some great memories of trapping!!

Ed

I understand Mike, I started trapping in the 70’s and all through the 80’s when fur prices were outrages, you had anybody and everybody trapping then, and if you didn’t have land already spoken for it was tough to find any. Good luck, and your reports bring back some great memories of trapping!!

Ed