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Post by Law Dog on Jul 15, 2018 15:23:33 GMT -5
I see FFG and GFW both predicting a better coon market coming up, have not run cages the last few years I have 25 to put together maybe I better get to it! Also recommending an Oct start on yotes even because of the demand, might look at a late Oct start date or put out some cages out when the bird season opens (3rd week in Oct) and start on the yotes Nov 1st.
I have a good market for spotted skunks anytime of the year not sure how long we will have a season on them, just trapping them only is not cost efficient if a guy could pick up some coon to pay for the gas then that's a winner.
I have good markets for everything mentioned but the coons so the coons might fill the gaps is all I'm looking for not expecting no $20 dollar coons here! LOL
With the amount of coons a guy can get and them being mostly larger ones I will see if it works out!
What's your plans?
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Post by arkansastrapper on Jul 15, 2018 17:11:20 GMT -5
I’m going to use same approach as I did last year spend summer coming up with a plan for first day of trapping season and then throwing that out a week into season and spending rest of the season flying by the seat of my pants😂
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Ohio
Administrator
Posts: 2,397
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Post by Ohio on Jul 16, 2018 11:21:28 GMT -5
Trap as much as this old body allows.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 16, 2018 13:36:51 GMT -5
Trap as much as this old body allows. Yep the days of young and foolish have been replaced with what can I get by with and still catch some fur! LOL
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Post by dtraper on Jul 16, 2018 18:53:36 GMT -5
Trap as much as this old body allows. same here - going to start as soon as season comes in and trap the ENTIRE season
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Post by frerotte on Jul 16, 2018 20:25:38 GMT -5
Same as the rest of you. Start when the first season starts and go to the end. Oct to April. I am keeping my hand in doing some nuisance coyote and beaver trapping all summer. Our coyotes are not worth a whole lot. Ugly coarse fur and different colors.
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Post by frerotte on Jul 16, 2018 20:26:42 GMT -5
Get a whole lot more for them as nuisances than for fur. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't trap for fur though.
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Post by dfabs on Jul 17, 2018 7:17:53 GMT -5
I’m going to use same approach as I did last year spend summer coming up with a plan for first day of trapping season and then throwing that out a week into season and spending rest of the season flying by the seat of my pants😂 In reality, this sounds a lot like how my seasons usually go. I got permission to trap muskrats at a golf course this season though so I predict a lot more muskrats to skin this year, and this course is close to one of my best bobcat properties. I didn’t get a chance to trap that farm last season so I will have traps out there a lot earlier than usual this year to try to clean out some of the coons before the good cat trapping weather gets here. I will also trap a lot more coon earlier in the season hoping to keep some of them out of my coyote sets. It’s all about having fun right now though so if I get an opportunity that sounds like it will be fun, I will go for it, and just like last season, I’m using a lot of this time in a low fur market to learn some new farms. Last season, I didn’t trap a single farm that I had ever set traps on before. It’s a lot more of a challenge setting unfamiliar ground, but I think it helps me a good bit with picking better locations.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 18, 2018 8:42:05 GMT -5
Have about 45 cages done and a handful to go then I need to make another 25 new ones and collect the ones that never find their way back when barrowed. LOL Next tune and re-spring the MJs then dye/wax and wolf fang them.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 19, 2018 8:41:06 GMT -5
The plan is to hit it hard starting in late Oct that is what the projection is that yotes will be hot and coons might be better also. The money for me is the skunks here classic well furred and BIG 8-12 pounds is not uncommon for a skunk. The civets bring $45 all day long if not prime then research still pays the price just to get them. Last year with a 3 week late start and snow once a week later in the season that really put a damper on the yotes.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 21, 2018 9:47:46 GMT -5
Since I'm preparing early this year I was thinking of running a log on what the outcome of using the cages ends up to be based on the projections of the possible coon prices modest up tick in pricing. Looking at 75-80 cages being put out there and I can always add bucket 220s later in the year if the numbers warrant that.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 26, 2018 20:05:17 GMT -5
Only 2 cages left to fix, the worse twisted ones then I need to cut wire for 25 new cages. I need to use 1X1X14 wire for them am out of the 12.5ga wire but the 14ga is some good stuff not that imported junk.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 27, 2018 15:09:46 GMT -5
Adjusted and repaired now 25 new ones to build. Still need to make a door for one that was twisted and bent quicker to make a new door. This makes the wire cutting a lot easier for me!
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Ohio
Administrator
Posts: 2,397
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Post by Ohio on Jul 28, 2018 16:01:47 GMT -5
Never saw any of those. Pretty cool tool.
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Post by Law Dog on Jul 31, 2018 13:12:23 GMT -5
Putting a spare motor together for the "Tank" getting it ready to drop in if needed have a rebuilt trans ready to go also!
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 3, 2018 14:55:30 GMT -5
Washing gallon glass jars today just picked up a 100 new lids for them a lot easier then trying to get that pickle smell out of that lid seal! LOL Mixed what glands that I had working so it breaks down even not just on the top mouse paste is coming along fine wish I had 5 gallons of mice but I get what I can. Mouse paste about done needs to sweeten up a bit!
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Post by bobo on Aug 4, 2018 7:44:13 GMT -5
Well guys, good to see everyone is getting ready. I have some things ready, and a lot not ready..(working on that). Last years plan to " hit it hard " , got "hit hard by my job". I got sent out on the road a lot. I told the wife I want to take a week off this season just to trap.(I mean I asked my wife)lol. I would like to hit the yotes/fox hard this year. We(Jericho and I) have to take some coon from the area this year. We let a lot go over the past few years. There is also a few ponds at our local Apple Orchards we take rats out . Then our beaver season starts after Christmas. I have to get some beaver out for some people this year. That's about it. I just hope my plans work out this year.. Happy trapping to all.. Oh yah, Jerry, Nice job on the cage traps.. What kind of tool do you have the cutters hooked to?
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 6, 2018 14:57:59 GMT -5
It's a air driven piston that snips the wire and the rubber bands pull it back open for the next cut. Riverdale wire makes them they save the old hands for sure!
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 9, 2018 16:19:03 GMT -5
MJs all wolf fanged with J hooks welded shut and O/S gaps rebuilt on a few I just need to do some file marks and adjust the trigger and then dye/wax.
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 11, 2018 20:23:09 GMT -5
Made 1.75 pan covers yesterday and made a bunch for 3 L/S and MJs today all the same size, I just put a slit in the ones for the 3s they will work on either trap in a pinch.
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Post by odiferous on Aug 13, 2018 11:14:34 GMT -5
I'm heading north for a couple weeks here in NY, for the opener. I just run a foot line from where I camp these days, but I really enjoy it. It generally takes me about four hours to make the loop and I do some deer hunting in the afternoons. I take advantage of all the line has to offer and set for coyotes, cats, fisher, marten, beaver and otter. There are usually a few rats on the active beaver ponds, but they don't amount to much.
I'll come back from there and set for coyotes, fox, coon, rats and mink around home. I've always loved to trap mink, but with the low prices being paid for them, it just isn't worth what it would cost me in gas to catch them in numbers anymore, so I only put a hand full of sets in for them, in places that I pass by in my travels and where I'm trapping rats. With the size of ranched mink and the chocolate browns they're producing now, I don't see too bright a future for mink trappers, but I hope I'm wrong.
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 13, 2018 14:06:37 GMT -5
MI had a pretty mink dark and thick but they were tiny here in SD we get the Red River ones as big as a house cat a guy can't get his hands around the neck on the males to pick one up but they are a lighter brown color. It needs to get to where there is no profit in raising them so they thin out the ranch ones for a while.
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Post by odiferous on Aug 13, 2018 21:06:08 GMT -5
I forgot you guys have those big Red River mink out that way. Your females are probably bigger than the bucks here in NY. Yeah, I hate to see anybody's livelihood go down the drain, but us trappers could sure use a break, too. I'm not greedy, I'd settle for a happy medium. Thanks Law Dog.
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 15, 2018 14:46:09 GMT -5
MTP order went in today needed some stuff early I have a gallon of yote glands that are thick as mud that should be thinned out to "work" a little better. I needed some more PITs pans for some 3Ns that I will use for badger, yotes and cats so I have time to get them on, I put on 3 kits I had on hand today.
Was out of blades for my Wiebe knife as I suck at putting a edge on a knife so I bought 100 good blades and will get a few 100 cheapo blades from Amazon for doing skunks.
My free gift I picked a 4oz of Canine Force they came out with last year a good change up lure.
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Post by odiferous on Aug 15, 2018 17:01:17 GMT -5
Washing gallon glass jars today just picked up a 100 new lids for them a lot easier then trying to get that pickle smell out of that lid seal! LOL Mixed what glands that I had working so it breaks down even not just on the top mouse paste is coming along fine wish I had 5 gallons of mice but I get what I can. Mouse paste about done needs to sweeten up a bit! Ain't that the truth. Wash them and leave them out in the sun and when you think the pickle smell is gone, screw them back on the jar for a little while, then check them and It's still there. The mouse paste is looking good. I can almost smell it from here.
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 15, 2018 18:20:49 GMT -5
Gets a sweet caramel smell when it just right! New lids are the way to go you never get that pickle smell out of the lid seals.
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Post by tweed on Aug 16, 2018 10:20:58 GMT -5
Chasing coons. If the weather holds out I'd like to get 100 but I doubt I'll have enough time and end up with a couple dozen.
Just cat food and/or a blend of bacon grease, old fish and corn meal.
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Post by odiferous on Aug 16, 2018 10:52:09 GMT -5
That looks like a slammer in your avatar. Good luck with 'em.
Welcome too, by the way. I'm new here myself. Great place.
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Post by Law Dog on Aug 16, 2018 11:58:53 GMT -5
That's a hog for sure~~~ Welcome
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Post by odiferous on Aug 16, 2018 18:10:30 GMT -5
Tweed, did you weigh the coon in your avatar? I assume It's a boar, though the biggest coon I've ever caught here in NY was a sow. She was a big girl, but she wasn't that big.
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