Trapping

Hi fellas! Do we have any trappers here at B&B? Anyone really into coon, possum, mink, beaver, footholds, conibears, etc.?

I've trapped and transported about a million house-eaters (squirrels). Some very funny stories.

The Havahart is quite the device.


AA

I used to, but haven't in years. Still have several single and double spring ones, a few coil-spring offset ones, rebar stakes, dirt sifter, trap pan covers, catch pole, skinning gambrel, hip waders, elbow length rubber gloves, etc.

Did some dirt sets for 'possom, did pretty good on water sets for raccoon, but my dirt sets for coyotes didn't do real well, even though I was careful about scent. Never did use conibears.

I haven't looked at fur prices in years, but there's not anywhere to sell furs close to here now and last I looked at prices it wasn't worth the effort to do much trapping. If prices go up...I have the stuff!

Just did a quick check on prices...not in-depth checking. If this is any indication...

I used to sell raccoon for $25 or so, and I thought that was low.

http://trappingtoday.com/where-were-at-in-the-fur-market-summer-2016-update/

Muskrat – $2.65
Otter – $21.34
Mink – $7.95
Coyote – $6 – $68 (Easterns $30, Westerns $68
Raccoon – $2 – $6 (no, that’s not a typo!)
Beaver – $8 (again, not a typo

)
Red Fox – $14
Bobcat – (Eastern $40, Western $260)

We use wire snares in the fence rows for coyotes.

Yeah, I've put out snares before, but not here. Took a shot at a yote going along the fence row apparently looking for mice awhile back but I think I missed.

I'd have to go to public hunting land after bird season was over, and hunting dogs were not there, to set out snares or traps. We have some of the neighbors pit bulls that get loose sometimes and come up every once in awhile (they have no problem strolling the quarter mile up here). They are so CUTE! The big male likes me to rub the top of his head and the female rolls over and likes her belly rubbed. Friendly as heck.

But a #2 coon trap shouldn't give a dog sized thing much problem...especially a water set. Just too many free range pets around here. I'd probably catch one of my cats.

Oh, wait a minute...I did catch one of my cats...twice, when I put out a live trap for the armadillos. Same cat every time...dumb cat.

I do a bit of trapping. Used to really get after it, but I have pared back since my son was born. He's getting old enough to take him out now so I'm ramping up a bit.

simon1 said:

Just did a quick check on prices...not in-depth checking. If this is any indication...

I used to sell raccoon for $25 or so, and I thought that was low.

http://trappingtoday.com/where-were-at-in-the-fur-market-summer-2016-update/

Muskrat – $2.65
Otter – $21.34
Mink – $7.95
Coyote – $6 – $68 (Easterns $30, Westerns $68
Raccoon – $2 – $6 (no, that’s not a typo!)
Beaver – $8 (again, not a typo

)
Red Fox – $14
Bobcat – (Eastern $40, Western $260)

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these are really low. They go up and down a lot, but they have been pretty low for a few years. 7 or 8 years ago, I sold almost hundred rats I had put up at 9$ average. That was to a buyer. At auction they were over 11 average that year in February. There were a couple years of really good rat prices.

Big coons will still get decent prices most years, but I haven't seen 20$ averages for many years.

Yotes are always cheap. I just trap them to help out the deer. 6-10$ is normal. Really nice ones go for a little more.

You never know when the prices will bump.

I trapped a little as a kid.

I'm a pretty hard core coon hunter and have been since I was real young.

But it's for the enjoyment of the hounds, not for the fur.

Never trap a skunk. Just saying.

Yeah; I wasn't trying to, either.


AA

Ad Astra said:

I've trapped and transported about a million house-eaters (squirrels). Some very funny stories.

The Havahart is quite the device.


AA

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I like the Tomahawk traps.

http://www.livetrap.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=30070

Ad Astra said:

Never trap a skunk. Just saying.

Yeah; I wasn't trying to, either.


AA

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Yeah Mike...you got that right. You learn not to get close to them when they are in a foothold trap...don't ask me how I know that.

KWilliams40 said:

I like the Tomahawk traps.

http://www.livetrap.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=30070

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Those look good. And speaking of skunks...in a live trap. I used to help animal control at times and we'd put a towel or something over the live trap to keep them from spraying. Don't know how it works but it did in those situations. Guess they couldn't see what to spray at.

But then again...I have found a skunk killing baby kittens under the porch and while it was under the porch I knocked the bejesus out of it in the head with my fist to get it to let the kitten go out of its mouth. It turned around and tried to spray me, with its head under the porch where it couldn't see me good, and let loose. I sidestepped and it missed...guess it couldn't see to aim. It turned around again and I knocked the crap outa it again and it finally let loose of the baby kitten and ran off. My knuckles were bleeding afterwards.

I didn't have time to go back in the house and get a gun...it had already killed two kittens and had another in its mouth.

I dispatched a skunk in the front yard last spring at about 20 yards with my old trapline gun...a Colt New Frontier .22 that I carried. That little thing had taken raccoons, 'possums, skunks, squirrels, running rabbits, etc. over the years. Handy little thing...hit that skunk in the front yard dead center chest hit at about 20 yards.

Cat-loving AA wishes he could give you rep points for that, Mike. Never realized skunks were that aggressive.


AA

Thanks Mike. We had another batch of kittens that were about 4 weeks old when I caught the skunk nosing around in the front yard last spring.

Here's my meager collection of leg-hold, and live traps, that have just been sitting in plastic buckets for quite awhile. I have 2 or 3 snares hanging up in the shed but didn't want to dig for them right now. Looks like they could use some TLC...need to clean 'em up a bit and wax the leg-hold ones. And yes, the Schrade Trapper knife has been used for its intended purpose.

I've had several highly educated people tell me that I have a mind like a steel trap...all rusted and frozen shut.

I use the dog proof traps for Coon anytime I might get pets. These things are great! I was using the live traps at farms but these are way better. No skunks, possums, cats or dogs. I use the lil grizz brand, but I see another made in USA brand out now from Freedom Brands.

They do cost a bit more than the old 11's and 1's I used to use for coons, so I don't like to use them in a theft area.

simon1 said:

Thanks Mike. We had another batch of kittens that were about 4 weeks old when I caught the skunk nosing around in the front yard last spring.

Here's my meager collection of leg-hold, and live traps, that have just been sitting in plastic buckets for quite awhile. I have 2 or 3 snares hanging up in the shed but didn't want to dig for them right now. Looks like they could use some TLC...need to clean 'em up a bit and wax the leg-hold ones. And yes, the Schrade Trapper knife has been used for its intended purpose.

I've had several highly educated people tell me that I have a mind like a steel trap...all rusted and frozen shut.

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That's awesome! The nice thing about those traps is that it doesn't take much effort to get them tip top again. I've been keeping an eye on old sales and old barns I pass while out and about. Just looking to score 'another mans trash' as the saying goes. I've looked at the prices lately, comparing them to what I see in the sheds of some of the guys on YouTube, and it looks as if you don't make too much money selling them.

Yeah Don...it won't take very much to get them cleaned up...done it before. I don't go to yard sales or stuff but I'm not surprised that old traps are not very expensive.

Of course that is related to the fur prices...prices are down so no demand. That has been a tactic of a certain group of people for years...oops...my bad.

As far as catching non-target animals such as someone's pets I'm a very responsible person on that. The closest neighbor is a quarter mile away but sometimes their dogs get loose and come up to the house. Sweetest pit bulls you ever saw...they love belly rubs.

But as far as someone complaining about pets getting caught on Public Hunting lands...or even on someone else's private property...that's the pet owners being irresponsible for not keeping their pets restrained. Kinda like someone letting their dog out of the house and it getting run over in the street, then trying to sue the government entity that produced the infrastructure of the road or the driver of the car that was just driving down the road. Ooops...my bad again.

Some people try to put the Bambi syndrome on wild animals that will kill the very same pet they let out of the house. But they don't have any experience with wild animals. Sigh.

Maybe this thread should be moved over to the Shooting Sports section.

That's too bad about the price manipulation. It's a great resource and a viable part of the culling process that keeps our environment in balance. Not to mention the fact that a beaver coat is just plain AWESOME and can cost far less than what you would buy in a store.

Ad Astra said:

Never trap a skunk. Just saying.

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simon1 said:

Yeah Mike...you got that right. You learn not to get close to them when they are in a foothold trap...don't ask me how I know that.

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Yoo tink zat yoo are trappings zem, but zen yoo finds houts zat zey are trappings yooz widz zee loooove!

Fur prices go up and down with demand in China and Russia mostly. From what I learned from my buyer, they are the big fur buyers on the world market by a very long shot. They essentially determine the prices for many furs. Especially raccoons and muskrats. Coyotes to some extent. Beaver seems to be an enigma to me. It's been a long time since I have seen them worth the work they take to trap and put up. They do taste good though!

The great fur district in New York is essentially gone now, but when the world economy goes strong, prices do go up. You would be a very hard worker indeed to make decent money trapping nowadays. I know several farmers that supplement their income trapping in the winter. I alway thought of it as a very green way of using resources.....

You can still make good money on specimen for taxidermy animals. Skunks, believe it or not, are worth a lot if you can get them without spraying. Their quill is worth a decent amount. You need to extract it with a big syringe. It's a job that takes a bit of getting used to. Trapping lure companies pay a lot for it as it's in a lot of lures. The skunk furs are worth a few bucks, more if they have big white stripes and long fur. I think people like them made into novelty hats still.

I sell furs I catch, but also have a very talented local furrier make items for gifts and such.