Passed my trapping exam

[Sir-diealot]

Passed my trapping exam, hoping to help the turkey, deer and rabbit population by getting some coyote, fox, opossum and so on out of out hunting area. Now I just have to figure out what I am doing off paper!

[HookedonHooks]

Trapping once you get into it is crazy fun, and if you're doing it in interest of your turkey hunting, you'll be totally hooked once it pays off in both fur and more gobblers to kill.

I will recommend you start with two particular trapping methods and research around them to hasten your skills with these particular traps, and where/how to set them, and various methods and baits used for these traps and all the tools and other things required outside of just the trap itself.

The first is for raccoons (occasional opposums, and the rare skunk is caught as well). This is critical for mainting how many nest bandits you have running around, as raccoons kill far more turkeys from eating eggs every year than coyotes can run down live birds. I would STRONGLY recommend using Duke DP (Dogproof) traps for your coon sets as they are very easy to set and are the most effective of any coon trap we've used. They are definitely a little pricier than common foothold traps, but the design in my opinion is what catches more coons, and you won't catch stray dogs or cats that are curiously checking out your sets. Minimal research on these style traps should also show why these traps are definitely the most effective for raccoons and if you can only start with one thing it should definitely be with these.

The next method will be a "catch all" as far as the way you make the set will determine your targeted species, but it is using 2x20 conibear and a bucket. This will primarily be for coyote, bobcat, and fox, but raccoons are caught this way as well. You will want to research cubby style sets using conibears for getting after the yotes, bobcats, and fox. The learning curve on this is huge, and starting out don't get discouraged with little success as it is not easy trapping those particular species, opposed to the coon and DP traps you'll figure out and should have success very quickly.

A third suggestion to increase the likelihood of getting rid of more yotes is to also hunt them on the side. While out checking traps, if you have access to a caller or purchase one, make a couple 25-30 minute sits in a couple locations to see if you can't call one up and shoot it.

I definitely don't know everything there is to know about trapping, but I've grown up around it and tagged along with my father who works nuisance damage control for the Missouri Conservation Dept. since I was a young boy. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have some questions as you go and I'll be more than happy to help or try to steer you in the right direction. Trapping is an incredibly rewarding hobby, and definitely isn't necessarily a cheap thing to startup either, but once you start getting fur on the ground you can make some pretty decent money if the market is good, and if it ain't well you can attempt to atleast make your money back to buy more traps.

[Bowguy]

Trapping is great fun. Some animals are easier it seems than others. Canines take some learning/patience  for most guys.
I don't know if they're adamant about fur handling in your state classes but research how to put up hides before you need to so you're prepared with what you need

[RutnNStrutn]

Good for you!! I watch some trapping on shows like Mountain Men, Last Alaskans, etc. Looks like a pretty cool thing to do. Maybe one day I'll learn how to do it.

[jryser]

Here's a video I edited several years back for my pals at Hoosier Trapper Supply who taught me. You might recognize Greg and Aaron from The Hunting Public!  I'm no expert which is why I made the video / lots of folks think you have to have years of experience. You don't. Just some woodsman skills and a good mentor!!

https://youtu.be/GrXXHSmxalI


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[Chris O]

Congrats and nice video. I wish everyone would support a trapping organization. Trappers have fought many anti battles over the years and preserved the rights to trap. They are always on the front line protecting it. If you think that I don't care about trapping because I only hunt or fish. You are mistaken because once the antis get rid of one thing they are on to the next thing they don't want you to hunt or fish either.


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[Sir-diealot]

Trapping once you get into it is crazy fun, and if you're doing it in interest of your turkey hunting, you'll be totally hooked once it pays off in both fur and more gobblers to kill.

I will recommend you start with two particular trapping methods and research around them to hasten your skills with these particular traps, and where/how to set them, and various methods and baits used for these traps and all the tools and other things required outside of just the trap itself.

The first is for raccoons (occasional opposums, and the rare skunk is caught as well). This is critical for mainting how many nest bandits you have running around, as raccoons kill far more turkeys from eating eggs every year than coyotes can run down live birds. I would STRONGLY recommend using Duke DP (Dogproof) traps for your coon sets as they are very easy to set and are the most effective of any coon trap we've used. They are definitely a little pricier than common foothold traps, but the design in my opinion is what catches more coons, and you won't catch stray dogs or cats that are curiously checking out your sets. Minimal research on these style traps should also show why these traps are definitely the most effective for raccoons and if you can only start with one thing it should definitely be with these.

The next method will be a "catch all" as far as the way you make the set will determine your targeted species, but it is using 2x20 conibear and a bucket. This will primarily be for coyote, bobcat, and fox, but raccoons are caught this way as well. You will want to research cubby style sets using conibears for getting after the yotes, bobcats, and fox. The learning curve on this is huge, and starting out don't get discouraged with little success as it is not easy trapping those particular species, opposed to the coon and DP traps you'll figure out and should have success very quickly.

A third suggestion to increase the likelihood of getting rid of more yotes is to also hunt them on the side. While out checking traps, if you have access to a caller or purchase one, make a couple 25-30 minute sits in a couple locations to see if you can't call one up and shoot it.

I definitely don't know everything there is to know about trapping, but I've grown up around it and tagged along with my father who works nuisance damage control for the Missouri Conservation Dept. since I was a young boy. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have some questions as you go and I'll be more than happy to help or try to steer you in the right direction. Trapping is an incredibly rewarding hobby, and definitely isn't necessarily a cheap thing to startup either, but once you start getting fur on the ground you can make some pretty decent money if the market is good, and if it ain't well you can attempt to atleast make your money back to buy more traps.

Sorry for the delay in replying, I have been bopping all day. Yes the Duke DP (Dogproof) traps or encapsulating traps as they also call them here are going to be a big thing as dogs and cats are in the area as will be sweet smelling baits as cats and dogs are not as attracted to them (Or so they tell me anyway) They one type of trap I do not intend to use are body gripping traps, not good for the areas I will be trapping or the species I am after as well.

Yes learning to do sets will be a big challenge for me, I have been driving a Mennonite around for years on his trapping line and that is how I got interested and he is going to be teaching me a lot as we go out on sets together. He is normally very successful every year.

We do hunt them both by calling and with dogs, both ways are a lot of fun. (Hunt coon and Coyote with dogs)

For me my biggest worries are making the set, because of my past car accidents kneeling is very painful for me and I can't squat for long, I am going to have to figure out some kind of scent free padded kneeling mat that can be easily transported.

[Sir-diealot]

Trapping is great fun. Some animals are easier it seems than others. Canines take some learning/patience  for most guys.
I don't know if they're adamant about fur handling in your state classes but research how to put up hides before you need to so you're prepared with what you need

Yes they sure were adamant about them. The biggest interest to me will be beaver hides though that won't be this year but I would like to get at least one in my trapping career.

[Sir-diealot]

Good for you!! I watch some trapping on shows like Mountain Men, Last Alaskans, etc. Looks like a pretty cool thing to do. Maybe one day I'll learn how to do it.

I have not watched Mountain Men as of yet, intend to but I really like Last Alaskans. Those gals/guys have it really hard out there.

[Sir-diealot]

Here's a video I edited several years back for my pals at Hoosier Trapper Supply who taught me. You might recognize Greg and Aaron from The Hunting Public!  I'm no expert which is why I made the video / lots of folks think you have to have years of experience. You don't. Just some woodsman skills and a good mentor!!

https://youtu.be/GrXXHSmxalI


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, I saved that to my watch list and will be sure to watch it this week. The guy that is going to be mentoring me has been doing it for a very very long time, since he was legal which would be I think 12 and he is 50 now and he normally does very well. (Not last year though, we had a crazy amount of rain here)

[jryser]

Trapping once you get into it is crazy fun, and if you're doing it in interest of your turkey hunting, you'll be totally hooked once it pays off in both fur and more gobblers to kill.

I will recommend you start with two particular trapping methods and research around them to hasten your skills with these particular traps, and where/how to set them, and various methods and baits used for these traps and all the tools and other things required outside of just the trap itself.

The first is for raccoons (occasional opposums, and the rare skunk is caught as well). This is critical for mainting how many nest bandits you have running around, as raccoons kill far more turkeys from eating eggs every year than coyotes can run down live birds. I would STRONGLY recommend using Duke DP (Dogproof) traps for your coon sets as they are very easy to set and are the most effective of any coon trap we've used. They are definitely a little pricier than common foothold traps, but the design in my opinion is what catches more coons, and you won't catch stray dogs or cats that are curiously checking out your sets. Minimal research on these style traps should also show why these traps are definitely the most effective for raccoons and if you can only start with one thing it should definitely be with these.

The next method will be a "catch all" as far as the way you make the set will determine your targeted species, but it is using 2x20 conibear and a bucket. This will primarily be for coyote, bobcat, and fox, but raccoons are caught this way as well. You will want to research cubby style sets using conibears for getting after the yotes, bobcats, and fox. The learning curve on this is huge, and starting out don't get discouraged with little success as it is not easy trapping those particular species, opposed to the coon and DP traps you'll figure out and should have success very quickly.

A third suggestion to increase the likelihood of getting rid of more yotes is to also hunt them on the side. While out checking traps, if you have access to a caller or purchase one, make a couple 25-30 minute sits in a couple locations to see if you can't call one up and shoot it.

I definitely don't know everything there is to know about trapping, but I've grown up around it and tagged along with my father who works nuisance damage control for the Missouri Conservation Dept. since I was a young boy. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have some questions as you go and I'll be more than happy to help or try to steer you in the right direction. Trapping is an incredibly rewarding hobby, and definitely isn't necessarily a cheap thing to startup either, but once you start getting fur on the ground you can make some pretty decent money if the market is good, and if it ain't well you can attempt to atleast make your money back to buy more traps.

Sorry for the delay in replying, I have been bopping all day. Yes the Duke DP (Dogproof) traps or encapsulating traps as they also call them here are going to be a big thing as dogs and cats are in the area as will be sweet smelling baits as cats and dogs are not as attracted to them (Or so they tell me anyway) They one type of trap I do not intend to use are body gripping traps, not good for the areas I will be trapping or the species I am after as well.

Yes learning to do sets will be a big challenge for me, I have been driving a Mennonite around for years on his trapping line and that is how I got interested and he is going to be teaching me a lot as we go out on sets together. He is normally very successful every year.

We do hunt them both by calling and with dogs, both ways are a lot of fun. (Hunt coon and Coyote with dogs)

For me my biggest worries are making the set, because of my past car accidents kneeling is very painful for me and I can't squat for long, I am going to have to figure out some kind of scent free padded kneeling mat that can be easily transported.

I might suggest some coveralls that you only wear on the trapline. Save you the extra weight of something to kneel on and you can pad em or wear knee pads underneath.


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[Sir-diealot]

Congrats and nice video. I wish everyone would support a trapping organization. Trappers have fought many anti battles over the years and preserved the rights to trap. They are always on the front line protecting it. If you think that I don't care about trapping because I only hunt or fish. You are mistaken because once the antis get rid of one thing they are on to the next thing they don't want you to hunt or fish either.


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You have that right! This is a major reason I went for the license, to be honest I really don't know how much trapping my body will let me do, I hope a lot, but regardless if we do not stand together they will crush us. I can't stand crossbows, to me it is not archery, but I will back that guy with a crossbow being able to use it til the day I die (Though I will be trying to talk him into a bow )

Same as waterfowl hunting, I have not done it but will be trying it as soon as I can get a truck, may not like it but want to try it at least once to say I did it. I have several guys that have told me they will take me as soon as I can get to them.

I enjoy muzzleloading, I own percussions and an inline and would like to get a flintlock and a wheellock one day.

Love bow hunting, honestly do not know if I love to bow hunt more or turkey hunt more. I know one day I intend to bow hunt turkey. I own a compound and a recurve, I want to get much better with a recurve. The debate between which is better is stupid, we need to stick together.

I love to fish, I have never fished in salt water but would love to. I don't understand those that bash freshwater or bash salt water, we are doing the same thing and need to stick together.

I shotgun and rifle hunt, love them both, looking forward to it this year. We need to stick with the guys that are using other tools to enjoy the same pastime.

About the one and only thing I have ever seen in person that I have been against is snag fishing, I see no sport to it whatsoever. But if it is legal then it is your right to do it.

[Sir-diealot]

Trapping once you get into it is crazy fun, and if you're doing it in interest of your turkey hunting, you'll be totally hooked once it pays off in both fur and more gobblers to kill.

I will recommend you start with two particular trapping methods and research around them to hasten your skills with these particular traps, and where/how to set them, and various methods and baits used for these traps and all the tools and other things required outside of just the trap itself.

The first is for raccoons (occasional opposums, and the rare skunk is caught as well). This is critical for mainting how many nest bandits you have running around, as raccoons kill far more turkeys from eating eggs every year than coyotes can run down live birds. I would STRONGLY recommend using Duke DP (Dogproof) traps for your coon sets as they are very easy to set and are the most effective of any coon trap we've used. They are definitely a little pricier than common foothold traps, but the design in my opinion is what catches more coons, and you won't catch stray dogs or cats that are curiously checking out your sets. Minimal research on these style traps should also show why these traps are definitely the most effective for raccoons and if you can only start with one thing it should definitely be with these.

The next method will be a "catch all" as far as the way you make the set will determine your targeted species, but it is using 2x20 conibear and a bucket. This will primarily be for coyote, bobcat, and fox, but raccoons are caught this way as well. You will want to research cubby style sets using conibears for getting after the yotes, bobcats, and fox. The learning curve on this is huge, and starting out don't get discouraged with little success as it is not easy trapping those particular species, opposed to the coon and DP traps you'll figure out and should have success very quickly.

A third suggestion to increase the likelihood of getting rid of more yotes is to also hunt them on the side. While out checking traps, if you have access to a caller or purchase one, make a couple 25-30 minute sits in a couple locations to see if you can't call one up and shoot it.

I definitely don't know everything there is to know about trapping, but I've grown up around it and tagged along with my father who works nuisance damage control for the Missouri Conservation Dept. since I was a young boy. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have some questions as you go and I'll be more than happy to help or try to steer you in the right direction. Trapping is an incredibly rewarding hobby, and definitely isn't necessarily a cheap thing to startup either, but once you start getting fur on the ground you can make some pretty decent money if the market is good, and if it ain't well you can attempt to atleast make your money back to buy more traps.

Sorry for the delay in replying, I have been bopping all day. Yes the Duke DP (Dogproof) traps or encapsulating traps as they also call them here are going to be a big thing as dogs and cats are in the area as will be sweet smelling baits as cats and dogs are not as attracted to them (Or so they tell me anyway) They one type of trap I do not intend to use are body gripping traps, not good for the areas I will be trapping or the species I am after as well.

Yes learning to do sets will be a big challenge for me, I have been driving a Mennonite around for years on his trapping line and that is how I got interested and he is going to be teaching me a lot as we go out on sets together. He is normally very successful every year.

We do hunt them both by calling and with dogs, both ways are a lot of fun. (Hunt coon and Coyote with dogs)

For me my biggest worries are making the set, because of my past car accidents kneeling is very painful for me and I can't squat for long, I am going to have to figure out some kind of scent free padded kneeling mat that can be easily transported.

I might suggest some coveralls that you only wear on the trapline. Save you the extra weight of something to kneel on and you can pad em or wear knee pads underneath.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, a very good idea. Padding something like that is a good thought. I have never had good luck with knee pads, especially the hard ones. I can kneel in deep mud with very small or not stones or in nice soft moss though funnily enough.

[daddyduke]

Congrats on passing exam!

[HookedonHooks]

About the one and only thing I have ever seen in person that I have been against is snag fishing, I see no sport to it whatsoever. But if it is legal then it is your right to do it.

I do agree with everything you said regarding sticking together, but would like to add to the final statement to maybe change your views on it.

To my knowledge, the only fish you can legally and intentionally snag pretty well anywhere in the US is paddlefish. Accidental snags of game species during the act of intentional snagging, typically must be released, just as accidental snags with a crankbait on a bass or crappie are also to be released even though no one does. I don't 100% agree with it, because in the act of intentional snagging if you snag a large catfish and injure it to the point that it will certainly die, you are still to realease it esssentially wasting the animal. Outside of that one negative, snagging is actually a very "sporting" endeavor and is done for the same reasons other species are targeted whether it be with rod and reel, bow and arrow, or a firearm. Paddlefish don't eat anything but Plankton, so it would be extremely rare and accidental to catch them using any other fishing methods outside of snagging. Snagging gets a bad wrap in that it's basically the dove hunting of the fishing world, everyone's sitting on a bucket, drinking beers, and ripping hooks through the water in hopes to hook into a paddlefish. Snagging is also very tightly regulated and done so that snagging season is during the paddlefish "run" so as to control population numbers of Paddlefish, and so happens to be at a time of year that mitigates the amount of other species of fish accidentally snagged.

I can definitely see how it's not everyone's cup of tea, but until you've done it, you don't have any understanding of how much work it actually is to snag all day. I just don't think it's right to not call it "sporting" in that it actually takes a lot of work, and is done for the same reasons people fill baskets of crappie or shoot a trash can full of carp, because like you previously mentioned it's all the same thing just a different method of achieving the same goal for conservation efforts. I'm not saying you're in the wrong for having that particular opinion either, just maybe trying to shed light on why snagging is not only necessary but why it is the way it is too.