Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    I got a great coon set.  Find a relatively fast moving stream where
    the water is about 1ft deep.   Take a goldfish fishing lure and
    remove the treble hooks.  Tie the lure to a piece of mono fishing
    line about 2ft long.  Drive a stake into the stream bed and tie
    the loose end of the mono to the stake.  If you have the correct
    amount of current, the lure will be fluttering in the middle of
    the stream.  Now set two traps to either side of the lure, aprox.
    6 inches to either side.  I use to place scents on the bank
    to draw coons to the area.  Works great.       
    
    Foxes:
    
      Find a small mound around three feet high.  Bait the base of the
    mound with whateever (chiken livers, rabbit, etc).  Do this for a couple
    of weeks or untill the bait is being ataken regulary.  Then place a trap
    On _top_ of the mound, concealed _well_.  Foxes like to perch on
    mounds to scout out the area.   Don't set the trap right next to 
    the bait.  Foxes have _very_ good noses.  You want him to have already
    taken the bait when he encounters the trap.  Kind of like a diversion.
    What should happens is that he gets the bait and proceeds to the
    top of the mound and gets pinched.                                                               
       
    Jeff

    The " real nice thing about Jeff's Fox set is that it nearly dog
    proof.
    
    It is considered a dog proof set anyway.
    
    This habbit of Foxes ging to these mound ( frequently ant Hills)
    
    and taking a view of the area is little known except by
    
    experienced trappers.
    
    Another set that is good is a dirt hole set.
    
    The problem with trapping in this weather is it is difficult to
    conseal and keep your traps from freezeing.
    
    Before you trap anything you should lern how to take care of
    pelt propperly. That is if you plan on selling it you
    will need to know how to prepair it the manner that
    the buyers will except.
    
    There is a lot to and getting top money for pelts is determined
    by how you handle pelts, dry them, and then selling them is often
    very much like old time horse tradding.  
    
    So you should know what you are doing..
    
    Bear,
    
    Ps. in N.h. you need a license and written permission from
    land owner that ( I beleive ) has to filed with the C.O.
    before setting traps.
    
    Mass, I beleive out lawed leghold traps set on land.

    A good way to set traps in freezing weather is to bake your dirt!
    Really, you bake it in the oven to remove the moisture, it really
    works.
    
    "More to it then meets the eye."                                 
                           
    Truer words were never spoken!
    
    Jeff

    Here is a neat little trick to try when ever you do a water set.
    What happens is that after you catch your prey, he will tend to
    swim in circles trying to figure away to wring-off. He'll end up
    wrapping the trap chain around stake #2 and drown himself. Works
    great. 
    
    Diagram to follow:
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
   
          From this:                           to this:
                                                    
            (stake #2, in deep water)               
         *                                     *==={ }
                                               |
                                               |
                                               |
         *--------------0===={ }/              *
                      
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    
     

    
    glad to see a note on trapping. my favorite set for coon is similiar
    to the one used in .1, the only difference is that i use sardines
    for bait. the coons love this set also. i've tried trapping fox
    on many occasions but have never got one. thier sense of smell and
    fear of man is so great they are hard to catch. does anyone know
    the current prices for fur this year? i was told by a friend that
    prices are down. he read it out of the magazine FUR-FISH-GAME. i
    also read this mag. on occasion and find it very informitive. just
    a couple things to remember especiaslly in mass. ALL traps must
    have the owners name on them. ALL traps must be set in a  manner
    so that the animal will drown in as short a period a time as possible.
    i may be wrong on this point but i believe that all traps must also
    be completely submerged in water. thyis includes the connibear type
    traps. best bet is to check the abstracts. while dukakis and his
    bleeding heart liberal friends could'nt ban trapping they sure did
    make it difficult.
                      good luck,
                                walt
    

    It's great to see a few trappers in DEC! I envy you trappers in
    NH and elsewhere that can set on land. Here in Mass all traps must
    be under 2" of water. Trapping predators like fox and coyote becomes
    a bit difficult and alot of work. One set I use and about the only
    one is the water set for fox. Trapping season starts November 1st
    in Mass, but the fox usually don't prime out till the third week
    in November. I usually start making my water sets around the first
    of November, if time permits earlier than this. I will locate a
    spring or a shallow slow moving river were fox are likely to travel. 
    I'll make my set were the bank is almost level with the waters edge.
    Here i will place a rock about 18" from the bank with a 2" surface
    of the rock sticking out of the water, on this rock I will place
    my bait with a few leaves or peices of the natural surrounding over
    the bait. I will then place a flat rock or build up a mound of sand
    about 8" from the bank in front of the bait. Here I will place my
    trap under 2" of water, and cover with a few leaves until the leaves
    are water level then place a piece of moss or grass over the pan
    of the trap. Here the dry grass or moss makes a step for the fox
    to reach the bait. I make this set a few weeks in advance of placing
    the trap down, this will give the ground and silt enough time to
    settle and your scent will be gone by then. When placing the trap
    try and walk up stream or in the case of a spring hole enter from
    the opposite side, place trap bait and get out as quick as possible.
    When checking the trap stay as far away as possible. It will take
    a couple of days for the fox to work a set, it will circle and circle
    come back the next night and circle a little closer until his
    confidence is built up then will go in for the bait. If human odor
    is around night after night the animal will shy away. 
    
    As for prices I went to an auction December 11 the following were
    the average prices
    
    Muskrats 3.50
    racoon   12.00 (large)
    red/gray fox  22.00
    fisher	100.00 (female)
    		 75.00 (male)
    deer	  7.00
    mink	45.00
    otter	25.00
    
    From talking with a few fur buyers the future didn't hold any promise
    of rising fur prices. Many fur warehouses had stockpiles of fur
    from last season. The buyers are becomming very picky when inspecting
    the fur they measure every piece of fur and discount or evan not buy 
    poorly managed fur. This year it pays to put that little extra into
    making your fur lot look good. Let those small animals go, so you
    can present an above average lot of fur and get an above average
    price. There was one trapper on December 11 auction who got top
    price and the award for the best handled mink lot. He explained
    after fleshing he washed his pelts in dishwater solution (mild)
    then dried the pelts. It made him a few dollars more on each mink.
    
    Back to reality,
    
    Tom
    

    Jeff,
    
    Interesting!!??? How would someone such as I bake dirt in an oven
    ,lets say around 2 miles in the woods? 

    What we would do is to bake the dirt at home and carry it in plastic
    bags.  Other alternatives to traps freezing up are:
    
    -wax them real good.  This can be a problem with real skittish animals.
    
    -we have set traps inside plastic bags.
    
    -set traps under banks or in natural 'bait pens'   
    
    
    Just remember that no matter what you do, some animals are VERY
    smart.  Have fun.
    
    Jeff

    I would like to respectfully dissagree with some of the things that
    Jeff has mentioned particularly about setting trap in plastic bag?
    
    Land animals,
    
    fox traps should all be boiled and waxed. However this does
    not keep trap from freezing but does make it quicker 
    and helps retard the rust proccess.
                           
    Rust is however a friend of the trapper. A trap will not take dye
    until the trap has completely rusted up. Take new traps should thrown
    in water and to get them good and rusty then  boil in a dye solution. 
    Add wax ( bees wax mixed with Parfin is all right) just
    before removing.
    
    Most fox set required that trap be  burried under dirt.
    
    to do this you must dig a trap bed. If it is getting below
    freezing at night you have to keep the dirt that you are going to
    sift over the trap from freezing.
    
    The two methods I know of are 1. bringing in dry dirt. and 2. using
    antifreeze.
    
    I have no experience using antifreeze. I question the oders that
    "might" be left behind.
    
    2 the dry dirt will only stay dry for a short period of time and
    usually not long enough to catch Fox.
    
    The first time that it goes above freezing the dry dirt will
    absorbe moisture from the surounding earth and soon be just as
    as wet as the rest of the area. Next night when it freezes
    the trap is unproductive.
    
    You can line the trap bed with a moisture proof material.
    Wax paper. making sure that it will be all covered.
    
    now set your trap and place pan cover over top making sure
    that it does not over lap the jaws.
    
    sift dry dirt and cover the trap ever so lightly.
    
    a couple foot notes: fox traps should have chains shortened.
    I forget the dimention but it shouldn't be more 6 inches or so.
    
    use lures ever so lightly.
    
    do not use too much.
    
    The above is useful for burying trap in mound set that jeff
    originally described, dirt hole set, or blind set.
    
    If you are sincere about trapping you should study it for about
    6 months before you begin or get some OJT from another trapper.
    Get some good books.
    
    Bear
    
    Depending on how much pressure is on the animals will determine
    how trap wise they are.

    Bear
    
    Why do you disagree with setting a trap in a plastic baggie???
    We would set the trap and place it in a plasic lunch bag. Then cover
    it.  Works good.  Use cheap bags (thin). Im curious as to why you
    don't aprove of this?                                                    
    
    I believe that waxing does help in keeping traps from freezing. 
    It tends to keep moisture from sticking to the metal.  We have also
    always boiled and dyed traps.  I have never tried using anti-freeze.
                                    
    
    Jeff

    I am a strong beleiver that you don't want anything between
    trap and the foot. It would seem to me that if the trap went off
    successfully that the bag would also aid in the animals escape
    afterwords.
    
    I have to admit this is a gutt feeling and I haven't used
    the above method. I was thinking on the line of a Zip lock
    bag and purhaps some very thin bags like the plastic used
    in dry cleaning could be used.
    
    In my opinion when the sifted dirt freezes that is directly
    over the trap it will not be a useable set.
    
    Sometimes we will go to a 1/2 size or even a full size
    larger trap than is reccommended when these conditions
    exsist. ( the thinking being that it will be a little stronger
    and will be able to break thru the crust.
    
    The problem here is that the larger trap is also more difficult
    to conseal.
    
    In some areas where fox live in close urban areas they can
    be stuppid. Actually these are usually the kits. But if you ever
    try in some rural areas where trappers exsist they can be
    really difficult.
    
    I really don't think a fox is smart. I think they just get
    really scared of anything or should I say caucious ( sp ? ).
    
    they can tell if you have visited your traps. I try to stay as far
    away as possible and use glasses to aid in checking. You
    will have to up really close every now and then to apply
    more lure or to see if purhaps rain or wind has exposed your
    set.  Sometimes you might find a print directly over the 
    pan and then you will need to determine why the trap failed
    to spring.
    
    Also you don't want to put too many set in one area.
    
    1 or 2 sets at key chosen locations is all you need to
    cover several hundred acres. Three sets on a farm should
    cover it extreemly well and might be 1 too many.
    
    
    The key is choose the correct locations. Fox travel a lot.
    
    Bear

    Bear
    
    When using a baggie we used the kind your mother use to pack your
    sandwich in.  Relatively thin material.  We never had any probelms
    with animals wringing out of them, if the proper size trap was used.
    You obviously have to use an underspring type of trap.  Another
    way to avoid haveing wring offs is to use a drag rather then staking
    the chain.  We use to fasten the ring to a log or whateever.  This
    way the animal can't get alot of tension on it's leg.  Instead it
    would usually drag the log to the nearest cover an lay down.  Of
    course when using Conibears you don't have this problem, but then
    again I never used conibears on foxes.  Have you ever used any bait
    hole sets?  We did with a _little_ success.
                                      
    Jeff

    The Bait hole is what I refered to as a dirt hole set.
    
    It is my preferance.  It will catch fox and cyototes.
    
    I was about 9 or 12 years old when I heard there was a professional
    trapper in the same town that I lived in. His Name was Pat
    Sedlack. He lived in Belle Vernon, Pa. 
    
    Well any way I decided to call this guy and see if he would give
    me some trapping lessons. After I talked to pat and he asked me
    a few questions like how old I was etc. 
    
    He agreeded to give me lessons , I asked how much he would charge
    he said he didn't know but didn't think it would be much.
    
    Well he came buy the house and picked me up and we went out and
    he showed me how to make all these great sets and at the time the
    Dirt Hole set was well kept secret.
    
    He didn't charge me anything and I will always be in dept
    to him.
    
    Later in life I have heard some harsh things about Pat
    Sedlack and how he took some money from Pa. trappers Federation
    or something. I just tell how nice the man had treated me
    and nothing they could say would chance how I felt about him.
    
    Pat Sedlack is a famous trapper and was hired by about 12
    different states to trap fox in the 50's and 60's when
    there was a bounty on the animal and you couldn't sell the pelt.
    He wrote a book called Schoolboy trapper. It was a good
    book and covered alot thing other books left out.
    
    Pat Sedlack is Dead now and it seems all the old trapping
    establishments and mail order places have since gone
    out of business. For example E.J. Daley, O.L. Butcher
    
    I still get a catalogue from Cronks in Maine now and again.
    
    ***************************************************************
    
    Another thing you can use for a drag is a grappling hook.
    but with this you use an extension chain.
    
    With the Bait hole set selection is all important. For instance
    It should be in the open . If it is set in an area grown up
    too much it will not usually work on Red Fox.
    
    Did you know that a gray have been known to climb trees?
    
    And did you know that ground hogs can climb trees?      
    
    Bear

    How about some recipes for bait?
    
    
    Heres one.
    
    
    a bunch of dead mice, enough to fill a mayonaise jar loosely.
    add enough cod liver oil to cover,
    
    let sit in the sun for a couple fo weeks.
    
    use the mouse as bait,

    Bear,
    	Interesting you said the ground hogs climb trees. And I thought
    I was seeing a freke of nature last summer. I was walking along
    the power lines in Ma during one of my lunch breaks, when I head
    a scuffle of leaves off to my left. When I looked I saw this ground
    hog in mid air leaping onto the trunk of an oak tree. That ground
    hog scaled the tree like a squirel. Couldn't believe I ran over
    to the tree to get a better look, and it just hugged the tree and
    started chattering its teeth. 
    
    Since the subject of ground hogs and fox bait have been introduced.
    I have used ground hog and like using it as bait for fox. I had
    no problems collecting a few for bait this summer, ther were all
    over the roads her in Ma. Once I get the ground hog I freeeze it
    once frozen I take it out and chop it into little peices and place
    in a jar to render. It usually takes about 2-3 weeks to render the
    meat. What I am looking for is a brown color on the outside of the
    meat and the middle is still pink or red. Once it reaches this stage 
    it is done rendering, and I put a few handfulls of salt in the jar
    to stop the aging process. Here the meat will stay tainted but not
    rotten until I need it. 
    
    
    Maybe some of you trappers can answer a question I have. When your
    placing your trap how do you set the jaws of the trap down on the
    ground. Do you place your trap so the animals steps over the jaw
    or do you place your trap so the animal will step between the jaws.
    
    Tom

    I set mine with the dog facing the dirt hole or post. So I guess
    that means the animal steps over the jaw.
    
    I would like more info on the auction, where was it and what needs
    to be done to bring fur from Maine into Mass. or N.H.?
    
    Ron

    The last auction I went to was in Marlboro Ma. at the Marlboro fish
    and game club, December 11. There was one lot of fur that I saw
    from Maine and everything but the muskrats were tagged. I amd not
    sure on the F&G laws on bringing fur acrosss state, but if they
    are tagged I see no reason why not. I know there is no law that
    prevents shipping your fur via mail to buyers or auctions anywhere
    in U.S or Canada. In Maine are you required to tag all pelts other
    than muskrat? As far as selling your lot of fur in an auction you
    need to be a member of a trapping organization to participate in
    the auction and pay the require commision on your lot if you decide 
    to sell.  
    
    I'll post the future dates for all upcomming MA auctions, I think
    a January auction is scheduled or in the works, but haven't recieved
    any verification of this.
    
    Tom

     I know that this is a little off-subject, but it sort of relates
    to the tags on furs referred to in the last note. In the NH hunting
    and trapping laws extracts, they refer to "sealing" certain types
    of animals such as bobcats, fox etc. What does this mean? Is it
    just getting a conservation officer to tag your game or what?
    
    The Doctah