Serious Fur Trapping

[Bert2368]

Tons of videos on YouTube-

http://www.google.com/search?q=coyo...=en&q=raccoon+trapping+skinning+video+youtube

Here's something my state's trapper association put out for education-

http://www.mntrappers.org/_fileCabinet//trapper_manual.pdf

 

[Farmer Brian]

Good job on the furs Platte, very well put up. I didn't trap so much this season, but still had some fur to put up.
Last year's take:
2 Coyote
4 Red fox
3 Fisher
2 Opossum
17 Coon
40 Skunks
6 Beaver
$1705 at NAFA

 

[chickenboy190]

Good job on the furs Platte, very well put up. I didn't trap so much this season, but still had some fur to put up.
Last year's take:
2 Coyote
4 Red fox
3 Fisher
2 Opossum
17 Coon
40 Skunks
6 Beaver
$1705 at NAFA

Awesome!

 

[PlatteRiverPs]

Nice haul! I just had some coyotes sell at NAFA for $96 a pop! Averaged $73 on my yotes, 7 fox at $55 average and 41 rats at $12 average. My coon go up in a couple days. I'm excited!

 

[Farmer Brian]

Those are real good prices. I won't send mine up until late March/April for the May sale. That's the only time our shipper is around. Which is fine, I prefer to send it all at once at end of season. Our beaver season runs until 3/31. So far this year, without really doing any fur trapping, I have 6 beaver, 6 coon, 1 gray fox, 2 fisher, 2 opossums, and a few skunks. All are either roadkills or nuisance animals I caught.
Last year I had 64 skunks before end of March, I put up 40. This year I have 10 so far, setting more traps today.
Right now there is thick ice and 18" of snow. I'm hoping for a thaw so I can get a few more beaver and rats.

 

[PlatteRiverPs]

Good luck out there. I'm waiting for the thaw also. I have some beavers I have to nab.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Glad this post popped up, thanks for the info guys. I've always been "into" trapping. I say it that way cause I've never had anyone to really show me the ropes so I just trap the things that bother me around the house and if I don't eat them, the chickens do. I'd like to find out what I should do with hides to get them ready to sell. Any chance any of you could point me in the right direction for some how to videos or something? If I get the jist of it I can get practicing.

You live in a prime fur area where cold winters cause the fur bearers to grow prime coats. Look for or Google a magazine named Fur Fish & Game. The articles in it will get you started in the right direction. Also don't forget that many zoos etc. will buy the carcasses from you, and some Native American craft industries are or were keen on buying some types of teeth.

 

[Farmer Brian]

Rottn, there are plenty of videos on youtube, for whatever you choose to trap. You can also go to Trapperman.com , those guys can answer any question you have. You will learn a ton without even posting, on trapping, putting up fur, what kinds of traps to use per animal, dry land trapping, water trapping, how to skin, etc. etc.

 

[rottnwarrior]

Thanks guys that's great. I never would've thought to check with zoos and craft places! Heading to trapper man.com now.

 

[Ole and Lena]

Dang, you guys are making me want to get back out there. My real job and 2 years of summer/fall drought have kind of taken the fight out of me. Muskrat were my bread and butter and all the small water has dried up the last 2 years. High prices brought all the fools out of the woodwork on the bigger water with public accesses and I lost most of my dryground land to housing developments and ownership change (people who think trapping is evil) so I hung up my steel for awhile.

For someone just starting trapping, I'd recommend targeting muskrats first. They're easy to trap, easy to drown, easy to skin and stretch, and quite profitable lately. If you're setting where coon are a possibility, upsize your traps a bit and stake securely or use a brushy log for a drag. I'm REALLY partial to the sleepy creek 1 1/2 longspring for water/streamside sets. They're a very well built trap. Heavy for drowning rats, strong enough to hold a big boar coon and almost indestructible. More expensive than other options but worth every penny. A close second would be the Duke #11 "double" longspring. Same qualities as above but will require some fine tuning. If coon are unlikely, sleepy creek #1 longspring,or Bridger #1 coilspring with a 3 ounce sinker wired to the chain 4 links above the swivel will work very well. You'll also want some #110 body grips for setting in underwater runs.

For land sets on Coon or Fox, I like the bridger # 1 1/2 coil. I also had some mixed luck with #160 bodygrips on coon when I trapped a property that had free-range dogs. I set them in boxes with the traps set too deeply for a dog to get into it. My favorite coon bait was chicken guts I got from a local butcher laced with a drop of anise or clove oil. If there are coyotes about, I will run a #2 Bridger double jaw. Good stout trap that will hold yote's. Trapping canines or cats is a whole different ballgame so you'd do best to gain some water experience first. The MN trappers book listed above is a very good reference. Check out Minnesota trapline products for more helpful literature, complete supplies and more literature. If nothing else, now you've got something to shop for at flea markets, auctions and farm sales.