Our 2009 Trapping Journal

[backwoodsman]

Didnt know where to post this or even if anyone cared to read it but its a few days on our line in 2009. Isnt a wilderness story by any means so it didnt fit there. Guess its a pretty normal settled area trapline story? First two days of our 2009 season, my 34th. Thursday Nov.5th our season opened. Our opening days start at sunrise and closing days end at sunset. 6:36am was the magic time for us. Our 13 yr old nephew and I were sitting at the beginning of the line waiting for the magic time. After his breakfast of choc.donut holes and choc.milk and my customary hunting/trapping season breakfast of nicotine and diet dew we loaded up and headed for the lake at 6:36:01 am. I scouted this lake out last week and figured 14 110's would cover the portion we could trap. We took 17 110's and 6, 2 trap floats. The lake is about 20 acres but we can only trap the dam/levee. We set 16 110's on runs and put out all the floats 6'-10' from the bank. We had the single 110 and there was was 2 clumps of grass forming a V so we blocked the opening in and placed the 110 there. Ive got a new 'rat lure to try so we put a twig full in the back. Loaded up and headed to town as our 3 yr old had to be at school at 8. As we got to school a buddy called about a deer he shot at dark last night on one of our leases. He wasnt sure about the hit so he waited till morning and had shot a good buck at sunup. We headed out to that farm and found both, buttonbuck from Wed.evening and a 5pt busted up. He shoulda been an 8 or 9. Buddy headed back to town and we started setting the farm. Wasnt going to till afternoon but since we were there? I didnt want to do alot of canine trapping but the nephew is hooked. Set 6 firewood sets with fox urine all on the same foodplot. Made 3 barricade sets in the creek. I prefer single spring 220's but theres beaver that travel thru so double springs were used(still an iffy beafer trap). Moved upstream and put up a block to catch trash etc. Up stream of that theres a log crossing I chopped a trap bed on in '03. This is the only spot I set no. 2's except on rat floats. I leave the stake and 6' of heavy log chain year 'round there. Usualy just quick link the trap. Had a used no.2 coil I got off ebay and slicked up. Didnt realize the chain was a 9" instead of 12". Ended up using 3 loops of 14 ga wire to hook it up. Only legal critters Ive never caught in this set are beaver, 'rat and weasel. Every critter is dispatched in the water. The log is chest high on me. Had to run back to town to pick up the 3 yr old and fix lunch. After a lunch at the golden arch's,UGH. We dropped my 4 yr old off at school at noon and the nephew and 3 yr old headed out on the line with me. I had to be at work at 1600 so we had to rush. Set 2 ponds, first is a 4 acre bare pond in the middle of a pasture. 19 110's in runs and a tinfish w/ Carman's coon no.2. 2nd pond we set 10 110's and 6 1 1/2 Blake and Lambs stoploss in "stick" apple/lure sets. Ran out of time as I helped skin and butcher the 2 deer and pick up the 4 yr old at school at 3. Shower and change and off to work. Our stick sets are 1/3 apple etc on a stick with a clean 4" chunk of old sock etc behind it with 'rat lure. We push it all uptight to the bank and set the stoploss/foothold 1' under it tight to the bank. Stoploss's are rather limited as to positioning. Any questions on sets, lure etc just ask, I dont have/keep secrets. Nov. 6th We ran the line starting with the "deer farm". As we topped the hill we could see 2 of the firewood sets had action. Dispatched a nice red in the first and released a small female grey in the 6th. 1 of 3 barricade sets had a 'rat. Log set had a big possum dispatched. Spot no.2 Lake with 17 110's and 6 floats. 9 rats in the runs 4 from the floats. Spot no.3 19 110's and and a tinfish. 12 rats in the runs and 1 coon in the tinfish. Spot no.4 10 110's and 6 stoploss. 3 rats in 110's and 2 in stoploss's. Next 6 weekends are bow and gun deer camps so most of our trapping is weekdays. Im off most of it. We're trapping the north zone as the south doesnt open till next tues 10th. 1st run of the year produced 31 rats, 1 red, 1 coon and 1 possum(yeehaw).

[bigmac5]

Great journal bwm.

[Cam]

A good read backwoodsman.

[nightrider]

interesting like it.

[maxwell]

interesting good catch to.

[backwoodsman]

Thanks, Ive always liked reading and keeping trapping and hunting journals but didnt know if anyone else did too?

[Cam]

Our forum is different BWM we are trappers and can relate to others experiences,

[catmando1]

journals can be a huge help at times when a person needs to go back to the same grounds, several yrs later. Always interesting.

[backwoodsman]

Cat Ive used my journals before to find forgotten fur pockets etc. I wish I had all of my old ones but a fire got most of them. The ones for the last 11 years have helped some but alot of the ground I trapped 10 years ago is gone now. I did find parts of some from the early 80's and found one landowner I had forgotten about that let me back in so as far as Im concerned the chunk paid for itself. Even just reminiscing reading thru them is fun. Really old ones you can see a learning curve for certain. Few left from my grade school days always makes me chuckle. The odd and elaborate sets we used are laughable now but alot of the trapping writers pushed such sets.

[backwoodsman]

This is how I recorded our second run of the line and third day of our season. Nov.7th Got up before first light as the nephew had to be back to town by 730. Got one stop checked before coming back to town. 6 firewood sets, 3 barricades and THE log set. Driving down to the 6 wood sets seen 2 sets of eyes, had 2 possums in no.2 and no.5, put them in the truck. Seen 1st was missing and followed the trail from the wood over to the timber edge. Looked like a grenade went off, guess we had our first badger for the year. Had is the key word,ugh. Had to replace the 1.5 coil, he kinked the chain bad in one spot and I was leery of trusting it. Figured we may see some badger action as one had been seen in that area all summer and into bow deer season. Checked the 3 water barricade 220's and had a 25lb beaver wedged in the top one. Walked up to the log just as it was light enough to see without a flashlight and seen a coontail on the surface. Nice adult coon, not a bad start to the day. Got back on the line about 930 headed to the lake with 17 110's and 6 floats. Had a rat in the grass clump 110 and 7 in the runs 110's. 4 on the floats, first double of the year on one. Next stop the pond with 19 110's and a tin fish no.11. 6 rats in the 110's and lost our first trap of the year to thieves, tinfish no.11 looked to have had a coon in it, hound tracks all over, found 2 .22 casings(bad shot?). Glad it was a Duke, still had $7 in it not counting time and the $3(?) coon. Reset it with a modified 1 1/2 LS, got $3 in a bunch of them even swivels, extra chain and all. Called the owner and he said he heard hounds running back there last night but noone's supposed to be on him. Thieves and fence jumpers! Headed on to last stop, 10 110's and 6 stoploss's. 110's had 3 rats and the 6 stop's had 2 rats and one medium coon we were able to release. He was sitting in about 5" of water and none the worse for wear, took off like greased lightning. Not a bad day out, ran traps in Tshirts. Total for run no.2>1 beaver, 2 possums, 1 coon and 23 rats. 1 coon released, 1 coon stolen and a reluctant "release" of a badger. The guys are showing up to hunt this afternoon so it'll be Monday at least before I move/pull/ add to any of the line. ... Thievery was a problem last year but not as bad as years past. Low fur prices help with Johnny Sneakum but he's still out a little.

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[Cam]

Good run BWM.

[white316]

backwoodsman,,do you put up your fur,and sell to the auctions or sell local.

[fuzz269]

Still like readin your jurnal BWM, keep up the good work.

[backwoodsman]

Thanks. Only critters we finished up last year were 'rats, mink and fox. Ended up selling localy. Offer got high enough that it seemed a better deal then insurance, shipping, packing and possibly waiting a long time for a check, but about a week after we sold the bulk of our fur and all our rats the price spiked on rats $1.25-$1.50 or so. We still topped around $7 on them and had a good average for 293 around $4.50 as we were exterminating them in some areas and were taking them all so we had alot of kits.

[backwoodsman]

Nov. 8th My day started at 2am. Couldnt sleep so went out to the garage and finished up the critters, rats on stretchers, coon-possum and beaver skinned and in the freezer. Fixed bacon, sausage, eggs, toast and biscuits n gravy for the guys before they hit the timber. First stop was the lake with 17 110's and 6 floats. 1 rat in the V grass clump, 4 in the run 110's, 1 on the floats. 2nd stop 6 wood sets, 3 barricades and THE log. 2 possums in the wood, barricades were empty and had 1 large possum water logged under the log. 3rd stop 19 110's and 1 tinfish. Had 5 rats in the 110's and a monster possum in the tinfish, not common but it happens. 4th stop 10 110's and 6 stoploss's. 2 rats in the 110's 1 rat and 2 good coon in the stoploss's. Rat population has been thinned considerable I think. Our weather has been too hot, got down to 55 last night with a 20mph wind. Good days run 14 rats, 2 coons, 4 possum.