FIRST TRAPPING SEASON EVER

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
1st n foremost , the whole reason I started trapping was Bc I read Jammers Trapping Adventures w Prune. I would’ve never pursued it if that NCHF mini series didn’t catch my interest. Since then I’ve had a lot of folks help me out on here and another forum to get started. A special shout out goes to 41Magnum for taking extra time to mentor me and help me get some of my gear straightened out and baits/lures/etc. damn fair prices also. So far I’m sitting at 3 critters. All beaver. Went 10 days tryin to make decent sets, pick good locations, read sign etc with zero catches. Then caught these 3 beavers in 2 nights. Jimmy Pierce has given me the coyote bug so now I’m setting for them, along with beaver and otter. I will keep you guys posted. Once deer seasons over, I’ll be able to devote more time to trapping. In the meantime here’s the beavers. Also as corny as it sounds, my girlfriend unexpectedly really enjoyed trapping and it’s been great to bond outdoors. It’s helped our relationship tremendously.A61086C5-9590-4FBE-8036-7D250EB5826B.jpeg2027F0EA-3754-48D4-B03C-43311FD177E0.jpeg55C21CF2-9856-43E3-B5AA-7F260D959831.jpeg
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Went and checked traps this morning. No new tracks or sign. Pulled my traps to reset and rearrange sets. Got to my last set which I set in the water below a crossover where I’d seen otter tracks 3 weeks ago. No otter....BUT I did get my first muskrat! Great fur on these critters. Used @41magnum ‘s Castorium.6D739F60-09C3-4E9A-A2E8-6D0B8AE09A16.jpeg5269D2BF-584F-4C06-B79A-FD8318DE356E.jpeg
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
Glad that Castorium worked for you Chris.
Remember to put it in a mouse hole set for yotes and fox and cats, too!
 

team muddy creek

Twelve Pointer
Welcome to a wonderful addiction. I started about 4 years ago. The coyotes can get under your skin. Give it time and it will happen.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 

buckman84

Eight Pointer
Welcome to a wonderful addiction. I started about 4 years ago. The coyotes can get under your skin. Give it time and it will happen.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Absolutely, started off water trapping, past couple of years more into land trapping for k9's and other predators. Something about playing in the dirt, it's like being a kid again!
 

Jammer

Six Pointer
You're hooked now! The anticipation of what's in the next trap is as addictive as a needle in the vein. The only cure is set more. There is a 12 step program, it involved taking 12 steps to set a second trap in a sweet spot.
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
You're hooked now! The anticipation of what's in the next trap is as addictive as a needle in the vein. The only cure is set more. There is a 12 step program, it involved taking 12 steps to set a second trap in a sweet spot.
Haha Yep I’m powerless
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Had an unexpected day off work. Woke up unmotivated which is rare for me. I think I’ve been mentally worn out from hiking and hunting so hard and not harvesting a deer yet. That compounded with a few other things and I was ready to lay at the house like a turd all day. So instead I put my waders on and went out in the cold to do some scouting. The fresh air helped. I found a ton of sign.... rat scat, beaver sticks, cat and yote tracks , and otter tracks . Unfortunately I didn’t have any of my land traps with me so I set for the other critters. Being out in the cold and thinking about all the wildlife passing thru made me feel a lot better. Back to work tomorrow and anticipating the last day of gun season on Saturday. Notice the whopper of a tree that a beaver started on436D869C-6149-4261-99CA-CE66D7B47DC6.jpegDB052FAE-0DD2-4230-A09C-D2553AAB4690.jpeg9FDDE802-6EA3-4995-8CA2-C12C38726610.jpeg[CHAT=][/CHAT]
 

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YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Had one heck of a long day. Left the house at 5:30 am to go work on a job site in South Carolina. Got back in the door to the house at 7:15 this evening. Wore out, cold and hungry. Shoveled down some food and was headed to bed and I couldn’t do it. Put on my waders and geared up and went to the river and set some water traps and a few predator sets. I figured I’d rather come up empty tomorrow morning than not set anything and wake up wondering what I could’ve caught had I taken the time to set traps. I’ll update y’all tomorrow. Hopefully the critter highway kicks in overdrive with the impending weather and I get some more fur. Stay safe everyone
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Skunked today! Well, that’s not true. That would imply I at least caught a skunk. My predator traps were empty. No fresh sign anywhere in the area. Another spot I had some dirt holes and blind sets. Also empty. No tracks from any critters (this is a spot where I find fresh tracks 75% of the time I’m there). Hiking back out I found multiple coyote tracks about 500 yds from my traps. The winds n thermals are all but ever changing Bc of the elevation changes and the gulley that slopes down to the river. Very good chance they were upwind of my lure. I feel good about my set locations (I’ve learned from the best....NCTA guys -shoutout to 7oaks, Old Goat, Jethro n Harold...lure makers, pro fur trapper in South Dakota, long liner in Maine,etc. My water traps were empty but I had a fired 330 with no debris or current that could’ve tripped it. The mud in the slide above it was disturbed but I couldn’t make any distinctions. The really cool thing was I brought my 9yr old husky lab mix and he went from the waters edge n followed his nose to every pile of scat, track, beaver stick, slide and urine spot he could get to. Walking back out I spooked a bald eagle who came back around to check out me and Zeus and circled twice. His wingspan was at least 5 feet. Seeing that eagle stopped my pity party about not having any catches. It reminded me that I live in a country where I can freely trap on public land and you can too. I can use whatever language I want when I’m frustrated about not catching anything(don’t worry I use discretion when folks are in ear shot), I can access all kinds of hunting, fishing and trapping spots FOR FREE . I can,within reason, expect to have wildlife as a renewable resource because of biology and conservation. We are so blessed that men and women pay the ultimate price , which allows me to do what I do, whether directly or indirectly. That eagle reminded me how fortunate I am to be an AMERICAN OUTDOORSMAN.78F3C375-FF7C-4475-ACAD-3A05C58C9AF9.jpeg364535AD-042B-4314-B546-ABE53281B776.jpeg
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Finally an update for everyone. Between the flu, holidays, and work (plus trapping) I’ve done a poor job keeping up on here. Been catching beavers pretty consistently. Started setting for cats with turkey feather flagging on the river banks (lots of tracks). Made my first mistake when I squirted urine too close to my set and it got dig up. The next time I had my trap bedded poorly and the critter stepped on the jaw and it rocked and got spooked. Lesson learned. This morning I woke up n checked sets. I could see bright red fur from 250 yds at a set I made over a beaver carcass. Got my first red fox!!! Also used @41magnum new Prowler lure. Ironic that this was my first predator catch since I can’t keep fox in this county. Hence why I’m working with NCTA to get that changed. Here’s a pic. Front foot catch in a Bridger #3 offset with wolf fang anchor 162DB0F5-625E-47E2-A4F2-629AF52568C4.jpeg
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Woke up at 4. Wanted to give the critters a little more time before daylight to find my traps. Just got back in. They were empty. But at least they weren’t fired AND empty. Weather permitting, I’ll be able to keep these sets out all week. I did have some otter tracks a view inches from one of my flat sets. One of my favorite ball busting things about trapping: set for critter “A” and see a buncha sign from critter “B” when you check traps. Set for critter “B”, and critter “A” shows up. For me, “A” will be a water trap and “B” a land one. Finally grew a brain and asked myself why not set for both! That’s what I do now depending on the area I’m trapping .
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Trap check at 5am before work this morning. All empty, none fired. Not any fresh tracks, scat, etc. moved some things around for better locations, travel ways. Decided to fire off the one over the carcass this morning Bc in the spot I have it now I feel like it would be too easy to see by birds of prey. Already read about yalls experiences w that. Added a scent post set and a dirt hole. Cold weather comingnthru the mountains in the next day or so
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Chilly trap check this morning. Very little activity at the sets that I could see, except for a lone fox track down at the river bank
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Welcome back to the Yancey County amateur hour. The other morning I did my daily land trap checks at 5am before work. While I left I kept thinking about the bald eagle I see down there in the evenings. Then I thought about the trap I had set by the beaver carcass. I read the whole thread on here about big birds of prey getting in traps. No thanks. I mulled over this for like 15 min and finally turned around, went back to the set and fired off the trap. Didn’t wanna risk waking up to an Eagle. “As soon as I get home from work, I’ll come back out here and remake it”, I said. “Man I’m really on top of my game with all this critical thinking”, I said. ? y’all know where this is going. Never thought about that trap for the next 24 hours. Upon waking up the following morning, my first thought was “awwwww s#!t”. Rushed out there and sure enough it was the only set that had activity, and the only one without a set trap. There was enough coyote tracks, scat, beaver guts and scent out there to really rub it in that I forgot. Self defeating, I tell ya. At least the critters are there. It took me bout 10 days to trap my first beaver ...I can be patient . 3 weeks ago If you asked me about land trapping , it wouldn’t been an afterthought. I love beaver trapping and being in the water , sometimes in the dark and cold. But this predator trapping is th bees knees, fellas.
 
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