Spring trapping on the water.

[The Spruce]

Well, it is certainly that time of the year! Thought I would start a thread for all the beaver and Muskrat trappers. Post some pics and tell some stories. I set my first couple feeder houses last night, and have plans to really get after it this year. Here is a nice Otter from the other day to start the ball rolling.


Spruce

[The Spruce]

Oh, and if you make fun of someone's sets or furhandling I will send a thousand shrews your way to wreck everything you catch! Lets be respectful please, there is a reason a lot of people don't post pictures or tell stories any more. If you see something that looks wrong, PM the person.

Spruce

[braggadoe]

lower rat prices must have put a damper on peoples enthusiasm.


traded pcp for some 1.5 cs. they sure are tuffer to set when the hands are frozen, waist deep in the slough. compared to the 1.5 ls. great trap thou.





probably took 60+ rats this season in this culvert between 2 sloughs. great spot.



built some colony traps last week,just to try the 2 piece doors. who ever thought of the idea. was a thinker! works much better than the standard door.

[MB1]

Great pictures Braggadoe. Can you expand a little on the two piece doors? Zooming in on your colony trap it looks like the door does not hinge at the top but a couple inches down is that it? What are the benefits?
Thanks

[braggadoe]

yeah, the door hinges are down. allowing the rats to jam up(bite the wire) at the top, and the door still functions. which was my big complaint with standard door.

in that pic there are 4 rats wedged at the top. and door is still 100% operational. beautiful!!

[PCP_ECOM]

Originally Posted by braggadoe

lower rat prices must have put a damper on peoples enthusiasm.


traded pcp for some 1.5 cs. they sure are tuffer to set when the hands are frozen, waist deep in the slough. compared to the 1.5 ls. great trap thou.





probably took 60+ rats this season in this culvert between 2 sloughs. great spot.



built some colony traps last week,just to try the 2 piece doors. who ever thought of the idea. was a thinker! works much better than the standard door.

Yes they are a little tougher to set,but they take em down fast and are sure easier on the wallet as well, how about clip system working good for ya,dog and I set 13 floats yesterday,going there tomorrow to set more and do check,1 1/2 longsprings are way over priced IMO,don't you use gauntlet's Paul?i'll post pic's tomorrow,happy trapping guys,cheers Peter

[braggadoe]

the clips are sweet!. slowly changing all the chain over to cable(reused snares) on the rat traps. and will be picking some clips up. i read somewhere, guys are weakening the springs on the 1.5cs. going to look into that. they are a great trap and a bargain foresure.

leaky gauntlets, need a new pair. they don't last me very long. can't stand leaky waders/gaunlets. wish simms made gauntlets.

looking forward to your pics/report.

[PCP_ECOM]

Originally Posted by braggadoe

the clips are sweet!. slowly changing all the chain over to cable(reused snares) on the rat traps. and will be picking some clips up. i read somewhere, guys are weakening the springs on the 1.5cs. going to look into that. they are a great trap and a bargain foresure.

leaky gauntlets, need a new pair. they don't last me very long. can't stand leaky waders/gaunlets. wish simms made gauntlets.

looking forward to your pics/report.

you can get springs for the #1 coils I believe and change over,was thinking same thing myself,yes had to get new pair this year as well,used wire from spent snares as well Paul.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by braggadoe

built some colony traps last week,just to try the 2 piece doors. who ever thought of the idea. was a thinker! works much better than the standard door.

An 8" x 8" trap is pretty big and there ought to be plenty of room in there. Have you tried the same mod on 6" x 6" or 5" x 5" traps?

[braggadoe]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

An 8" x 8" trap is pretty big and there ought to be plenty of room in there. Have you tried the same mod on 6" x 6" or 5" x 5" traps?

i quickly built a dz 8/8 and a dz 6/6,14 ga. the doors where an improvement on both sizes. took a pic of the one of 8/8 because of the 4 rats pinned at the top on the one side and a 5th on the other side.

if the 5/5's i have, with the standard doors, wheren't collapsable. i'ld be trading them away.

as far as which to use, colony/sub. i just put the biggest possible trap that fits in the run. right in front of the entrance. and is still under water

[PCP_ECOM]

Well there isn't any ice where I am,little slush now from all this white stuff YUCKKKKK,13 floats 15 nice rats,dog had a blast,and had my other girl as personal photographer,lots of geese and ducks around,awesome check for sure,cheers Peter

[Alberta_yote]

Originally Posted by The Spruce

Well, it is certainly that time of the year! Thought I would start a thread for all the beaver and Muskrat trappers. Post some pics and tell some stories. I set my first couple feeder houses last night, and have plans to really get after it this year. Here is a nice Otter from the other day to start the ball rolling.


Spruce

If I knew how to posts pics I would ask you guys if I am setting my subs up right or not. I only got 9 so far in a week 7 in one sub 2 in another

[HunterDave]

Patiently waiting for the ice to melt.

It'll be a couple of weeks before I get going.

[coy coyote]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Patiently waiting for the ice to melt.

It'll be a couple of weeks before I get going.

Same here. Just spent a week with a trapper in southern alberta and they were all out on the ice. I've noticed painting the cones black on the round sub colony traps makes a big difference too.