# Well what am I doing wrong?



## zachW (Feb 17, 2012)

So far this is all im getting

I (youngdon)removed these pictures as they were found to be offensive.

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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

Same post as in the "crash course" post..............

I'm going to post a link to what I think is as good of a trapper's education manual I've seen. It's out of the State of Michigan's wildlife department and has input from many organizations. Guys, this is a PDF file and can be saved to your hard drive. Read and review this manual and take these practices to the field. You will find that after a few catches you will start to develop your own set variations. This manual will seem a bit more than you want to know, but everything in this manual will make you a better trapper

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/MI_Trapper_Education_Manual_82307_206561_7.pdf


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## beavertrapper (Dec 31, 2012)

220swift said:


> Same post as in the "crash course" post..............
> 
> I'm going to post a link to what I think is as good of a trapper's education manual I've seen. It's out of the State of Michigan's wildlife department and has input from many organizations. Guys, this is a PDF file and can be saved to your hard drive. Read and review this manual and take these practices to the field. You will find that after a few catches you will start to develop your own set variations. This manual will seem a bit more than you want to know, but everything in this manual will make you a better trapper
> 
> http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/MI_Trapper_Education_Manual_82307_206561_7.pdf


i have this and I can tell you it is loaded with info....my boys read thru it a couple time a season just to refresh and catch something they missed.....

trapping isnt something you can just go out and be great at,you have to work at it and learn from every set you make....youtube has hundeds of videos for free you can watch and there are a lot of old post and forums on here loaded with info......every detail of you set has to be looked at in order to really determine problem areas.

and by the way your not doing anything wrong....your trapping and learning,theres nothing wrong with that. good luck and keep trying you will get it.. :thumbsup:


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

cant help ya causei dont know the first thing about trapping

but i do a have a question or two for ya

what kind of bird is that with the reddish fleathers?

and what the hell is that in the second to last pic?


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

The second to last picture looks to be a domestics cat pads and claws from a pull out......


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## zachW (Feb 17, 2012)

Well I can add another possum and a mouse lol and a domestic cat? That had me stumped. And thats a red bird I guess lol its Fed and a bird

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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

The manual 220 posted is a good place for you to start. If ya want the other members here at PT to try to help ya out some--- you need to ask direct questions. Give us some pictures of your sets--- what baits or lures your use'in--- what critters your targeting.

I can tell ya right now from your pictures that you need to dye and wax your traps or you wont be catch'in any fox or coyotes. They look filthy to a trappers eye. That's most probably why you caught the grinner and cat--- they were look'in for the trap cause they smelled it. An animal is not suppose to know your steel is there.

awprint:


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## beavertrapper (Dec 31, 2012)

+1 catcapper.....


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

++1 on catcappers post, there's a very good section in the manual on trap preparation..........


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## zachW (Feb 17, 2012)

Good deal ive been reading it a little im trying to print it I thought u were supposed to wax after it rust a little I have no clue. I spray urine after I set them to cover the smell. Im baiting with sardines mixed with peanut butter.

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## zachW (Feb 17, 2012)

Caught one hell of a skunk thank goodness years of trashy pig dogs has made me immune to the smell

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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

Die after rust. Wax after die. Keep at it. Trapping has a learning curve. You're not gonna be an expert you're 1st season, but you'll learn from your mistakes and you'll catch fur. I'm fairly new to trapping on my own ( I went with my dad when I was young, wish I could remember all the stuff I wasn't paying attention to when I was going with him.) the biggest tip I can give any beginner is to listen to any veteran trapper and soak their advice in an put it to use. It'll catch you more fur and save a lot of rookie mistakes.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Ruger said:


> Die after rust. Wax after die. Keep at it. Trapping has a learning curve. You're not gonna be an expert you're 1st season, but you'll learn from your mistakes and you'll catch fur. I'm fairly new to trapping on my own ( I went with my dad when I was young, wish I could remember all the stuff I wasn't paying attention to when I was going with him.) the biggest tip I can give any beginner is to listen to any veteran trapper and soak their advice in an put it to use. It'll catch you more fur and save a lot of rookie mistakes.


 So very true, when I started in the 70's I grabbed a friend of the family who was a dedicated trapper, I don't think he weighed a 100 lbs and was in his seventy's then, I was in petty good shape or so I thought, well that old trapper left me in the dust when it came to snowshoes, look around for one of the oldtimers ( not many left ) and see if he would like some company if he is still trapping or if not I'm sure he will still have a pile of gear laying around and would be more than happy to show you a few things.


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## zachW (Feb 17, 2012)

Its hard to find many trappers in texas well atleast where im at they all quit in the 70's when furr fell to nothing and most of them like my dad just spot lighted for all their furr but I met the furr buyer first one to run my area since the mid 90's he had alot of advice and turns out k ew my grandpa way back when. Not to sab but I lost my grandpa to cancer back in june and it was nice to meet someone that not only knee him seemed to have alot of respect for him.

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## NattyB (Jan 5, 2012)

ZachW,

Fur-buyers are great (long as they're honest). Most I've met will talk your ear off if they're not too busy.

One Point: There is no such thing as "cover scent" to animals that have the slightest clue. No amount of urine or lure will cover grease or human odor. Fox and Coyotes can distinguish each scent. Frankly, I think the red fox in my area are dumb as a box of rocks because they are conditioned to being around homes (suburbia). They have to tolerate human scent every single day in order to still live here. I believe they tolerate some of my mistakes or lingering scent in the area. Even with that, I try to make those sets like a surgeon and treat my scent like it's germs.

*Really focus on Trap/Gear Prep and clean line habits.* Finding animal sign and making sets is actually the easier part of trapping fox.

I've spent a lot of time in tree-stands and trapping thinking about "Scent Theory" and the best I can say is "It's a matter of degrees" and animals recognize 3 types of odors:

1) Negative...They spook.

2) Neutral...They don't care.

3) Positive...It attracts them.

Humans can lessen their odor (Better to smell like a pine bough than an Italian Hoagie), but deer or fox or whatever down wind will still pick up your scent. The whole purpose of tree-stand is to lift your scent above their nose and keep your movements above their eye. Applied to trapping: a degreased trap will rust well, the rusty trap will take, say a walnut dye. Walnut is not offensive to the dog-critters. So you eliminated a negative scent (grease) and replaced it with a neutral scent (walnuts). Then you put some bait/lure (positive/attractant scent) in a nearby hole. We hope the positive/attractant scent over-rides any attention to the neutral traps odors and the critter puts his foot, Opps! ...Just in the right place.

Don't want to argue, but I personally don't believe many animals are spooked by rust odor. However, they may find it curious. Digger fox, say what you want, still ain't that smart because they're fooling around with a set #2 coil. I've had 2 digger fox and I caught them both, one by moving the trap to the back of the set. The other one I wrapped rusty #16 wire around a rock and buried it where the trap was, then I put the trap where he stood and dug.

Anyway, probably wrote too much, but I hope it helps. By all means stay at it. Learning trapping will probably teach better woodsmanship than any other outdoor pursuit. Wish you the best.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Very good write - up NattyB, back to basics.


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

:that:

That's a good simple explaination for trap prep NattyB. Your 3 points covering odors on steel will surely help out folks just get'in into trap'in. :thumbsup:

awprint:


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

good stuff NattyB


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## zachW (Feb 17, 2012)

Sweet I have never thought avout it like that

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