Just started today.

[mudmarlin70]

Maybe it was finding that yote the other day....I dunno. Decided to start.

Decided to start on coons some now. Set some cages on one place and drove to my one bow spot where I was seeing all those reds and set 7 snares there. That's it for now:D

After setting the cages, I walked one fence on that place I hadnt finished walking and what an Under I found. fought the urge to set a snare on one of the three new unders I found. Still wanna wait on the canines other than the spot down south. And found foxes are eating some of the coon prebait I've been putting out....A nice problem to have I guess!

What a crawl under! Dug up dirt and fox scat!

[ub1243]

that looks like a winner. wish i had your red population.

i put up two coon last night, turned blue on me. still early. the adults may be good, these were litter mates i think. one male, one female. only pulled down to 26"+28". i wasn't letting the first of the year go.
wish we would get some colder weather. a little warm to hang them for a day, got to jump right on them.

[mudmarlin70]

that looks like a winner. wish i had your red population.


Our numbers right now are amazing Joe. How many I'll catch trapping, I have no clue. Too green to have any real clue. But lord knows I've been putting in my walkin miles finding location like that pic. After checkin cages in a bit, I'll be walking a whole other section of that same piece...another fenced in agriculture field and a wooded hillside. I really havent walked the whole stream there yet either, but I'm seeing small holes in the banks that I think are too small for rats.....maybe mink???? I dont know.

I've got a few locations like that one in the pic that are "home runs". Just waiting till I get some practice puttin up and till I think they're atleast close to prime.
I'm really looking forward to the calling this year though. I've got alot lined up....alot more than ever before and plan on predator hunting alot more this year. Reds south and east and some places for the big boys north and east.

[mudmarlin70]

After finding feral cats in two of my cages ad no coons, I was gettn a bit worried. My coons seem to have moved on now that the sweet corn is done in that one spot and they're not relocated on the water there yet...

So I drove to my bow spot where there were those handful of fox snares. Got a double about ten yards apart on trails. two of five snares on that one hedge hit. Perfect neck shots....on to the shed.

[pebjr]

After finding feral cats in two of my cages ad no coons, I was gettn a bit worried. My coons seem to have moved on now that the sweet corn is done in that one spot and they're not relocated on the water there yet...

So I drove to my bow spot where there were those handful of fox snares. Got a double about ten yards apart on trails. two of five snares on that one hedge hit. Perfect neck shots....on to the shed.

http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af265/mudmarlin70/1121fox.jpg
I used to trap years ago when I lived out west. Question for you..how much do you get for your coons & foxes & coyotes? Just curious thanx

[redneck]

Nice double

[stiks]

awesome on the double

[polaris]

MudMarlin70,

I'm a new trapper in the northern NJ area. Wanted to know if you knew of a group or organization that could show me the basics of trapping in NJ. Took the education course but it didn't really talk about looking at the maps to see where you can/can't; or even sign/tracks.

Seems like a sport where you need some one with experience to show you how to get around.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[redneck]

Lol you should of saw how it was back in the 70 and 80's you got nothing from anyone, we all learned the hard way getting out and doing it unless you was lucky enough to have a father grandfather or close friend to show you the ropes. I had a real good friend of the family that was a good fox trappers and I got very little out of him he told me I needed to learn like the rest then it was not cheap to me. he was right in alot of ways. Now you can get alot of info over the Internet, books, videos, and ole timers give alot more. you had to earn the ranks back then. course that was when there was 6000 trappers in the state. now there are 900 and for years there was only 4 to 500 of us. we had to start letting things out LOL you still won't get all out of us LOL

New Jersey Trappers and Fur Harvesters are the 2 NJ groups join them. the trapper and Predator caller mag and trappers world are good info

I took lessons from a couple well known trappers back in the early 80's and Len Odell was a great influence friend and mentor to me till he died. he told me it was only because he loved my kids and wife that he talked to me LOL his last year of trapping he snared 87 fox and almost 200 coon at the age of 87.

Find a ole timer. listen to him. and learn not only from his speech but watch and learn from his moves for there will be more to learn by watching the little moves than his talk.

Trapping has given alot to me over my past 40 years doing it. it has shown me how to look and see. how to intrepid and how to see the hair on a twig. it paid many a bill and put many shoes on my kids feet. and got me thru christmas when I didn't see how.

To the real trapper it is a life not and sport. that is why we are slow to speak LOL

ask questions you will either get answers or a look either way you will be learning LOL

For some great stories there are some real ole timers on here Right Bill!!!!

[mudmarlin70]

Polaris,

LOL, I'm new to trapping. Redneck hit it on the head. Those are the two organizations here that I know of. But Idont think organizations will help you with location.

Like I said, I'm new to trapping. Guys on here have more knowledge of trappin under their pinkie than I've got. If I had one thing goin for me, it's that I've predator hunted for about ten years already. And to get good at that, you have to understand the animal, not just hunting. At a glance I could look at a place that looked like great woods and know it would suck for calling. I think it's the same for the guys trapping. Location location location. I pobably didnt realize how much that predator hnting would help until I started scouting virgin ground for trapping. Then I realized.

Ub was a big help to me, first by posting pictures last year which gave me the nudge to get started and then by havin me down there last February for a morning. I was more interested in seeing the gear than the locations. I knew I'd have to figure that out myself. And I felt now (November) wasnt the time. I did alot of walking and lining up two or three separate routes for this season and I got familiar with the gear by snaring ground hogs this spring. Snaring them damn hogs opened some doors for me in the right circles. I'm actually getting phone calls now from owners and land managers looking for help.

Water trappin will be a venture for me.....we dont have the rats like they've got and to be frank...I just dont know that much about water critters. My goal is one snared coyote and one mink....and to learn. I'll catch reds....theyre what I know...and most importantly we've got them. Coons...I have no idea what to expect there.

Put in you time gettin properties lined up and learn the animals. You gotta have "people skills" and a good reputation for the property part. I've just got a couple months head start maybe on some of the other newer guys bcause I started in the spring. Use the internet and books for the animal parts. The predator caller magazine is good and I like 'predator masters' website. But there is no substitute for being out in the fields with your eyes to the ground. Wherever you are up north here, you've probably got a good population of canine, whether you realize it or not. start there. If you got questions, ask or post pictures with questions....the worst that could happen is silence! LOL Redneck and Ub have already been a big help to me, probly more than they know.

and welcome to the barn.

[mudmarlin70]

I used to trap years ago when I lived out west. Question for you..how much do you get for your coons & foxes & coyotes? Just curious thanx

This will be my first year putting up fur, so I have no real expectations, but what I've heard aint good!

[ub1243]

welcome polaris, told you you'd get better help from here then where i saw you first. put some time in here. everyone is pretty open on here. except redneck, he'll leave you asking more questions after, then what you had coming in. one of those old school types.;)

[Rowdy]

agreed ub1243
i learned more from redneck and others not answering my questions then i have from many questions that were answered..

for a new guy, my only advice is if it snows get out there, youll learn soo much from the snow that you miss any other day..

[polaris]

Find a ole timer. listen to him. and learn not only from his speech but watch and learn from his moves for there will be more to learn by watching the little moves than his talk.


That's what I'm trying to do - not much luck yet. Everyone's point is well taken - I'll get out there on my own. Although I will say it is ironic that at the trapper ed course they were saying they need to get more people into the sport, yet it doesn't seem like that's what trappers really want.

Anyway, I do have a question about where you can legally trap. Other than private land, what is legal? One guy said he looks at county maps....but then what? Can you trap on any non-posted county land?

[mudmarlin70]

No one is sayin you're on your own. Lots of guys who will answer questions for you here.

As for what's legal land...most county land up here will be closed to hunting/ trapping as county park property. State WMAs that are stocked with birds are closed till January 1. Other state land that is open to trapping that doesnt get stocked with birds opened November 15.

Did you line up any property? What county are you looking to trap?

[polaris]

Lookin around union county. Not a whole lot of wilderness around here. Plenty of coons, but just don't know if I can put a snare in a spot just because it looks good.

Didn't scout out any properties - didn't know that was one way to do it. Sounds like a good idea. I'll have to ask around, got some friends near andover, maybe they know some farmers or someone like that around there.

[mudmarlin70]

set cages for them dumpster divers! Talk to the restaurant managers. They dont like the coons tearin up their dumpsters. Theres some of the bigggest raccoons I see!

[polaris]

Great idea about finding properties, looks like a friend of a friend has a property he can let me use.

[ub1243]

most culvert pipes can be trapped along the road. the county owns the pipes and a few feet on each side. watch setting traps with cars around.
a new jersey trapper on the coast has a van with "east coast bridge inspector" magnet on the side. he wears a orange vest and hard hat. uses a feed bag to hide the catch.
he's so in your face, you don't see him.
there are tons of "open" land to trap. you just have to learn how to see them.

[mudmarlin70]

most culvert pipes can be trapped along the road. the county owns the pipes and a few feet on each side.

LOL...The only critters livin in the culverts in Lots of Union County wouldnt fit on your boards UB...they'd be the sorts I normally deal with at my night job!:eek::eek::please:

[polaris]

That van idea is hilarious. Clever, I must say. I just got some stretchers and a nekcer 600. Ready to go.

Here's another basic question - what is the best way to dispatch the animal other than a .22? (eventually I'll use that, but not in the cash position to buy one at the moment)

Is it just a hit over the head with a bat or is there more to it?

[Rowdy]

i made a catch pole for like 8$ that along with chest compression works well.
i have a 22 but no rifle permit at the moment.

http://www.jerseyquackers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4873

[ub1243]

if your caging coon, find some water.
snares, blunt force trauma, or catch pole.

keep it clean about dispatch, feral cats, or any other incidental catch. we all know it happens. how you deal with it, should be kept to you.

[Jersey]

Polaris - I'm up in Bergen County but if you can wait till after Xmas I'll walk your area with you & get you started. Don't worry about me settin up in your woods, too far to check everyday and i have enough property near me.

[stiks]

A lot of places for cages I have a few where I put on the fl. yellow vest and hard hat. with those on nobody gives you a second look or questions you... well almost no one can't avoid the LEO's all the time.:cool:

[redneck]

LOL I leave the state and you bust on me LOL I am a whole bunch better that the real ole times at least I give a one word answer instead of just looking at Ya LOL

Polaris cages are going to be the easiest for ya you can take them to a spot and shoot them if you have a rifle permit. Hint if you look at pics of bait piles what do you see there other than deer? Now think trapping and places that you can hide a few cages. What is a dumpster?

See ub I can help LOL

[mudmarlin70]

What is a dumpster?


Urban Baitpile :D

[polaris]

Jersey:

That'd be great. After xmas works for me. Got me a catch pole, went cheap and "paid" for it. Thing weighs a ton, think it's made out of lead. But seems to be pretty darn sturdy.

This snow fall should be good. I'll take the advice and look for prints.