Guess I can throw away my "Worst Trapper in Tennessee" trophy now

[DeerCamp]

Couple years ago I trapped a couple coyotes over a deer carcass. Had no idea what I was doing, but this year decided to get serious about it.

Our turkey population is in serious trouble here, and our annual rabbit hunt only yielded one rabbit.

Started almost exactly one month ago, trapping 3 adjoining properties totaling about 150 acres of area:

8 Coyotes
3 Bobcats
1 Fox
9 Raccoons
7 Possums

 

[DeerCamp]

 

[rem270]

That's fantastic! Great job.

 

[jman 125]

Good job

 

[Wooden Arrow]

turkeys need all of the help we can give them. i know that coons/yotes are heavy predators on poults and nests. do possums really do much damage ? i can't bring myself to shoot a bobcat or foxes, seldon see them anyway since we were infested with coyotes...

 

[Andy S.]

That's great, congratulations! When you get "good job" from rem270 and jman125, you are doing something right. They are very successful with trapping. Trapping is the one thing I want to eventually learn to do, but have never made the jump. I just do not see how I can find the time to run them like I'd need to with my current schedule. Maybe one day. Thank you for sharing.

 

[rem270]

turkeys need all of the help we can give them. i know that coons/yotes are heavy predators on poults and nests. do possums really do much damage ? i can't bring myself to shoot a bobcat or foxes, seldon see them anyway since we were infested with coyotes...

Bobcats kill more turkeys than coyotes do so kill them all! Possums will raid a nest if they stumble upon it, but not near a predator as a raccoon is. Just from studies I have seen.

 

[jman 125]

That's great, congratulations! When you get "good job" from rem270 and jman125, you are doing something right. They are very successful with trapping. Trapping is the one thing I want to eventually learn to do, but have never made the jump. I just do not see how I can find the time to run them like I'd need to with my current schedule. Maybe one day. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for the compliment bud but i still have a lot to learn .

 

[mjwendorf]

Heck yea!!! Great job sir.

 

[Carlos Viagra]

That's awesome.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

That's awesome

 

[double browtine]

Awesome job!! You have definitely helped the Turkey and deer population in your area now!

 

[megalomaniac]

Thats great!!!

Dirt hole sets for the yoties?

 

[DeerCamp]

turkeys need all of the help we can give them. i know that coons/yotes are heavy predators on poults and nests. do possums really do much damage ? i can't bring myself to shoot a bobcat or foxes, seldon see them anyway since we were infested with coyotes...

I don't "see" a lot of bobcats either, so to catch 3 in a couple weeks tells me they are sneakier than I thought.

And to answer your questions, yes possums are nest raiders even if they don't do as much damage as raccoons. I think removing the coons and possums will do more for the turkeys than coyotes. Sure, a coyote might take down an occasional turkeys, but a single nest interactions kills 10-13.

 

[DeerCamp]

Thats great!!!

Dirt hole sets for the yoties?

I have tried 3 different sets. The dirt hole sets are great, about even with the step down sets for success.

My favorite though has been the straw sets. The coyotes seem to be a lot less careful walking on them.

I am primarily using the Duke #13, but recently bought 4 of the No BS K-9 Xtreme.

Surprisingly I have not had a miss yet. Did have my traps dug up twice but they didn't trigger.

 

[DeerCamp]

A few more!

Caught by one toe!

 

[Dean Parisian]

I am a MB 550 guy for life but they all will work.

Mark June, Tom Miranda, Ray Milligan, Tim Caven are names you might want to learn from.

Nice work Sir. Tight chains ahead!

 

[6.5swede]

Yeah I held that title for while myself. There's a great sense of accomplishment when you make one step on that pan.

 

[outdoors crazy]

Good job!

 

[Speedwell-Hunter]

Do you have a link on here? Have you already explained what the straw that is, if not, could you explain it? I'm having trouble getting my coyotes.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Good job. Not all that great at trapping here, I caught more coyotes when I first started than I do now.

 

[DeerCamp]

Do you have a link on here? Have you already explained what the straw that is, if not, could you explain it? I'm having trouble getting my coyotes.

This is going to be very much a student teaching the student scenario, but

This is the video that inspired it for me.



I put the bait hole straight down about 7 inches in front of the pan, and I also use scissors to chop up the straw pieces that go over the pan just to be safe.

 

[Speedwell-Hunter]

This is going to be very much a student teaching the student scenario, but

This is the video that inspired it for me.



I put the bait hole straight down about 7 inches in front of the pan, and I also use scissors to chop up the straw pieces that go over the pan just to be safe.

Fascinating thank you, just wondering if straw will look to out of place in the woods

 

[DeerCamp]

Fascinating thank you, just wondering if straw will look to out of place in the woods

I'm sure it will. That will either help you or hurt you. Hard to say.

I've also had good luck simply covering traps with leaves if you know you are on a path they use.

 

[DeerCamp]

Good job. Not all that great at trapping here, I caught more coyotes when I first started than I do now.

You might have taken a chunk out of them.

 

[backyardtndeer]

You might have taken a chunk out of them.

Maybe, dunno. For years and years I have killed 6+ a season during deer season plus trapping a few here and there after season when I first started trapping. Not sure anyone else around kills them like I do.

 

[DeerCamp]

#10

 

[GUNNERX2]

View attachment 316928
#10

He hate you.

 

[DeerCamp]

He hate you.

Well, the feeling is not mutual. I just like Turkeys and Rabbits more.

 

[DeerCamp]

Updated count:

Coyotes 10
Bobcats 3
Fox 1
Raccoons 12
Possums 10

Thats quite a haul off of a collective 150 acres. I keep telling myself this has to have an impact.