Fur Info Needed
01-28-2010, 10:31 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Madison County,NY
Posts: 138
Fur Info Needed
I am new to the whole trapping thing and need some information for New York. Is there somewheres where i can find prices for fur. Also if someone wants to give me some good ideas for bait and some different trap setups for the winter months with snow, i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for your time.
01-29-2010, 04:55 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 189
Ok, I'm not the best at trapping but I might could help you a bit. If your going for coyotes your best bet is to run snares along trails, snares arent hard to trap just set a loop about 8inches in dia. and about a foot off the ground.
Now, for foxes I'd just make a simple dirt hole; when I make a dirt hole I dig a hole about 5-6 in. deep at about 65 degree angle, when baiting make sure you can use animal parts if so you can get bird feathers and throw around the hole and toss a couple of birds down in the hole and put a couple of peices of dead grass over the hole; now for the trap I use a Duke 1 3/4 for everything, A dirthole set is meant to replicate where an
animal such as a fox or coyote has cached some food to eat later, and these natural dirtholes can be
all shapes and sizes. To be effective, the dirt hole set should be made where the animal will likely
travel close by. A good location can usually be determined by the presence of sign such as tracks
and especially droppings. The best made dirt hole set will catch nothing if its in a location where the
animal will not be able to detect its presence. Once a good location is found, find a spot that is fairly
void of long grasses and high weeds. The hole for the set is usually made in front of some kind of an
object. This object could be a prominent tuft of taller grass, a stone about the size of a pint or quart
jar, a low stump, an overturned clump of sod, or some other natural object. This object that the
hole is to be dug in front of, such as a prominent tuft of grass that is taller than the surrounding
vegetation is referred to as backing. The backing keeps the animal from approaching the set from
the rear. Using a trowel, dig a hole at about a sixty degree angle back under this backing. The dirt
removed from the hole is placed in a sifter. The hole can be around three inches in diameter and at
least six inches deep.In front of this dug hole dig a bowl-shaped trap bed about 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep and only slightly
larger around than the trap. The dirt from this excavation is placed into the sifter. Leave about an
inch of loose dirt in the bottom of the bowl-shaped trap bed. Make sure the bottom of the trap bed
is rounded so the trap springs, and any attaching hardware will have a place in the bed, and this will
make it easier to make the trap rock solid and not move when an animal steps on a jaw or lever.The trap is staked either in the lowest center of the trap bed or at the inside edge of the
excavation. Its a good idea not to wire the trap to a stake, but rather use the opening on a universal
swivel, large washer, expanded link of welded machine trap chain or some other attaching hardware.
Too often when the traps are wired to a stake, the wire will break from the animal working the chain
back and forth. The trap is set and placed in the prepared trap bed. Place trap near hole, but not
hanging over hole. Put downward pressure on the trap to nestle it into the loose dirt. With a finger,
push down on the spring levers and jaws checking to see if the trap is solid. In most instances the
trap is not solid. You may have to use dirt from the sifter and pack it around and under the spring
levers and jaws to get the trap solid. Do not cover the trap until you are posititve the trap is solid in
its bed. Use the trowel to take dirt from the sifter and place this dirt around the outside edge of the
trap. Use the trowel to pack inside the trap jaws, and press this dirt down with your trowel. After
the dirt is packed outside and inside the trap, all that is now exposed of the trap is the edge of the
jaws, the pan and the dog. A piece of wax paper about the size of the inside of the trap can be used
to cover the pan so that dirt will not get under the pan, which would cause the trap not to fire.
When using wax paper to cover the trap pan, its a good idea to crumple it up and then flatten
it out. This will help keep the paper from making noise when a canine steps on it Now apply the lure to the hole. It's best to apply the lure to a lure holder as placing it on the ground
will cause it to lose its odor much faster. Pieces of corn cob, small chunk of weathered wood,
sheeps wool, or anything to keep the lure off the ground in the hole will work. I would recommend
a curiosity type lure, gland lure, food lure and/or a bait. If using the gland or curiosity lure, a squirt
of urine on the backing will enhance the effectiveness of the set. This is the basic dirt hole. There is a
lot more that can be said about the dirt hole and there is a lot that is to be learned about the dirt hole
beyond this basic set.
Thats a basic Dirt hole, and you said mink.
I've caught only one mink this year but I havent set up for one at all I caught this mink in a coon set. But for mink I'd set up a basic pocket set I *love* pocket sets... In a pocket set you can catch mink, coons, muskrats, and every once in awhile a beaver but he'll most likley tear your coon and mink set up. But also a blind mink set will wack the mink.Some mink will spend a lot of time in the water and others will spend a lot of time on the bank. To improve your chances of catching mink, its a good idea to have a number of different sets both in the water and on the land. Blind sets are great mink catchers, but knowing where to put the trap is the key. Mink are always hunting and traveling and have a long range.
One of the places mink like to travel is along a shore line. The place to try to intercept the mink here is where the mink is forced between a bank and an obstacle such as a stick. The mink will hug the steep bank as it makes its way through the tight spot. A well placed foothold of the #1 1/2 size coilspring or longspring as well as the #11 will do a good job at this set when rigged for drowning. This drawing shows trap placement from the top view. Notice the trap dog is facing the creek and the loose jaw is tight against the bankThere are also times when there will be a perfect set like this and a faint trail up on top of the steep bank. Its a good idea to set traps at both locations because there's no way of knowing which path the next mink will be taking. Here's a view of such a place. Notice the foothold is set in the water and the conibear is in the trail.These faint trails can be hard to see. If you ever have the opportunity to go out along a stream just after a snowfall, go looking for mink sign. The tracks left behind by the mink will tell you a lot about where the mink likes to travel. Here's a picture of a good location for a mink trail set. Another thing to keep in mind is to look for where triangles meet. Where the triangles converge is usually a good location for a mink set. Mink will also travel under the water. When they do this they like to hug the bank. These underwater traveling mink can be caught in a conibear placed at a spot on the bottom where the bank or obstruction protruding from the bank makes a ninety degree angle. A fellow by the name of Ken Smythe made this set well known.
Now, for foxes I'd just make a simple dirt hole; when I make a dirt hole I dig a hole about 5-6 in. deep at about 65 degree angle, when baiting make sure you can use animal parts if so you can get bird feathers and throw around the hole and toss a couple of birds down in the hole and put a couple of peices of dead grass over the hole; now for the trap I use a Duke 1 3/4 for everything, A dirthole set is meant to replicate where an
animal such as a fox or coyote has cached some food to eat later, and these natural dirtholes can be
all shapes and sizes. To be effective, the dirt hole set should be made where the animal will likely
travel close by. A good location can usually be determined by the presence of sign such as tracks
and especially droppings. The best made dirt hole set will catch nothing if its in a location where the
animal will not be able to detect its presence. Once a good location is found, find a spot that is fairly
void of long grasses and high weeds. The hole for the set is usually made in front of some kind of an
object. This object could be a prominent tuft of taller grass, a stone about the size of a pint or quart
jar, a low stump, an overturned clump of sod, or some other natural object. This object that the
hole is to be dug in front of, such as a prominent tuft of grass that is taller than the surrounding
vegetation is referred to as backing. The backing keeps the animal from approaching the set from
the rear. Using a trowel, dig a hole at about a sixty degree angle back under this backing. The dirt
removed from the hole is placed in a sifter. The hole can be around three inches in diameter and at
least six inches deep.In front of this dug hole dig a bowl-shaped trap bed about 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep and only slightly
larger around than the trap. The dirt from this excavation is placed into the sifter. Leave about an
inch of loose dirt in the bottom of the bowl-shaped trap bed. Make sure the bottom of the trap bed
is rounded so the trap springs, and any attaching hardware will have a place in the bed, and this will
make it easier to make the trap rock solid and not move when an animal steps on a jaw or lever.The trap is staked either in the lowest center of the trap bed or at the inside edge of the
excavation. Its a good idea not to wire the trap to a stake, but rather use the opening on a universal
swivel, large washer, expanded link of welded machine trap chain or some other attaching hardware.
Too often when the traps are wired to a stake, the wire will break from the animal working the chain
back and forth. The trap is set and placed in the prepared trap bed. Place trap near hole, but not
hanging over hole. Put downward pressure on the trap to nestle it into the loose dirt. With a finger,
push down on the spring levers and jaws checking to see if the trap is solid. In most instances the
trap is not solid. You may have to use dirt from the sifter and pack it around and under the spring
levers and jaws to get the trap solid. Do not cover the trap until you are posititve the trap is solid in
its bed. Use the trowel to take dirt from the sifter and place this dirt around the outside edge of the
trap. Use the trowel to pack inside the trap jaws, and press this dirt down with your trowel. After
the dirt is packed outside and inside the trap, all that is now exposed of the trap is the edge of the
jaws, the pan and the dog. A piece of wax paper about the size of the inside of the trap can be used
to cover the pan so that dirt will not get under the pan, which would cause the trap not to fire.
When using wax paper to cover the trap pan, its a good idea to crumple it up and then flatten
it out. This will help keep the paper from making noise when a canine steps on it Now apply the lure to the hole. It's best to apply the lure to a lure holder as placing it on the ground
will cause it to lose its odor much faster. Pieces of corn cob, small chunk of weathered wood,
sheeps wool, or anything to keep the lure off the ground in the hole will work. I would recommend
a curiosity type lure, gland lure, food lure and/or a bait. If using the gland or curiosity lure, a squirt
of urine on the backing will enhance the effectiveness of the set. This is the basic dirt hole. There is a
lot more that can be said about the dirt hole and there is a lot that is to be learned about the dirt hole
beyond this basic set.
Thats a basic Dirt hole, and you said mink.
I've caught only one mink this year but I havent set up for one at all I caught this mink in a coon set. But for mink I'd set up a basic pocket set I *love* pocket sets... In a pocket set you can catch mink, coons, muskrats, and every once in awhile a beaver but he'll most likley tear your coon and mink set up. But also a blind mink set will wack the mink.Some mink will spend a lot of time in the water and others will spend a lot of time on the bank. To improve your chances of catching mink, its a good idea to have a number of different sets both in the water and on the land. Blind sets are great mink catchers, but knowing where to put the trap is the key. Mink are always hunting and traveling and have a long range.
One of the places mink like to travel is along a shore line. The place to try to intercept the mink here is where the mink is forced between a bank and an obstacle such as a stick. The mink will hug the steep bank as it makes its way through the tight spot. A well placed foothold of the #1 1/2 size coilspring or longspring as well as the #11 will do a good job at this set when rigged for drowning. This drawing shows trap placement from the top view. Notice the trap dog is facing the creek and the loose jaw is tight against the bankThere are also times when there will be a perfect set like this and a faint trail up on top of the steep bank. Its a good idea to set traps at both locations because there's no way of knowing which path the next mink will be taking. Here's a view of such a place. Notice the foothold is set in the water and the conibear is in the trail.These faint trails can be hard to see. If you ever have the opportunity to go out along a stream just after a snowfall, go looking for mink sign. The tracks left behind by the mink will tell you a lot about where the mink likes to travel. Here's a picture of a good location for a mink trail set. Another thing to keep in mind is to look for where triangles meet. Where the triangles converge is usually a good location for a mink set. Mink will also travel under the water. When they do this they like to hug the bank. These underwater traveling mink can be caught in a conibear placed at a spot on the bottom where the bank or obstruction protruding from the bank makes a ninety degree angle. A fellow by the name of Ken Smythe made this set well known.
