Trapping Predators

Forgot about the mink thing, yes those sets were placed for just mink. Once and a while a coon would get caught, or a rat, but not very often. But the mink always dead, and never chewed there foot. I have had coon do that, and rats. I remember a time when I was setting rat houses through the ice and I finished the set, reaching in and arranging everything. I was just going to cover the hole and move on when a mink jumped out the hole at me and ran off, dry. He was in there the whole time. Probably snarling and standing on his hind legs all mad. I can't believe he did not bite me.:D Scared the bejesus otta me.:eek:
 
not sure what kind of mink you were trapping

we had a mink farm 1 mile from us- south of Bemidgi

I trapped a whole lake for muskrats- law dictated you could open up a muskrat house, place the trap inside, replace all the material- my trap line was 60 some houses- muskrats brought $5.75- carefull I could get 6 out of each house
 
Regular wild mink. Sounds about the same size rat line. And yes the law is the same. 50-60 houses is about all a guy could do in a day. I always wanted to try a power auger.:D that would speed up the process. The last year and this year they brought 7 bucks for ice rats at the auction. Good coin. If I had time I would have went. Lots of kids rat trapping this year.
 
very good- dad didn't want the muskrats- we couldn't trap "his river" we'd set traps where he said we could- balls to the wall- those houses were our game- brothers and I had to rush along the lake shore, course we had 2 lakes- opening morning- back pack and get out early- some years- you know- a newcommer would look at those mounds

lakes froze over- skates and get going- course sometimes there'd be an argument of who had rites

we learned- mink like those houses also- but I was first to be rewarded with an underwater snare that caught a mink

3 of us just about payed our way tru college- but we also harvested wild rice

there's something for some to think about- we learned trapping from dad- we learned how to harvest wild rice from the indians-
 
Now, we've ventured away from predators with all this muskrat talk:) I do miss the old days where I could take a week off of work and make over $1000. I bought my first Setter and my first over and under with trapping money. I never got the opportunity to trap muskrats in populations like that. In NW Kansas we trapped coon, skunk, oppossum, mink and beaver on the creek and coyotes, coon, and badgers in the open country.
 
Prairie Drifter said:
Now, we've ventured away from predators with all this muskrat talk:) I do miss the old days where I could take a week off of work and make over $1000. I bought my first Setter and my first over and under with trapping money. I never got the opportunity to trap muskrats in populations like that. In NW Kansas we trapped coon, skunk, oppossum, mink and beaver on the creek and coyotes, coon, and badgers in the open country.
Click to expand...

loved trapping rats. we would get 5.00 each and that was in the 1980s. I think they still bring 5.00. I always thought they were best looking fur.:cheers:
 
Thought the same thing about beaver. I have a lot of black beaver here, they're nice. I remember the days with $35 beaver, $75 coyotes, $50 badgers, $52 coons, $3.50 possums. I probably enjoyed working beaver more than anything. Nothing more fun that carrying in a few dozen beavers finished to the fur buyer and see him almost swallow his chew. It's a dying art. My own son doesn't know a thing about it. Too bad.
 
Prairie Drifter- memories right:)

my best times were getting up way before the sun came up- mom would make me a bowl of cream of wheat- cream over the top and sugar sprinkled on- she wouldn't let me out the door till I sat at the table- to this day I say- why did you get up- she says- you needed something warm and good and a kiss-

sometimes I came in cold, wet, tired, and nothing to show- mom was always there

some years later mom told me- I'd see you off worried as I crawled back into bed- your father would hug me-
 
Mom kinda got the short stick. She got to worry while I walked 1.5 miles up the middle of the creek starting a mile from town before school. Went back after football practice and basketball practice to reset some nights. All the elderly folks lined up at their doors to see what we drug home. Mom also got all the smells. I went on a date one Saturday night. Got home about 1:00 in the morning (in January) to find every light in the house on and the windows and doors open with fans running. It was below freezing! Mom says " I just can't seem to get the skunk smell out of this house"! I walked around the end of the couch and took my boots out on the porch and it cleared right up.......dressed in the garage the rest of the season:) Brought my first mink proudly straight into the house to show her. She turned me right around and shushed me out with "Mink Stink"! Fell through the ice beaver trapping 2 miles from town (walking). Jogged home in frozen chest waders and coveralls turning blue all the way (teens) right into the house and into the basement shower to thaw my clothes out so I could take them off. Used to walk across the ice on the reservoir when there was 2 inches of water on top of the ice just to trap beavers. Tied a ski rope on a tree to pull myself out with. Fun!!!
 
tears are rolling

brother and I the mighty hunters- cornered a beast- we fought it tooth and nail- well- we had pocket knives- but it was a fierce battle

we drug it into the house- mom swatted me with the broom- OUT OUT-

we weren't allowed in the house- we both got a tomato bath, blankets, and shoed into the cellar- think it was a month- well-

we learned those things with white stripes down the back and tail to leave alone

now I have to ask you- aside from cutting the mink scent glands:D
how the heck did you trap and skin those polecats
 
:DYea those were the days. Had my self some Blue Tic hounds back then too. Some Utchman bred dogs, and some Dave Dean dogs. Those smells were the smell of money. Even the women thought so.:D Some elder fellas were in the money years and built a small fortune from furs. I would always turn down OT at work to run the dogs. I would make in 1 night what they made in a week. Then the next year we were told to bury them. That sucked. Now I had to do the OT at work thing.:( If you get a little gasamizer and hit it hard I think you can make a few bucks again. but you would really have to put your time in.
 
Last edited:
The best way I found to attract women was to start boiling traps in logwood dye. They seemed drawn to it. Have pictures to prove it:) Yeah, was always on the fringe at parties in the fall and winter!
 
prairie- dad would spend quite a bit of time in the basement with his traps before the season- adjusting- making sure they all were ok- usually would order a few from the local hardware- boil them and hang from a tree to rust- then wood chips in the water- think they were walnut- you're right- sisters thought the aroma was ok- get them real black- let dry a couple days- then melt parafin wax, dip, and hang from the tree-

very strict- you boys touch them you know where the paddle is

we weren't after coons- they'd really mess up a site- dad liked things to stay the same

I set a double jump #2 just under the water- scrapped off the pan to shinny-
guess the moon was out- the big log the trap was anchored was gone along with my trap- dad wasn't happy- that thing set off a few of dads sets and tore stuff up- but we found him- a mean male racoon- still had my trap and the log-
 
Caught 4 beavers today! Damn I'm getting old! Took 4 hours to skin them and the carpal tunnel will keep me up tonight! Two were almost 50 pounds. Glad to get them out of the pond. 10 holes in the dam. Track hoe next week!
 
Yuck:D The beaver is a nice critter in some areas. But they seem to roam to new places and get them selves in trouble. There was a 25$ bounty on them here. that helps aford going after them as well. Troy if you get a real nice black let me know. I may want one if you get a beauty. I would like to get one sheered. We just have standard browns around here.
 
Guess I've been inside too many of them. Not attractive to me. I enjoy working beaver pelts. They turn out really nice. I saved the tails for the boss. He is a knapper and makes pouches out of them. Saved the castors too. I've used them for lure in the past. Might just sell these.
 
PD , got any photo's??? I popped a couple large beavers, while elk hunting and had teddy bears made from USA Foxx and furs out of Minn. The girls love them!!! The only problem with trapping, is you start to get a nice smell going, that for some reason you can't smell yourself!!:eek::cheers:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top