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Post by ecutrapper on Jan 21, 2010 20:44:02 GMT -5
i would like to know everyone's opinion on leaving traps out during a day or so of rain. if you do leave traps out what is the probability of a catch and how to u keep pans from getting mud under them?
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Post by rye on Jan 22, 2010 12:39:20 GMT -5
My general opinion is that trapping in the rain sucks  |
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Post by taxi man on Jan 22, 2010 17:08:39 GMT -5
sucks sucks sucks!!!!!!
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Post by HiLLbiLLyTraPPer on Jan 22, 2010 18:44:32 GMT -5
Trappin in the rain is like pee'in the wind. At some point ur gonna be dissapointed. Because its gonna end messy.
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Post by Bottomline on Jan 22, 2010 18:50:37 GMT -5
You can use peat moss and add a thin layer of dry dirt to cover the peat to blend in your set. That dry dirt will wick the water, but your set will still work. Canines move in the rain. If you have a dirthole full of water, dig it deeper and put a wad of grass half waydown the hole(above the water) and lure it. The grass will keep your lure out of the standing water. If you know rain is coming, skip the dirthole, and use a walkthrough or flat set.
Good luck
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Post by 7oaksfarm on Jan 22, 2010 18:51:01 GMT -5
polyfil under the pan, from the craft or sewing section
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Post by mountainman on Jan 23, 2010 8:51:05 GMT -5
Learning to work with the weather is I think one of the steps to becomming 2 with nature. |
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Post by billmeyerhoff on Jan 23, 2010 9:25:00 GMT -5
I think when you make any set you should take into consideration whether or not water will drain to and possibly pond in the immediate area of your set. A slight change in elevation can make a real difference in this. I don't personally use pan covers but if I was going to trap a lot in the rain I would prefer a pan cover to polyfil. Polyfil has many air spaces to fill with water and soil and is easily compacted. A well tuned trap with little pan drop before firing will also help. The more movement required the more likely that dirt washed under the pan will interfere with the trap firing.
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Post by taxi man on Jan 24, 2010 16:16:16 GMT -5
GET READY TO TRAP IN SOME MORE RAIN!!
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Post by mountainman on Jan 24, 2010 18:59:41 GMT -5
I hear ya Taxi Man. There is a flash flood watch in effect until midnight w/additional 2-3" or more expected in the mountains and there is a flood warning at Blantyre on the French Broad River. While I was typing this post there was a tornado warning in effect for eastern Buncombe County with NWS radar indicating a tornado - then cancelled a few minutes later. The tornado dissipated in a short time like they often do in the mountains.
Yesterday, after meeting with a group of landowners that have a beaver problem, I ran what sets I had in on other permissions, springing the traps and laying them up on the banks. Better to miss some catches than to chance losing fur in a flood. I'm using the down time to finish some fur while waiting for a call from another landowner. Lots of deep water there so I'll have to set what I can reach.
For the remaining time that mink are prime this season I'm thinking about gang setting dry set locations, wherever possible in shallow sections that can be accessed from the bank.
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Post by rye on Jan 25, 2010 8:17:28 GMT -5
At this point, I can't dig a trap bed with out it filling with water... we are just soaked down here... Ground is holding so much water from the last rain that the rain from today started pooling immediately this morning... ditches are already over flowing....
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Post by usmctrapper on Jan 25, 2010 19:58:52 GMT -5
Don't care who you are...your traps, bait, lures & urine get washed out/exposed and require double the effort to maintain. More time at the scent means more unnatural scent & sign. It's been my experience that K-9s & cats are way too slick to be fooled by a wash out set. Catch percentages go way down. It really sucks when you get rain regular like we've been getting. As one of the fellas mentioned above we got more rain coming. Bottom line, you got no choice but to reset, relure ect... Don't get discouraged though. The best part of rain is when it stops. Boy do those critters move along the water when it drops! That's trapping. You gotta love it...I love it @:]
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Post by kennydean on Jan 26, 2010 9:45:28 GMT -5
this weather stuff is starting to really get under my skin. Every time it dries out for a day it rains again. I just ordered 20 bags of peat moss and 10 bags of topsoil. I am going to set my traps right in the bags and just hope the little rascals will dig around until they find my pan. I don't know if i can take another set that looks like a mud pie when you try to remake. If anybody has a bottle of patience i will by that too. ;D  |
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Post by Bottomline on Jan 26, 2010 12:26:54 GMT -5
I can get the sets to work, it's tearing up the landowners fields and paths that I'm concerned about. I don't have to go in there once, but everyday. Been a rough year weather wise.
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Post by kennydean on Jan 26, 2010 13:38:00 GMT -5
rodney that is another problem on top of the rest. I checked mine mon morning in the monsoon and i had water 8 inches deep in the ruts. I stopped and put my truck in 4 wheel drive just so i didn't spin and make a bigger mess. I think all my little ones will be 100 and 300 for the big ones. lol maybe then i won't feel so bad. I do believe that if i just make my sets in a bag of peat and throw a bunch of scraps in there i might just get lucky. Maybe they will think it's like a buffett or something. At least i won't have to play in the mud. ;D ;D
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