Many things contribute to a successful set. Trap adjustment and treatment, lure and bait, and minimized human scent are all factors in making a good catch. Of all the variables, bedding the trap seems to be the one thing dryland trappers absolutely must do properly....
Updates
CHRISTMAS BUCK
Today I pulled four trail cameras I had out while trapping in the mountains. One in particular was on public land about 50 yards from the road. It was maybe five miles from my house. I kept six video clips from it. They included a red fox, two great fisher shots, a...
MY FIRST TRAPPING SUCCESSES
My first trapping successes were barn rats, woodchucks, possum, and cottontail rabbits caught in a wooden box trap. My trapline was the first 10 yards of wild growth outside our lawn. For a six year old, these creatures and the environment in which they were...
ODORLESS, ORGANIZED LURE STORAGE
A negative-pressure refrigerator keeps the trapping shed free of strong lure smells.A fan in a 4” diameter stove pipe (this unit costs about $20) is secured in the top of the refrigerator. It is then routed outside the building with a flexible hose. Make certain the...
CULVERT COON
Raccoon have always been one of my favorite furbearers – and I say that about all furbearers! But why raccoon? When I first started trapping we really had no coyotes, bobcat were a pipe dream, and beaver had a statewide limit of three. Raccoon were the big game for me...
FIRST PLACE!
FIRST PLACE! I just received a First Place in the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association's (POWA) 2020 Craft Awards. This was the Pennsylvania Trappers Award for my book "Perfect Sets – Bedding, Blending & Weatherproofing."...
DAY OF THE MINK!
Yesterday about 10 a.m., while swapping out media cards and setting more trail cameras, a nice mink crossed in front of the van. I turned the key off, grabbed the camera from the passenger seat, and got out. The mink had bounded into a roadside pine thicket. I had no...
Trapline Photos
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” As both a writer and photographer, I have evaluated this quote from both ends. And after many years I can verify its accuracy. There is simply nothing which has the beauty and can convey as much information as quickly and...
NAFA’s Demise
Nothing ever stays the same! That statement is constantly burned into my brain. No matter how dependable, how durable, how certain something is, it seems that the only certainty in this life is that nothing is certain. Looking at the box stores, Woolworth, J.C....
New Wave Raccoon Trapping—Dog-Proof Traps
Dog-Proof traps solve a lot of problems with non-target animals. New technology is the norm. As the years slip into decades, the innovation march continues to accelerate expotentially. Even centuries old pursuits, comformed to tradition and the...