# How many Trappers ?



## zpyles_00 (Dec 15, 2004)

How many Trappers we have on here ? 

Wish we had our own column, oh well. 

Anywho, I never got around to gettin a line set out last season, hrist child was born so momma said it wasn't happenin. Gonna give'r heck this year though.


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## Procraftboats21 (Apr 6, 2004)

I trap when I have some free time, never set any huge lines, maybe 30-40 traps for ***** and fox.


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## zpyles_00 (Dec 15, 2004)

There's one lol

When I partner up for the season with my buddy, we go pretty huge. Last time we had a total of 347 combined sets out. Both took 2 weeks vacation from work to cover the spread. Cut our line in about half after the 3rd week or so, kept the sets that were producing the best, and pretty much stayed at that rate for the remainder of the season. 

I've moved since then so i'll be runnin solo this year. I'm aiming for 120 sets to start and then cut back to 75-90 the rest of the season. 

If anyone is ever interested in gettin rid of some of there equipment, give me a shout and we'll see what we can get worked out.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Wow! You really are into the trapping pretty strong. I used to do a good bit years ago but I no longer have any of my traps except for a few that I hold on to for trapping nuisance critters out of my buildings. I am curious to hear what species you trap for mostly and what kind of numbers do you commonly get each year.

I don't think we ever had more than maybe 3-5 dozen traps out and that seemed like a big task to maintain that many.


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## zpyles_00 (Dec 15, 2004)

Anything that'll bite is what we all say in fishin. Not sure how to apply that to trapping but you get the idea lol.

If there is any certain order it would be this. 

Early season we hit the muskrats pretty hard mainly cause they're so easy to trap and you can really nab the majority of their numbers pretty quickly. We'll pull 75% if our Rat sets bout 1/2 thorugh the season, by that time we've hammered them pretty hard and it's not worth the drive/time for a rat here & there. 

We set for Mink year round, earlier in the season we catch alot of females and then later when the creeks start freezing is when we start catching the big males. 

Raccoon we don't target too hard in the early part of season simply cause 80% of them aren't prime yet. We could catch more **** than we could handle in the early part of season but it's just better to wait. 

Fox/Coyote - all season and we hit'r hard. The colder it gets, the more we produce. 

Beaver - I really wouldn't even say we "target" them at all, but if we see an area that is being torn up by them, we'll put a few sets out for em.


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## C J Hughes (Jan 24, 2006)

With the price of muskrat at the last sale I bet there will be a bunch of guys giving it heck this year .


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

C J Hughes said:


> With the price of muskrat at the last sale I bet there will be a bunch of guys giving it heck this year .


 So what were they getting for the rats?


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## crooked stripe (Apr 17, 2004)

I am also interested in the price folks are paying. Not exact numbers just an idea. There is no good place to trap around here just interested. I read about it when I was young but never got into it. John


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## C J Hughes (Jan 24, 2006)

NorthBay fur auction in Canada May sale top rats sold for over $11.00 .


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i got a bunch of ***** that we need to get rid of around here.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

C J Hughes said:


> NorthBay fur auction in Canada May sale top rats sold for over $11.00 .


 Holy cow! That is way up. I will be sure to tell my brother-in-law. He traps a small stream between him and his dad but I don't think he did much the last year or two. That will get him in gear.


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## ltfd596 (Apr 15, 2005)

I used to trap years ago. Gave it up when I found girls! Now that I am married, I think I will go back to trapping.

Are the prices of fur going up?

When I first started we took the critter to the "trapper Shack" and he gave us cash. Does it still happen that way, or do you havw to skin and stretch them first?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

ltfd596 said:


> When I first started we took the critter to the "trapper Shack" and he gave us cash. Does it still happen that way, or do you havw to skin and stretch them first?


 At least in my experience I believe that most will take furs either on carcass, skinned, or skinned and stretched. However the buying price is determined by this. We typically always skinned but did not stretch. It depends on how serious folks want to get. If they are skinning and stretching a large number of furs they may get a much better piece price from the lot than others.


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

http://www.furharvesters.com/saleresults.htm

My grandpa used to be a fur buyer but he is now retired. It used to be a big money business.


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## Fish4Food (Mar 20, 2006)

There did use to be alot more money in it, my dad still has his receipts of when he would get 100$ for a red fox, the price of muskrat was surprisingly high this past fur sale we had around here. Normally Canada tends to show higher prices, but they were up in general


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

I used to trap a bunch but since moving to SW Ohio after growing up in eastern Ohio I haven't put out any traps. I used to trap rats early but really hit it hard when beaver trapping season came in. My largest beaver ever was 80# and 4.5 feet long from nose to the tip of the tail. Its head was wedged in a 330 and it took help to get it out...Musta hit the trap hard coming up that run..lol.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Wow! An 80# beaver! I don't know how large the ones are that I always see around here but I doubt that I see any that are over 50#. My buddy got one a bit over 60# a few years ago and I thought that was huge.


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## Reel Thing (Apr 5, 2004)

Growing up I use to run trap lines with my dad he mostly trapped rats and mink
once I got older we used to trap ***** and fox
a 14 year old could come up with some bucks back then. 
Its good to know that the tradition is still be taught as well
The ODNR has 350 trapper ed instructors and they trained something like 509 people last year
They had something like 10 workshops and 28 trapper ed classes 
It also looks a if the prices are coming up so maybe the intrest will start to grow as well
geowol


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## luv2fishnhunt83 (Apr 26, 2006)

hey guys i trapped a little last year and i had a guy take my furs. does anybody no where i can take my furs this year. and wat u were getting for ur **** skins last year.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

My father used to spend a lot of time trapping. I don't know too much about trapping, but he and a buddy would trap all season long, treat the skins, then make 2-3 trips to Canada each year to sell the furs. This was long before I was born and when fur prices were up. He gave it up when the fur prices dropped and when I was born. He used to tell me that he made pretty good money trapping.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2006)

I trap ****, muskrats, and mink mainly. If you want info on trapping and current fur prices go to ohiostatetrapper.org 

I dont know If I will have time to run a line this year. It depends on if I get a buck with my bow before trapping season starts. 

Some of my fondest memories of my childhood come from the trapline. It has definatly brought me closer to nature and taught me more about myself then anything else.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2006)

http://ohiostatetrapper.org/


heres a link


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## Star1pup (Aug 3, 2004)

I put my steel in the barn once the raccoon rabies scare started around here. Only get a couple reported a year, but it only takes one to knick you when you are skinning.


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## davycrockett (Apr 9, 2005)

ltfd596 said:


> I used to trap years ago. Gave it up when I found girls! Now that I am married, I think I will go back to trapping.
> 
> Are the prices of fur going up?
> 
> When I first started we took the critter to the "trapper Shack" and he gave us cash. Does it still happen that way, or do you havw to skin and stretch them first?


LOL!!  Yeah, those pesky girls will do it every time! I married a good one though. She has put up with a lot of dead critters over the years! I have been out of the game a few years after moving to our current house. My old trapping ground is 20+ miles away and all the good stuff in between is already trapped. I have a half dozen good trappers within a 20 mile radius of me. That makes it hard to get permission close to home. I want to get out a few sets this year though. I still have 6 dozen predator traps dyed and waxed and sealed up from 3 years ago!Maybe the better fur prices will help offset the higher fuel prices! Remember, fur prices are a touchy market, as they can be through the roof one day and plummet the next. Many factors impact the fur market including weather , the strength of the U.S. dollar vs. theirs,and harvest numbers. If you get the itch lay out some steel!  Think about how much we all spend a year in fuel for vehicles, boats, and gear to fish or hunt. There is no financial gain. At least with trapping you are getting something back even if it barely covers your fuel for the season. There are several ways to market your fur as pointed out earlier.Basically there are still local fur buyers around, next are the local fur auctions around the state, finally there are the big auction houses up north. Where you sell the fur and how you sell it is preference. I used to sell at the BG auction but as of late I have been selling to a local guy 5 miles away.I always "put the fur up" skinned, stretched and dried. I have always enjoyed doing it and it is more pleasing IMO to see the finished product hanging in my shop versus looking at a dead critter laying on the shop floor. Besides, what trapper doesn't love the smell of a fur shed?? Again, it depends on your, ability, time available, and wether or not you have a suitable place to skin your critters.Trust me, skinning in your basement will not last long unless you have a very understanding mother or wife!  Man, all this talk about trapping isgetting me anxious for fall!


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