# Trapping pictures...



## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

My son and I have been doing a little bit of trapping this year. Here are some pictures from the past few days....Thanks for looking
Eli with a couple of nice muskrats








Eli with a real nice mink








Eli with the tailgate pose








Eli & myself









Thank goodness none of these :S yet!!


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

It is really refreshing to see something on trapping. Your son is truly fortunate in being able to share this outdoor experience with you. I'm sure he will carry the memory's throughout his lifetime. 
Years ago from age 10 to 15, my buddy and I ran a line. We knew nothing when we started but learned by trial and error along with asking for advice when we took our "rats" in to sell. We eventually learned how to trap animals other than muskrats and how to skin and stretch the pelts. 
Thanks for sharing your experience and the pictures. Good luck through the season. 

Oh Yeah!!!! We also caught our share of Polecats too.


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

Thanks Shortdrift, we are both having a great time doing it. My youngest is even starting to go out with us.
We caught our first coyote earlier this year but I did not have the digital camera so I am wating to get the film developed to post those pics!
We are only trapping this year because Eli saw some old pictures of me trapping back in the late 80's. He said Dad I want to try trapping. He kind of surprised me with that but I am sure glad he did. We are having a blast and is doing great at it!


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Very nice! I miss having the time to trap and enjoy it as much as anything in the outdoors. I had some great times, and mis-adventures, trapping as a kid. I'm sure your children will have the same great memories when they grow up.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

Glad to see you are sharing in this experience with your son. I have never trapped, but I love to listen to the trapping stories my dad shares with me.


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## Oldfox1939 (Apr 14, 2004)

Nice pics.......brings back memories of over 50 years ago (Boy how time flies)

Looks like you're having a nice season, this warm weather has probably helped.

Thanks for posting.


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## lv2fish (Jun 23, 2005)

Thanks for the pics, I really miss running a line. I got out in 1997, are the price of furs back up or do you just have the time to enjoy it. So many people don't realize how much work this is, but the pleasure of this sport brings many good memories. Thanks again for posting.


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

lv2fish,
I have not sold any fur yet but I have been hearing that the prices are pretty good. We don't run a big line, we have 25 sets out right now. Your right though, it is a lot of work and a lot of time is involved in it.

M.Magis,
You talk about mis-adventures as a kid. Well I am 38 and I had a good one Sunday. Lets just say that even though the temp was near 60 degrees that water was still dang cold!


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Buddy Punk said:


> lv2fish
> You talk about mis-adventures as a kid. Well I am 38 and I had a good one Sunday. Lets just say that even though the temp was near 60 degrees that water was still dang cold!


I think anyone that runs a line for "rats" has been there and done that at least once.


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Great pix and story! I too ran a trpline when I was younger... What a bunch of fun that was. 

With all the development around, at least up here in NE Ohio, the opportunities just don't exist the way they used to.


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## Parrothead (Apr 15, 2004)

That is awesome man! I know Eli had is having a blast. I may have to get up early one of these days and go with you guys just for fun. 
I still think you should consider being a Trapper Ed Instructor and pass on some of that knowledge. DOW is in seriuos need of instructors for that. I know you want to enjoy this first season with Eli and getting back into trapping. Keep it in mind. 
I want to see the 'Yote pics too.


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

Jeesh Parrothead, it's more like a comedy of errors than knowledge. We will have to talk about it some more. After being away from it for so long I may need a couple of seasons under my belt before I would even consider trying to instruct someone else on it. 
Just last night I was waist deep in the creek and by myself. (Eli is still sick!) Anyway, there I was standing in waist deep water with no one around and I have both thumbs stuck in a #2 double long spring!  Now mind you, it did not hurt but I was literally stuck there because this was a reset so the trap was already anchored. So after laughing out loud at my self for a minute I pulled the anchor up on the bank and used my knees to compress the springs to get my self out. Now, wouldn't that be a site in front of a class? 
The instructor standing up in front of the class caught in his own trap!


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## FishinDawg (Mar 9, 2005)

boy did that bring back memeories, like some of you have posted, I trapped as a youngster, man i miss that, I remember some nights were tuff getting home from school in the freezing cold and running the trap line or getting up at 5:00 in the mornign and checking traps before school, miss that now, time does fly, 

Thanks for sharing and bring back some good old memories, your son will remember this forever,


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## usamarshal (Aug 28, 2006)

Those look really good and I bet they'll taste even better!!! Any recipes you like to use the most?


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

I saw someone looking for Muskrats this past weekend, poking around the shores in long lake...

Does anyone have any good informational sites where I could check trapping in genera?


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

cheezemm2,
www.Trapperman.com 

It's a message board like this one only it is for those that trap.
A fellow OGF memeber recommended that site to me.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

Ok trappers I have a question for you. A couple of years ago I was on one of my deer rides and I stop to look down the ditch bank and I see something swimming in the water which is 3 ft wide and 8 inches deep. I get out of the car and walk over to the bank when out of the water comes an animal about the size of the mink pictured here but with a tan coat and a pink nose, it saw me and went away. Was is a mink, was it a ferret. I don't know and have been asking around without any good answer. What was it!


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## usamarshal (Aug 28, 2006)

Sounds like a jackalope...



Weekender#1 said:


> Ok trappers I have a question for you. A couple of years ago I was on one of my deer rides and I stop to look down the ditch bank and I see something swimming in the water which is 3 ft wide and 8 inches deep. I get out of the car and walk over to the bank when out of the water comes an animal about the size of the mink pictured here but with a tan coat and a pink nose, it saw me and went away. Was is a mink, was it a ferret. I don't know and have been asking around without any good answer. What was it!


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I was looking down at the water and it just came out like at my face, the animal scared the heck out of me as I did it.


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

Weekender#1,
It's hard to say for sure what you saw. Mink can come in different shades and colors. I have seen them very dark almost black, some with white on their chin to being totally blond. I have seen pictures of albino mink as well. As far as a ferret goes I have no idea. I'm not sure if they will readily take to water like a mink......


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Probably a mink...

OK, here's my trapper's "funniest" moment...

I had caught big, boar raccoon. It was hissing and wheezing at me, so I dispatched him with my trusty club. Or so I thought. Now mind you, I was 15 years old at the time. 

I stuffed the animal in my backpack and it was off to finish my rounds. I got one other muskrat that day. So, after checking and resetting all my sets, I hiked it back home to do some skinning. I had an area in our basement I used for handling the skins. My Mom wasn't too keen on it, but I did keep the area clean, so she let me go. Well, this day, I hung the muskrat and started to skin him. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the backpack moving. The big boar **** woke up! There I was, in the basement of my parent's house, a half skinned muskrat hanging from the rafters and a groggy, hissing raccoon with blood coming out his nose and ears, getting more and more concious. I quickly cordoned off the corner of the basement where he was with some pegboard. Then, I had to go up and tell Mom and Dad there was a live, bloody raccoon in the basement. LOL! They said it was up to me to get it out! I set up sort of a path for him with boxes, laundry baskets, charirs, blankets, anything I could find to get him up the steps and out the back door. Took awhile to get him going in the right direction, but finally, up the steps he went, saw the open sliding door, and he was gone. 

Needless to say, my trapping career didn't continue much after that... But the few years I did it were some great times in the outdoors and built up some cherished memories.


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## catfish_hunter (May 31, 2005)

I too have been running some rat traps this year...When I was a little younger (im only 21) I ran traps with my dad and we got TONS of them...Its alot of fun to be out there with the "Old Mad" doing something that we both enjoy...I get to hear stories about every other day of some of the things that happened or how they did it "in the day" but the things that you do with your father will be with you for a lifetime...

As far as price goes they are up a couple bucks from when we used to trap...We are gettin 4$ a piece for small ones...


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