Preseason scouting

[GRIZ]

I have been asked by a number of people when I begin my preseason scouting. The usual answer is when I pull my traps. By that I don't mean I'm looking for actual set locations but just areas where a good population or pocket of fur exists. It is easy to do and you never even have to get out of your pick-up to tell. Just carry a pen and a small tablet in your vehicle to jot little notes down. Better yet you can do like I do and get a new map every yr just for trapping and jot the notes down on it.

A couple of pics I took it's easier for me to explain.

This pic of a mink kit tells me that a litter is raised near by. A good number may be caught early in the season b4 their dispersal starts here. I will be setting some mink traps at this pond come season.


This pic is of a wet female also hit on the road. It tells me that a litter was also raised nearby. Being she was still nursing when hit on the road gets me to believe the kits aren't able yet to fend for themselves and will prolly parish. I won't be setting any mink traps here but may still set some for coon.

Other thing to pay attention to are areas that have a disease come through an area. If you happen to see a number of coon laying dead out in the fields and woods for no apparent reason the area may have had some distemper come through. Predators it could also be mange.

It only make sense to set your traps in the best possible areas,yet I see so many trappers just set their traps in the same places yr after yr. Which is a good idea if you've had good success in the past. But if you know a litter has most likely parished due to the nursing mother dieing or disease moving through chances are your efforts would be put to better use in another area. Yet many trappers don't even consider it.

When a nursing mother dies all it means is that that particular spot prolly won't produce well, the next one and the one b4 should still be good. When an area gets hit with disease it could be a small area or a big area that takes up many counties.

Just something I thought trapper should pay more attention to.

[Super Star!]

7 24 2009.... id set that spot Griz the kits are old enough to make it with out mom this time of year.. she looks a little bloated that would push out her milkers LOL....... set i will bet money you will get the kits...

I will be taking the year off again of trapping the north country... maybe trap some fishers and cats but that will be the extent of it.....