Trapping bait?

[HD]

During bow and rifle season, sitting in my stand, I noticed that I have a few more critters than last year.
I seen that coon numbers are up and fox have grown.

Usually I just shoot them, and get um thinned out. And my knowledge of trapping only extends to the fine art of pocket gophers. I have several traps already that I inherited through the years, and thought that I would try to trap the little buggers.

What is the best bait for what?
Coons?
Fox?
Mink?
Otters?

I guess the list could go on and on.

Or maybe you just set the den?

And I know, that Griz has the answer. I was thinking that maybe there are others out there that have minimal experience with this as well, that could use the info too.


Hunter

[GRIZ]

For coon anything will work. My favorite near water would be fish but on dry land like something sweet like over ripe cherries.

Fox I like cat skunk and mice in that order. Aged til they get a bit louder but stil mild.

Mink would be fresh fish or the hind querters of a rat carcass.

I have very limited experience with otter. Some claim they don't bait and others say they do. The ones who bait tellme they mostly try setting crossovers anyhow. If useing bait It would be fish clams or back half of a mink carcass.

[HD]

For coon anything will work. My favorite near water would be fish but on dry land like something sweet like over ripe cherries.

Fox I like cat skunk and mice in that order. Aged til they get a bit louder but stil mild.
Griz, is this live bait? I guess I don't understand the aged til they get a bit louder...

Mink would be fresh fish or the hind querters of a rat carcass.

I have very limited experience with otter. Some claim they don't bait and others say they do. The ones who bait tellme they mostly try setting crossovers anyhow. If useing bait It would be fish clams or back half of a mink carcass.

For the otter, I heard someone tell me once, they use large shiners on a box trap (canibar) (don't know the spelling) They thread the fish in the wire trips, anchor the trap on a pole and push the pole down into the water through a hole in the ice (if pond is frozen) or use a boat to get out to a spot.

Thanks for your help!
Hunter

[GRIZ]

For coon anything will work. My favorite near water would be fish but on dry land like something sweet like over ripe cherries.

Fox I like cat skunk and mice in that order. Aged til they get a bit louder but stil mild.
Griz, is this live bait? I guess I don't understand the aged til they get a bit louder...

Mink would be fresh fish or the hind querters of a rat carcass.

I have very limited experience with otter. Some claim they don't bait and others say they do. The ones who bait tellme they mostly try setting crossovers anyhow. If useing bait It would be fish clams or back half of a mink carcass.

For the otter, I heard someone tell me once, they use large shiners on a box trap (canibar) (don't know the spelling) They thread the fish in the wire trips, anchor the trap on a pole and push the pole down into the water through a hole in the ice (if pond is frozen) or use a boat to get out to a spot.

Thanks for your help!
Hunter

The baits listed in my previous post are My preference and what has worked for me. If you ask 100 trappers this you'll prolly get 30 diff answers. A person can also buy commercially made baits which I also use from time to time as it fits into my system.

No it isn't live bait, live bait isn't legal. It is aged til it smells a bit louder. Not rotton but tainted.

Yes a set like that would work for otter. When I was doing my post I wasn't thinking of visual bait as on land it must be away from the traps 20 ft except for flagging. Of couse the set would be more effective in clear water.

[HD]

See, I learned someth'in new....I didn't know about the live bait thing.
That's why I like asking questions.

Here's another one......

How, or do you, attach the bait to your "pan" or the trigger on your trap?

I've seen guy's use fencing wire to tie the bait down so the critter has to work at getting it.


Hunter
 

[GRIZ]

See, I learned someth'in new....I didn't know about the live bait thing.
That's why I like asking questions.

Here's another one......

How, or do you, attach the bait to your "pan" or the trigger on your trap?

I've seen guy's use fencing wire to tie the bait down so the critter has to work at getting it.


Hunter

As a general rule you don't put your bait on the pan. A few water sets you actually do but for the most part I consider them poor sets to begin with. Not because they don't work, as they do. The reason I consider them poor sets is because the animal must see them in order for them to be effective. When dealing with animals that are not very tall to begin with they may not see over grass clumps, rocks that we can, besides that what if they are looking the other direction.

The set you mentioned earlier of a big shiner on a conibear could be effective in the proper location if no other location presents itself. I wouldn't want to be in the habit of using this set as a goto set though.

On dry land my advice is to stay away from it. For one if it can be see by soaring birds it's illegal. The other reason is that most of what you'll catch is a variety of worthless rodents and a variety of birds. If you do catch the target animal it very well may not be by the foot resulting in the animal escaping anyhow.

The object of lure or bait is to get the animal interested enough to want it or at least see what it is. With proper set construction if you get them interested they will pass over the trap or spend enough time there to get caught.

[HD]

Ok.........

I got a few more  ???

Why would it be illegal if seen from soaring birds? Would it be cause they could get caught in the trap?


And...Would you then set your traps in this manner around a bait, give or take a few traps?
(if ya don't put the bait on the pan)



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[GRIZ]

Ok.........

I got a few more  ???

Why would it be illegal if seen from soaring birds? Would it be cause they could get caught in the trap?


And...Would you then set your traps in this manner around a bait, give or take a few traps?
(if ya don't put the bait on the pan)

Yes that is why. I have never caught but have seen a bald eagle in a trap. The trapper was never tickited but should have been for exposed bait.

Yes to the other ? also. That is what is called a bait/draw station. No need to set too close to the station as if you do you will catch one critter and the rest will be spooked off. Stay back aways and set up the travelways to and back from the station

[HD]

If you were trapping a well used trail, would you set it this way?
Or would you have the bait offset to the side?
Or would you even bother to have bait?

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[GRIZ]

either or. Depends on the frequency the trail is being used.

I wouldn't normally use a bait/draw station on a trail as you know the animals are allredy using it. I mean that in the respect that you already have their location pinpointed. When I use a station it is in a larger area that the animals are using but the exact location is more difficult to pinpoint.

When setting up a station I normally wait a week for the critters to show me the trails b4 setting my traps. Sometime I have set up right away on what I think are the travel ways.

A trail is a trail, very distinct(sp). A travel way is more broad and not really limited to an exact spot. A travelway may be 3' or 100' wide. In the situation of a station you wouldn't put it in a place where you wouldn't be dealing with a travelway 100' wide, that is kinda the point of the station. To narrow down the travel way to a more distinct location but might not neccessarily be a trail, just a narrower travelway. It all depends on the terrain. In thick cover they usually become a trail but in more open country just a narrowed down travelway.

I hope I explained this as I known what I'm thinkin just don't know if I put it into words right.

[HD]

So, (other than tracks) How do you know what animal is using which trail?

Do coons, and mink trail just along the waters edge?

And, here is another one I'm confused on...During the winter, I've seen trappers dig out rat houses and put traps inside...Is this the right way to do this?


Hunter

[GRIZ]

Usually you try to find tracks but sometimes you just have to telll by the trail itself. Since the trail might be a new one it might be somewhat vague. It's really hard to tell the animal useing a trail sometimes without tracks. With expierience it becomes fairly easy but lots times it's more than one type of critter. This is a topic in itself.

Mink and coon frequent water often and is a good [place to look for them but They are not really water animals and I have caught a number of them over a mile from water.

Yes trapping them in thier huts is one way of getting them in the winter but not the only one. If a person does this you must seal up the cut hole with wet materials while the trap is set and after pulling the set. It gets kinda cold one the fingers.

Hers some stuff a couple yrs back.

http://mnoutdoorsman.com/forums/index.php?topic=2614.0

I think there is more not sure.