# Anyone trap?



## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

There is seldom any discussion on trapping. I've brought it up around some friends before and usually get some negative response back like even the thought of trapping animals is in itself, evil.

I tried setting a few wire snares last winter for rabbits. I wasn't successful. Didn't catch even one rabbit! 

Over the summer I bought a half-dozen conibear quick kill spring traps and thought I would give them a try. Being able to use bait will possibly improve my odds. I would like to put a rabbit or three in the pot.

When circumstances get as bad as most believe, trapping will surly find a respectable place once again. Trapping works 24/7 through all kinds of weather and, if done correctly, outperforms a single hunter many times over if the goal is meat for the pantry.

I plan on setting the conibears inside baited one-gallon plastic milk jugs in and around brush piles. Cutting the bottom out of the jugs allows just enough room to slide a set conibear up into with a second cut out along one side for the spring to slide neatly in place. 

Anyone else trap?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Funny you should ask. When I was a kid my older brother and I ran trap lines most every winter, cought fox, ****, a butt load of opossums, muskrats, neutra, and even a mink once. 

We didn't do it for food but we made some good money selling the hides and the dogs loved the left overs so nothing went to waste.

I was brousing through a locally owned old fashioned hardware store last month and foud they carried the old no. 2 double spring traps, only had three in stock and I got all three for $9.00 each. Am going to get some more when they come in. 

We never trapped rabbits, shooting was always easier, not to mention that the hides were always to delicate for us kids with fat cold fingers to peel off without tearing them to pieces.

I don't remember all of the tricks of the trade we once used but I am going to have to relearn them in the next few years.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Jezcruzen said:


> There is seldom any discussion on trapping. I've brought it up around some friends before and usually get some negative response back like even the thought of trapping animals is in itself, evil.
> 
> I tried setting a few wire snares last winter for rabbits. I wasn't successful. Didn't catch even one rabbit!
> 
> ...


Excellent subject! Trapping is by far the best way to procure wild meat. It's best to stock up on traps now and learn how to use them effectively. The bodygrip traps are best IMO. You can get a "pan" that screws on to the wire triggers (you have to bend them 90 degrees) that worls really well for rabbits and squirrels. In my experience squirrels are the easiest critter to snare.

Along the same line of thought don't forget to have a good supp,y of hooks and lines for setting trot line, limb lines, jugs, etc. Fish are good eating too.


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

I traped ****, posum and nutra rat when I was a kid. Made spending money.

Trap hogs now. You can several at a time and have a bunch of fine eating. They are smart, but they are always hungry, so they can be caught. I use the round pen with swing shut door. If you get 'em to come in they're caught.

Jimmy


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

The hogs are a big problem here in Texas, trouble is most farmers and ranchers won't let you in to take them, instead most of them just complain bout how bad they are getting.

We will just let them breed and then there will be plenty of meat on the the hoof when the SHTF.


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

Davarm said:


> The hogs are a big problem here in Texas, trouble is most farmers and ranchers won't let you in to take them, instead most of them just complain bout how bad they are getting.
> 
> We will just let them breed and then there will be plenty of meat on the the hoof when the SHTF.


I know wild hogs exist in the Smokey Mountains of N.C. and Tenn., but I have not heard anything about them living in SW Virginia, which is right next door.

I would think there would be a business opportunity for some enterprising person to trap wild hogs using a corral type arrangement, load them up live and take them to market. I'm thinking of a fenced area about 20' sq. with a one-way gate that allows the hogs to enter but not leave. Add a loading shute, bait the enclosure with corn, and they would be set.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Jezcruzen said:


> I know wild hogs exist in the Smokey Mountains of N.C. and Tenn., but I have not heard anything about them living in SW Virginia, which is right next door.
> 
> I would think there would be a business opportunity for some enterprising person to trap wild hogs using a corral type arrangement, load them up live and take them to market. I'm thinking of a fenced area about 20' sq. with a one-way gate that allows the hogs to enter but not leave. Add a loading shute, bait the enclosure with corn, and they would be set.


Here's what TPWD and the Texas Animal Health Commission has on their websites...

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild..._hogs/#wipeout

The Texas Animal Health Commission has enacted regulations requiring all feral hogs in Texas to be tested and certified to be disease free before being released into the wild for whatever purposes. They may however, be legally transported to slaughter or livestock sale for slaughter. If stocking is desired, only castrated males (barrows) should be considered. Because they cannot reproduce, they will grow larger, fatter and often produce larger tusks.

http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/animal_h...ral_swine.html

Approved Feral Swine Holding Facilities

An Approved Holding Facility for feral swine is a pen or pens approved by the TAHC to temporarily hold feral swine pending movement to a recognized slaughter facility or an authorized hunting preserve.
Feral swine can be legally moved only from the premises where trapped to either an approved holding facility (as listed below), a recognized slaughter facility, or an authorized hunting preserve.

Purchase of Feral Swine

Approved feral swine holding facilities may purchase trapped feral swine. 
TAHC is not involved in any aspect of the purchase transaction 
Purchase price is at the discretion of the individual facility owner.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I've found that setting snares in the shelter provided *under* the lowest branches of pine trees works very well. 

If you find the entrance to a warren placing the baited trap over the entrance will more than likely yield a result within a day if it is still occupied.

EDIT: my experience trapping is with SMALL game


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

As far as trapping and transporting wild hogs, I will leave that up to you younger more adventureous types. I haven't had alot of experience with them but enough to know that I don't want to do it, shoot em will work for me all day long, I do want to live just a little bit longer and I am not as quick or nimble as I used to be.


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

Davarm said:


> As far as trapping and transporting wild hogs, I will leave that up to you younger more adventureous types. I haven't had alot of experience with them but enough to know that I don't want to do it, shoot em will work for me all day long, I do want to live just a little bit longer and I am not as quick or nimble as I used to be.


*laughing* Yes. I suspect neither of us would be up to it physically. Maybe we could simply "supervise". 

Still, it would seem a means for some of the young bucks looking for excitement plus a little cash could work on if nothing else is available to them.


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## Momturtle (Nov 2, 2009)

If you are trapping in VA, you better not set conibear traps anywhere outside of water or you face major fines. They are an excellent trap but deadly on cats and dogs as well. What a conibear catches, it kills. There is a thread on here regarding rabbit boxes that was excellent. They key is placing them where the rabbits are - set yourself up on a hill and watch the area for a while, you will see where they come and go - that's where you want your snares and traps. I like trapping ***** - you can use the ****-cuff type of trap - easy to set up, doesn't catch anything else except ***** and there is a lot of meat on most *****. Plus the pelts are worth a little bit of money if they are in winter pelt. Since we have chickens, there are almost always ***** around. 

I have to admit, if we ever caught a wild hog, the only relocation would be to the smoke house or freezer. The older boars reek and the meat isn't too good for eating but grind it up and par boil it (to kill any parasites) and the chickens, dogs, and cats LOVE it.


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

I'm 57 ain't a spring chicken for sure. Plus short one lung...I trap 'em in a cage/trap, then back up to the gate with trailer that has transport cage on it. Put ramp down, open trap gate and run their butts in. Then haul them to pens. Feed 'em out in 45-60 days and then sell/butcher/bbq them. I can handle them ok, if I have to, but you have to pay attention....

Once you grab them back legs and have them off the ground, pig belongs to you and goes where you want. Think real wigglie wheel barrow....

Jimmy


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

My experience with trapping hogs was when I was about 30 and in excellent condition. A local game warden took myself and several members of our church to to set a trap for hogs for a big annual pot luck dinner. We caught a Boar(bout 250 pounds) and two smaller sows, they promptly shot them and being the most fit person, was elected to go in and drag them out. About the time the gate clanked shut the boar jumped up despite a 38 shot in the head, and came after me. If I had not been able to jump/climb the 5 foot pen, I would have been in big trouble.

I learned that hog hunting/trapping is not for me.


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

Thanks for the "heads up" Momturtle regarding the conibear. I must admit to a great deal of ignorance when it comes to traps and trapping. OTOH, if circumstances were to present themselves to us at the Great Depression level or worse, I would imagine that a great many game laws will go right out the window. 

I have several of the smallest conibears (#110s, I think) that are just right for rabbits/squirrels and I have been familiarizing myself with a few different methods of setting them. So far I like the milk jug method the best. 

Box traps are a great idea. Rabbits, however, appear to be about as rare as rattle snake hips around here lately.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Jezcruzen said:


> Box traps are a great idea. Rabbits, however, appear to be about as rare as rattle snake hips around here lately.


they must've all decided Ohio was the place to be :dunno:

Rabbit Season just started here in Ohio (Nov. 4) and lasts until mid-February

I got three HUGE (3+ pounds) rabbits yesterday within 1/2 an hour just sitting on the porch with my Daisy 880 air rifle (I still have the original box with the price sticker on it that reads "$17.95"... I think they cost $60 now). I have them dressed out and hanging now, do it while they're still warm and the skin peels off very easily. IMHO November rabbits are best because they are the fattest they will be all year.


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

The_Blob said:


> they must've all decided Ohio was the place to be :dunno:
> 
> Rabbit Season just started here in Ohio (Nov. 4) and lasts until mid-February
> 
> I got three HUGE (3+ pounds) rabbits yesterday within 1/2 an hour just sitting on the porch with my Daisy 880 air rifle (I still have the original box with the price sticker on it that reads "$17.95"... I think they cost $60 now). I have them dressed out and hanging now, do it while they're still warm and the skin peels off very easily. IMHO November rabbits are best because they are the fattest they will be all year.


I once had beagles and rabbit hunted almost every day I was off during the season. It was served up at dinner time quite often... ummmmm! Love it simmered in gravy with mashed potatoes and biscuits! Now the beagles are long gone and about the only time I see rabbits anymore around the house is when I drive in a night. One or two usually hop across the road. Rabbit populations are cyclic, anyway, and predators keep them thinned out.


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## stand (Nov 15, 2011)

*traps help eliminate predatorsthat eat YOUR food animals.*

skunks, and possums are pure hell on groundnesting birds, and housecats climb trees to nests. Minks and weasels are hell on muskrats, rabbits, Martens pick off your squirrels One dog, fox, lynx, bobcat or coyote will wipe out an entire brood of quail in seconds, and they can quickly reduce your rabbit population to near zero, too. One owl or hawk means a lost game bird, squirrel or rabbit almost every day. When shtf, even starlings and sparrows will be a precious protein source. If shtf, I will kill all the predators that I can.


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