# fox trapping



## highliner (Dec 31, 2007)

Hey everyone. I've been trapping for two weeks now, I only have 6 coil spring traps but I just got my second fox today. What's the best way to dispatch the animal? I shot the first one with my .22 but the dang thing leaked all over in my truck and garage plus there is a hole in the pelt. The one I got today I gave it a good whack in the head with my hammer but it still broke the skin and it just wasn't as quick and painless as I had hoped. What do you guys do to dispatch an animal quickly but not damage the pelt?


----------



## Dead Drifter (Nov 22, 2008)

Ten foot piece of conduit with a rope thread through it. Tie a hangmans knot to the one end. You can place the noose over the animals head from ten feet away. Pull the other end and cinch the noose down tight and choke the fox to death. You have to have a stomach for it. The fox will kick and struggle for a while. Make sure you have the noose pulled tight. 

Usually, a well placed bullet (22) right between the eyes does the trick. A small caliber hole in the head area shouldn't deminish the fur price.


----------



## rugerdogdog (Nov 18, 2007)

What he said!!!!.......Kinda. If you use a 22 then I would shoot it in the eye or ear. That way you wont make a hole. 
Or better yet a catchpole like he said. My conduit is only 5 ft long so it will fit in the Jeep. Use 3/32" cable, it's tougher than rope. Run the cable up the conduit and attach a short piece of chain. Then put a notch in that end of the conduit, that way you can "lock" it closed by putting a chain link in the notch when you have it cinched down. This frees up one hand during the struggle if you need it. That's probably clear as mud. If you want I can post a link to the instuctions w/ pics. Its on wildabouttrapping.com
It only took about a half hour to make and I had all the stuff just laying around.


----------



## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I'm, impressed that you have gotten two foxes in two weeks, that is pretty impressive. They can be smarter than humans, when the human is a newbie expecially.
I trapped for like two winters without trapping any and I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing. :lol: 
Got lots of muskrat, mink, a ditch tiger, and a Beaver (didn't even know there were beaver around there, caught him in a muskrat set. :shock: ) OH and SKUNKS! Blasted buggers anyway. Caught them like two to one over everything else. :evil: 

My best technique for fox was to sneak up to where I could see my trap line and shoot them while they were trying to mess with my catch. :| 

I like the catch pole idea, especially with the chain lock. You can also get you some .22CB loads, they are subsonic and won't exit the head, still have a hole going in of course so yeah, the eye or the ear to avoid that. Maybe. :mrgreen:


----------



## highliner (Dec 31, 2007)

I like the catchplole on wild-about-trapping. Doesn't look too hard to build. I'll also get some subsonic .22 rounds. I don't know why I didn't think of shooting them in the head. Can't wait to check my traps again now. Thanks!


----------



## rugerdogdog (Nov 18, 2007)

Anytime Highliner. Hey keep us posted on how you do on your line. I'd love to talk trapping, there just arent that many of us around here.
I'm a newbie like you. Been at it about 7 weeks now. I started with 6 traps too but soon I was hooked and just HAD to invest in a dozen more!
Although all I've caught so far is one big bobcat.


----------



## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I use a 22 pistol and shoot the animal in the head. The fur buyers understand you have to dispatch the animal and there is no deduction for a small hole in the head area. I have dispatched them by smacking them in the head with a broom handle and then standing on their chest until they die. The weight stops the heart from pumping.

After the catch, I put the animal in a large plastic bag and then spray bug killer into the bag then close the bag up with a wire tie. By the time I get home the ticks have all perished and it makes for a more pleasurable skinning time.

Good luck with your line, I won't set mine until after the holidays and I figure most people won't be out messing around where I like to trap. The foxes will start to rub soon, so catch them while you can.


----------



## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

Are you guys aware that they sell traps, _*RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN*_, at Cal-Ranch?
Saw them in there the other day and couldn't have been happier.

Had to explain to the little girl who was stocking them up that she wasn't aiding and abetting the devil though, she thought they were evil and was only working with them cause it was that or work somewhere else. :roll:

I showed her the toe notch in the jaws and explained to her that they were specifically designed to HOLD without HURTING or at least not too badly and I think I actually got her to rethink the deal. 
Told her that way, if you happened to get something that you didn't actually want, all you had to do was pin it down and release the jaws and it would take off like nothing ever happened.
Recommended she look up some leg hold trap videos on You Tube and see for herself, as there were quite a few where they trap something and then let it go unharmed.

She seemed a lot happier with her job as I was leaving. :mrgreen:


----------



## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

Artoxx said:


> Are you guys aware that they sell traps, _*RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN*_, at Cal-Ranch?
> Saw them in there the other day and couldn't have been happier.:


I believe they are Duke traps. I personally dont care for them. They look cheaply built to me. I prefer the Montgomery traps. I have caught a lot of beaver and have not had a montgomery fail or get weak.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Sportsmans also has them right on the shelf; are they not supposed to? The ones at Cal Ranch were made in Korea FWIW.


----------



## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

NO, it is just that with all the Politically Correct BULLSH!T, there are places that sell them but kind of hide them so they are not obvious. You have to ask someone where they are or you will probably never find them, it is just good to see someplace that is willing to risk the PETA bastiches that will eventually cause trouble. I know there have been several instances where Sportsmans has FIRMLY escorted dumbass bunnyhuggers from the store, and told them not to come back under pain of arrest.


----------



## HGD (Mar 5, 2008)

I like bridgers, good trap. And a 22 short will dispatch a fox.


----------



## highliner (Dec 31, 2007)

I passed up the Korean made Duke traps and bought Sleepy Creek traps even though they were twice the price they are made in the USA. So far the only local trapping supply place I have found is Montgomery Fur in Ogden. They have an online store and buy and sell pelts but I don't know if they have a walk in store. They even buy raw fur. I'll try and call them tomorrow to get current prices.


----------



## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

highliner said:


> So far the only local trapping supply place I have found is Montgomery Fur in Ogden. They have an online store and buy and sell pelts but I don't know if they have a walk in store. They even buy raw fur. I'll try and call them tomorrow to get current prices.


They have a walk in store. They are some very nice people. They have a deal every year that ends in Oct. This year they will still honor those prices for a walkin not on the internet. They are only about 2 miles from me.


----------



## rugerdogdog (Nov 18, 2007)

Funny. Living in The Big Sh!tty you have to deal with that. I can buy them at Ace Hardware! They are about 3 steps from the cash register!!! And, I'm guessing here, no bunny huggers have ever been escorted out.  
If I lived up there I would deal with Montgomery but on the net F&TPOST.com has slightly better prices just takes longer to ship them.


----------



## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

You may want to compare F&T again. The last time I looked they werent even close to the price of Montgomery on items. They were cheaper on traps by the dozen but not half dozen or indiviual. I get them quite a bit cheaper by walking in. If you compare traps make sure you dont compare Duke with Bridger traps. Duke quality isnt even close.


----------



## rugerdogdog (Nov 18, 2007)

Do they have cheaper prices if you go in the store? I'm sure I compared my whole order which was a dozen Duke #2s, 100' of 3/32, some pan covers, and ferrules. It wasn't a huge difference but it was enough for me to wait a couple extra days and send my money to Michigan instead of Ogden.


----------



## InvaderZim (Sep 7, 2007)

Montgomery Fur is a great place to purchase trapping and predator hunting related items. They have fair prices and the folks there are outstanding.

Do yourself a favor and buy their Bridger brand traps. They are heavy duty, simple, and fairly inexpensive. Its worth the drive to odgen, but if you live farther south than you wish to drive they will ship 'em to ya.

Good luck, and as to the origional poster; if your catching 2 fox a week with half a dozen traps your doing well. Some areas just don't have a large fox population.


----------



## rugerdogdog (Nov 18, 2007)

InvaderZim said:


> as to the origional poster; if your catching 2 fox a week with half a dozen traps your doing well.


Ya I kinda missed that! 2 per week with 6 traps is very good IMO.


----------



## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

rugerdogdog said:


> Do they have cheaper prices if you go in the store? I'm sure I compared my whole order which was a dozen Duke #2s, 100' of 3/32, some pan covers, and ferrules. It wasn't a huge difference but it was enough for me to wait a couple extra days and send my money to Michigan instead of Ogden.


You cant compare a Duke with a Bridger trap. The bridgers are a lot better trap with not much difference in price. Montgomery dont sell Duke traps.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Congrats on two foxes already

I hope this doesnt offend anyone

My dad is an ornery old trapper, and I have been with him many times running a trap line. The way he "dispatched" animals that he wanted to skin was by puting the box trap into a large strong garbage bag and hooked it up to the exhaust pipe of his truck. Let the truck run for about 15 min or so and the animal dies a humane peaceful way.

The second way he dispatched animals in a box trap was by drowning them in a near by canal. It takes only about 5 min or so, but its pretty grusome because each one I have seen drowned usually vomits underwater.... not my favorite way of finishing them off.

Finally, he used to trap for a dairy farm in the SL valley and sometimes he would catch a **** in a snare and obviously couldnt just dispatch it in the ways mentioned above, so he would take his .22 pellet gun, get as close as possible and shoot the animal in the ear so as to prevent as little pelt damage as possible (later on he found that the .22 darts penetrate the skull better but they are more expensive). I think that if you are going to shoot the animal, its a good idea to carry garbage bags to hold the carcass until you can skin the animal.

PS: if you catch a porcupine, dont try and transport it if youdrive an SUV. Their urine smells terrible and doesnt clean up easily. I'm speaking from experience here.

And if you find it necessary to use a blunt object to dispatch the animal, hammers are not a good choice for a couple reasons: obviously pelt damage, but you also get your hands mighty close to the animal. You dont want to get bit. Use a base ball bat, its large and doesnt have abrupt edges to tear the skin. Round objects seem to work best


----------



## rugerdogdog (Nov 18, 2007)

Ok you are right. I thought I was careful not to compare apples and oysters but not careful enough. It may have been a long day that night and I'm SURE I was drinking!!! 8)


----------

