# Spring Trapping 2011



## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Just got started with the spring trapping of muskrats on Monday. Have about 70 traps out so far and am having a great time in the outdoors. Trapping to me is like opening Christmas presents...as you approach the trap...you wonder....what's inside? I love it. Out in the wild lands...ever present animals of all sorts. Weather that can be as harsh as can be, or as mild as a spring day. Always the presence of possible death (falling into a spring with no bottom), attacked by the cougar that has never been seen in that part of the country before, the wolf that is not in Utah, a stray bullet from the hunter that did not know you were anywhere close.

So far, no close calls other than cell phone. A great time! 30 some rats on the stretchers and one ermine (road kill). Not a bad start.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

That's awesome... Sure wish I had some water around here where I could set up for some muskrats...


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I did not think there was anywhere that did not have enough water to support muskrats. Where you located?


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I am in Bountful... At the moment I am trapping 2 properties 1 in Farmington and 1 in Bountiful. I would love to find a slow moving water way to set some traps up for muskrats. They are the easiest to trap and sure are consistent.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

PM sent


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

70 traps? holly molly! 30 stretchers? Do you do this as a full time job?


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## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

Wow thats alot of traps!
I just got my first 12 snares ready for some coyotes 

Just gotta set em up now...

Come march(since then itll start being lighter till dark) ill probably start putting out foot hold traps too


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

70 traps is nothing. I'm heading out today to swag in another 30 or so in preparation to pull 20 tomorrow and move them. I team up with my older brother who runs about 100 traps of his own. Last year we put 926 rats on stretchers. We are hoping for over 1,000 this year. Got lots of work ahead of us and because the weather is warming up, the ice is going fast. About another week and the run will start and then we will put up some fur! That is why it's so important to get the iron out in the field now.

More to come as the season progresses!


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Wow! That is some impressive trapping. How do you keep up with it all? I would loose more than half my traps. You use GPS?

Nambaster, I could show you several spots real close to Bountiful. Let me know if you are interested.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

PM sent


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

PM sent


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Spring? Ice melt? Run?

By the time the ice melts in Evingston it's Summer and a rat's hair is flat.  

Hey, what's the difference between a green and a finished hide these days? $1.00? $1.50?

Keep yer powder dry Bears Butt.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I can understand the winter to spring thing in Evanston. 
Green rats? You should be able to get at least $4 for a skinned rat hide that is in prime condition right now. Fleshed and stretched will go for $5 to $6. The more preparation you put into your skins the more valuable they become to the buyer.

China and Greece are the main buyers of American raw fur and the demand for rats is extremely high right now. At a smaller auction last month some rats went for $10!!! Unheard of prices!

Set 31 more traps yesterday and plan on pulling 20 today for a reset in another location.

Gotta go fellas! Each rat is almost a 12 pack of cool ones!


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## Mezmarley (Nov 25, 2007)

Dang, we were getting $10/rat back in the 80's. Those were great times when reds were $100 & ***** were $65, mink were $35. Paid for my beer money in college, but hard to flesh ***** in a dorm room. What are they going for now?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Mezmarley said:


> Dang, we were getting $10/rat back in the 80's. Those were great times when reds were $100 & ***** were $65, mink were $35. Paid for my beer money in college, but hard to flesh ***** in a dorm room. What are they going for now?


Yeah, yeah, $11.00 for #1 rats in the late 70s early 80s where I come from.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

If that were the case I would quit my job and become a seasonal trapper. I would need bears butt to mentor me for a couple of years but then I would be out checking my traps in a Porsche and all my leg holds would have gold chains to drown my rats.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Bears Butt only mentors his own. I can spin a good tale and make you believe it's the absolute truth! Once you get addicted to trapping you would forget about the Porsche and the gold chains and all your money would go into more equipment. Can't have too many traps of every kind. And a ton of odor eliminating soaps.

Shot two skunks with my 22 pistol and was hoping to post up pics in the predator thread but both fell back into their den holes and I was not about to go chasing them.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Bears Butt said:


> Bears Butt only mentors his own. I can spin a good tale and make you believe it's the absolute truth! Once you get addicted to trapping you would forget about the Porsche and the gold chains and all your money would go into more equipment. Can't have too many traps of every kind. And a ton of odor eliminating soaps.
> 
> Shot two skunks with my 22 pistol and was hoping to post up pics in the predator thread but both fell back into their den holes and I was not about to go chasing them.


Hey, boil your traps in water with black walnuts.

Oh, there are no black walnut trees here; nevermind!


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

We are pretty much under full gear with the trapping right now. The storm from last night has the rats holding up in their dens, so today is a day off. But the past day or so was very interesting. Got to meet the warden from Cache Valley yesterday, nice guy. He did point out a rule in the guidebook I was not in compliance with. That is the last time that will ever happen.
Anyway, here are a few pics from the past few days.
[attachment=3:jf8wecxo]PartOfTheCatchUWN.JPG[/attachment:jf8wecxo]
This was part of a 24 rat day! Not bad for an old guy.[attachment=2:jf8wecxo]FlaggingUWN.JPG[/attachment:jf8wecxo]
You have to know where the traps are in all that swamp, flagging helps this cause.[attachment=1:jf8wecxo]MapTheTrapsUWN.JPG[/attachment:jf8wecxo]
Now my memory isn't good enough to remember where I put 130 traps, so I draw a map. Have never left a trap in the swamp since employing this method.[attachment=0:jf8wecxo]ElkWithJalepinaUWN.JPG[/attachment:jf8wecxo]
As part of what I took away from the Perch party, some of WyoGoobs elk with jalapeno! Yummy to say the least. Took a little break to have some of this fine sausage with some Swiss cheese and flatbread crackers. Thanks Goob! Never mind that the rat has his back to the meal, he was sleeping anyway! 

Rat count to date = 224 and counting.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks Buddy. I love a guy that handles rats and fine sausage at the same time.


224! Holy poop!


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

:shock: Uh oh!!! you gave away your hot spot!!!! Did you run into Matt Burgess?


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Matt Burgess was his name. He was out of his jurisdiction by choice for the day. Too many people beating him up in his route. Nice guy!


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Well, the season for me has ended! And I must say it was a great season in deed! Ended with just over 1,000 rats. My nephew added 12 racoons and 3 foxes to the mix as well. Now it's time to clean up and get ready for the spring time activities!

Thanks again Goob for the wonderful snack foods out in the swamp!


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> Mezmarley said:
> 
> 
> > Dang, we were getting $10/rat back in the 80's. Those were great times when reds were $100 & ***** were $65, mink were $35. Paid for my beer money in college, but hard to flesh ***** in a dorm room. What are they going for now?
> ...


I remember $7.00 rats from back then but $11.00??? I dunno, maybe I was selling to the wrong buyer....... :?

Yep, the fox, rats, beaver, mink, and ***** of Cache Valley pretty well paid for my college education. I tell everybody I went through school on a trappin' scholarship!

Congrats on your catch Bears Butt.


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## Mezmarley (Nov 25, 2007)

Not sure where Goob grew up, but I lived in Illinois. I also worked my through beer money in college on rats, *****, mink and red fox; dorm rooms didn't really give too much room for skinning and stretching, so I had to roll & freeze. Still, love the thrill of rattling chains in the dark....


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