# here's my first attempt at a pocket set



## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

what do you think should it work or should I move the pocket closer to the water?
also using a mix of BBQ sauce, canned tuna and jam.
had issues with the bucket trap, mice kept taking the bait,set mouse traps and caught 2 mice lol
I set 2 pocket sets, i'll be checking them tomorrow.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

What are mice pelts going for these days, and are they still prime?


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*



Loke said:


> What are mice pelts going for these days, and are they still prime?


Not sure on the pelts... but if you cut off an ear, the bounty in Tooele County is about a penny.
:lol:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*



blueshooter said:


> also using a mix of BBQ sauce, canned tuna and jam.


I'm not saying you are wrong here. But growing up, my dad would always take me out on his trap line and never used any bait for a set up like this. He would always tell me to look for a muskrat hole that looked active, and he said that if a mink were in the area, he would look in the hole anyways.

So my question is; does baiting a setup like this help much? I'd be interested to hear about your results because I have been thinking about running a trap line on a limited basis to get back in the routine of things...


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

i'm trying to get into a little trapping myself, so i'm learning by trial and error, been told bait works great but so far nothing.
went and set some more traps out today with my wife so hoping to get something by monday


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## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

If you are telling us you set some more traps out today with your wife as bait. you are going to have a rocky marrage. After I tried that on a bear hunt, I had to bring home flowers every day for a month. :lol:


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

But did you get a bear?


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

I'm assuming you are after muskrats. So, I'd make my pocket about twice as deep as what I see in the picture. Also, shred up a bunch of clean carrots. They act as an visual and smell attractant and the muskrats will hang around the trap area longer as they eat them. Ya, mice and field rats will find them and eat them as well, but you will catch more muskrats with carrots than anything else I've found.

You are getting into the trapping a little late for this year, you might have a week left before they begin to slip real bad. And the run, at least in Northern Utah is about over. I'm seeing about 20% damage right now.

Good luck on your line, and it always helps to have the support of the wife.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*



Bears Butt said:


> and it always helps to have the support of the wife.


Bears Butt makes a good point here. Trapping is a way of life for my dad, and unfortunately my mom did not understand why he was gone every evening checking his trap line. Nor did she understand why there were stretching boards doused in blood and fat in the basement (now that I think back on that, our house must have stunk!) So its really neat that your wife comes along with you 8)


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

I started trapping when I was 10 and continued all the way through college. Anyway, a couple observations:

What species are you trying to target?? I'm assuming raccoon because of your bait. However, the trap size seems a little small to me. I always used a #2 for ****.

If it is for ****, your set location sucks. A **** doesn't mind wading into your set but they are less likely to swim into it. It doesn't appear a racoon can get to your set easily without swimming. It is also probable a raccoon will just reach over the bank to get to your bait and not touch the trap. I think I'd look for a site that is a little more easily accessible for raccoon if it was me.

$.02


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

and this is why i am a bird hunter. anyway so checked my traps today one muskrat in a 110 conibear(the trap was set next to a place where they would come up on the bank and feed. rest of the traps nothing. looks like i'll be looking for a new spot for my pocket sets. I can't catch a raccoon they must not like me. lol


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## JFish (Oct 29, 2008)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

it looks like you are trying to catch raccoons, which is a great hobby any time of year considering how devastating they are to upland game birds. The pocket set you constructed is does have a few problems, like another member said it is ideal to set a pocket against a bank where you know ***** are walking along. If a **** has to swim to investigate it will lower your percentage. Be sure to put some scent on the ground above the pocket leading to the edge so the **** walking above will be look over the edge and see the pocket. As far as bait goes sardines or tuna should be sufficient to call a ****. Your trap size it fine, you don't need a number 2. a 1.65 is more than sufficient to hold ****.

As you are trying different sets, let me share my favorite **** set. All I do to catch **** is find a trail that **** are using along the shore of a stream then I put tin foil around the trap pan and set the trap under about 2" of water. I bed the trap solid into the mud and try to cover the jaws and springs as much as possible so that the tin foil shines while the trap is well blended. Then I stab a stick into the mud above the trap and put some fish or shellfish oil on it. When the **** smells the fish oil it will investigate the stick and will see the shiny thing in the water. The **** will reach and try to grab the tin foil (trap pan) and will get caught every time. I love this set because it is very easy to construct (you don't have to dig pockets) yet catches raccoons like crazy. I like to use the #11 long spring for this set but the 1.65 will do fine also. Just make sure you have the more shiny side of this tinfoil up and make sure nothing gets under you pan. Keep after those ****, they are not tough to catch once you get the hang of it. Make sure you pay a visit to Montgomery Fur (http://montgomeryfur.com/) up in Ogden for tons of great books, lures, and equipment for trapping.


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

*Re: here's my fist attemp at a pocket set*

thank you for your reply, very helpful. The river i'm trapping along, has banks that drop off into deep water quickly and so i really don't have the best areas for placing **** traps. Can't wait for beaver season next year because there are a butt load of them in there one of my small traps that i placed guiding sticks near all got chewed on this weekend. One reason i'm trying to catch ***** now is so when the fall comes i might have a chance at catching them instead of learning (if that even made any sense)


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Here is a good pocket set video, kind of long but informative, with good results in the end too!

[youtube:h2gpi8xh]http://www.youtube.com/v/ULC07b0cs6U&hl=en_US&fs=1&[/youtube:h2gpi8xh]


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

went out this morning, to pull my last two snares and my bucket trap. Had a large male **** in the bucket(used "big Stinky" and pineapple that fell on the kitchen floor) and a female **** in one of my snares, done till the fall now that i have some ***** to mount for my basement "Bucky" and "She'lla" are their names!


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Well done! I'm glad you finally got some *****


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Nice! Way to put a hurt on those sunzabiches. 8)


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

lehi said:


> Nice! Way to put a hurt on those sunzabiches. 8)


+1


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

oh when i was checking the traps took a look at one of my pocket sets (i had already pulled the trap a few days before) but a **** had dug at it really well.


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