# Little sucess on the winter water line



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> I tried 110s under ice with nothing but misses. 160s got em. Never tried board sets with footholds.


Very correct on the 110's!
Let me tell a story that happened back in the early 80's. I had a couple of small ponds with about 2" of crystal clear ice on them and they had a few rats. I set baited 110's in the bubble trails and used carrot wheels on the trigger. I set the 110's as I set anyother rat run in a ditch or in front of dens. 

Right off the bat I had sprung traps and couldn't believe it really. So, I reset every trap as it was sprung and waited. Well I caught a few rats but I continued to have way more sprung traps. One morning as I was resetting a sprung trap I swa under the ice about 1'-1.5' away from the hole, a dead rat just under the ice. I chopped it out and the light bulb came on!! It had to have 
Worked the bait and sprung the trap but was clunked on the nose with the top jaw and and flung up and out of the trap with the lower jaw. I went to two other holes and found dead rats just as I'd found the first!! I dawned on my why this could happen. It has to do with how a rat's body rests in suspension and works the bait. It's lungs have air in them and it's butt doesn't so it sinks below it's upper body. The lower jaw comes in contact first with the rat and is flipping it up and out as the upper jaw whacks'em on the noggin. Dead OR screwed-up rat but NOT in the trap is the result.

From that day on I set my traps rolled 90 degrees with the triggers on vertical jaws instead of horizontal and me finding sprung traps without a rat in them pretty much ended with that day!! I have never set another 110 for rats and many years ago went to 160-size traps which eliminated. ALL misses!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL,
Mike "Seldom" Fales


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

hey seldom could you show us a picture of your setup with the 90 degree turn?


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Timberdoodle2 said:


> hey seldom could you show us a picture of your setup with the 90 degree turn?


Notice where the spring eye is in relation to the trigger so that the trap closes side-to-side, rather then top-to-bottom. This is a huge asset in preventing misses because the rat working the bait is not horizontal in the water but on an angle with head up and butt down.


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

thank you seldom, makes much more sence to me now old age sets in.


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Daughter wanted the day off today so she slept in and hung out with mom at home
That gave me an opportunity to play duck hunter this morning
My only time out duck hunting was on the last day. I pretty much gave up duck hunting this year so I could spend more time trapping with my daughter. I would definitely make the same choice again. In fact I am already planning next years lines and they don't leave much room for ducks

Good to know I still got it though as a pair of geese came in and both flew into the path of my shot 
We also connected on a couple more rats 
We are 2 short of her goal with one check to go


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

We had to make the decision to trap or goose hunt today too. My youngest son wanted to get out for the 2 day split today. I talked him out of it since the farm we hunt hadn't had any ducks or geese in the field this week. My oldest son shot a doe there 2 nights ago and didn't see anything flying that night.....which is very odd for this farm.


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

you will make it and if you dont you still made the best of your season, no one can beat the value you had for your time this season.


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Last check and pull today
Absolutely an awesome week
Capped off with this


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)




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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Woohoo a ****


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

The equipment used


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Bottom edge at the base of the stump on the right. Culvert is right behind me


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

I wish we had another week


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

great finish for sure!! good job. now you get to show her how to finish **** and your gonna need a differnt stretcher for that otter its not a mink well done dad!!


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Fool'em said:


> I wish we had another week
> 
> View attachment 239020


Yup, great job!


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Nice job love those otters! Great times with your daughter congrats


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

That's the first otter for me
I don't know who was more excited to see it at the end of the slider. My daughter or me. From a distance I thought it was a mink down under water. 
We set the trap on Dec 23 and checked it every day with no action. It was a baited pocket with half a muskrat 
Couple days ago we added fresh bait and a shot of mink lure


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Congrats!!!!!!!


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## Just A Girl (Sep 18, 2008)

How awesome is this!! I love seeing all the pink and pony tails doing this trapping. I, on one occasion, had the opportunity to ride along checking a couple beaver sets. The trapper had success and I was happy to be along. I'd love to have the opportunity to learn some of this stuff...especially this evening because I just heard the biggest pack of coyotes that I've ever heard, right outside my window.


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

FREEPOP said:


> Congrats!!!!!!!


My taxidermist is happy!

Ended up being an expensive week

Getting a mount done, not sure of the pose but something with a trap on its foot. He did a coyote like that for someone and I helped him weld a trap open so it wouldn't hurt the mount

I brought it to him and let him skin it out the way he wanted that way I couldn't wreak it with my 5 thumbs


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

That is interesting Seldom. I'm sure many a city neighborhoods with rat issues would love to have an otter around to run them out. The ADC trapper however wouldn't be as happy!

Fool'em: The best photos (hands down) are the ones of your little girls! Big sister working with little sister. Just goes to show you how quickley the student becomes the teacher. Save those photos for when she graduates high school.

As for the otter mount and the trap on his foot. That is a tough call. As adults, we like what we like and we don't really care what others think about it. As parents (especially of girls) we tend to be a bit more picky. It isn't that we necessary care about what some parent would think, but we care about our children. Girls are way worse on each other than boys are and something as simple as that could ostrisize a young lady from her group of friends (they are vicious sometimes). Hard to please everyone but I would err on the side of caution. I would hope it never came to something like that but, you never know.

I do however find the answers are usually right in front of me. I explain the situation and allow my daughter (who is now 10) to make the decision!!!! I'll bet if you asked your daughter what she wanted (after explaining that her friends and their family may say harsh things) she would say "lets do it, if they don't like what I do, they are not my friends"!!!! Regardless, you are doing the right things as a sportsman and as a parent. This thread has been a pleasure and I have learned alot more than I thought I could (Thanks Seldom for the Carrot and green tape tricks). Who says you can't teach an old dog....


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

wicklundrh said:


> That is interesting Seldom. I'm sure many a city neighborhoods with rat issues would love to have an otter around to run them out. The ADC trapper however wouldn't be as happy!
> 
> Fool'em: The best photos (hands down) are the ones of your little girls! Big sister working with little sister. Just goes to show you how quickley the student becomes the teacher. Save those photos for when she graduates high school.
> 
> ...


You're welcome Wicklundrh. There's quite a story behind how the tape came to be.


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Got the otter sealed today. Too bad they take the skull that would have been cool bleached out

I guess I'd rather they manage the resource for more otter though


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

seldom, we got time for the tape story we dont have safe ice yet and another vote for one fine thread, made my time inside the house do to health issues previously much more enjoyable. i could feel and smell the outside in each post from all of you!


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

Timberdoodle2 said:


> seldom, we got time for the tape story we dont have safe ice yet and another vote for one fine thread, made my time inside the house do to health issues previously much more enjoyable. i could feel and smell the outside in each post from all of you!


X2. I think people are foolish if they don't listen and learn from people that have years of experience (not saying you are old Seldom). Both success and mistakes. 

Passing on the information only expands our knowledge books! Seldom does a great job with his videos and ideas he passes on. I appreciate it and I know others do.

Fool'em. I would love to see that picture of your daughters in black and white!


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

Love the old trapper black and white photos.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

wicklundrh said:


> X2. I think people are foolish if they don't listen and learn from people that have years of experience (not saying you are old Seldom). Both success and mistakes.
> 
> Passing on the information only expands our knowledge books! Seldom does a great job with his videos and ideas he passes on. I appreciate it and I know others do.
> 
> Fool'em. I would love to see that picture of your daughters in black and white!


OK, but I'm going to hijack this thread just a little! LOL
Maybe a half dozen years ago I was beaver & coyote trapping up on the Kawkawlin Flooding and I saw a fella trapping rats on a part of the marsh as I'd be driving in. I could see that he was using cut-poles from a distance but that was all. After a few days I see where he'd hauled-out and left so I thought I'd take a walk and see if any coyotes were crossing the ice and using the beaver run ice through the tags. 

As I was walking through where the person had trapped huts I see laying in a grass hummock, a short piece of board with a piece of green tape stapled on it. I cold see from the 2 nails that he was using cut-poles for stakes and actually making "board" sets without boards.



I've done this before my self but what caught my attention was where the bait holding nail was, there was this folded-up piece of florescent green tape instead of a bait-holder nail(I was taught "board" sets by the best I figure). Well let me tell you the lightbulb came on right then!!

**Notice the distance this trapper used from the trap hanger nail to the bait**


Soooo, I brought the board home as a souvenir and since I was beaver trapping with snare poles and "swinging Susie's" I wrapped the baits with this tape. Beaver Loved it and when I didn't catch the beaver that worked the pole, they tore the crap out of the tape!!

I had this sweet little marsh/pit to trap rats on yet that year to setup so I made up the carrot and tape-thing you see in one of earlier photos here and proceeded to kick the crap out of the rat population on the marsh/pit! We're talking a 1st night catch ratio though the ice of just about 80%!!! Almost as high as my feed bed/foothold ratio in open water!! I never looked back and in the following years continued to use the same bait. It was either the next year or the following where I read about using this tape and some fella was selling green hockey putts for body-grips.

For me, it was all about some other trapper leaving a board behind!


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

thanks for the story on the green tape!!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I was going to ask Fool 'em when he was going to get it sealed 
I think my young friend is coming over this weekend. If so we'll put the traps back in and add a few more for Beaver and other critters. It's a long drive to get the otter sealed so I'd rather only do it once.


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Thank you all for the compliments and encouragement. Thank you all for the suggestions and tips

I have been a lurker here for quite awhile and this year I finally broke down and began posting 
Thank you all for giving me a place to brag on my daughter. I am very proud of her and her willingness to participate in trapping. hopefully my posts will motivate even one person to get their son or daughter out there trying it. 
Last year my daughter saw the traps hanging in the barn right before Christmas break and she said show me how to use those. That led to the first line in probably 5 years for me. Then she wanted to go much bigger this year. We bought more and better equipment and definitely hit it harder this year than I ever have. She loved it an we are going to go bigger next year 
We're not quite done this year
I have a couple spots to set yet and we are going to try for some spring beaver


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Thank you Fool 'em for reviving the Trapping section of the forums.


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

be sure to include us on the rest of your season, so we can tag along with you and your daughters


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

What is even more interesting to me is the fact that she "asked" about it. Most of the time, a guy takes someone along, they see it, think it is cool, and want to try it. In this particular instance, she was inquisative about it and asked to do it. That says something about her character!

As others have said, I look forward to seeing many more threads and photos. Not only of this year but for many years to come. Here is a young lady that is doing something that not very many people are doing anymore. None of us get rich doing it. In fact, most of us lose money every year. 

We all do it for a number of reasons. In some instances it is money. In some instances it is the time in nature, the thrill of outsmarting an animal in their own environment. We as trappers are stewards of the land. Contrary to what some misinformed people might think, we are not out for blood. We have compassion with what we do. We work hard on our equipment to ensure a humain catch. We release animals back into the wild if they are of low quality, they are out of season, or they are too young to harvest. We keep certain numbers in check that, without us, would skyrocket. 

Your daughter is learning way more than just trapping an animal. In my eyes she is learning the love of the land, the importance of balance in a herd or area, compassion for all of the animals, and valuable skills that can carry over in to many other things in her life. 

I hope that you allow her to read some of the posts from guys like Freepop, Seldom, and the many others that share stories, experience, release catches and so on. Then she gets the opportunity to see that there are other people out there that share the same love and compassion for this endevor. It isn't just dad telling her something!!!


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

wicklundrh said:


> Love the old trapper black and white photos.
> View attachment 239348
> View attachment 239350
> View attachment 239351


 I do like the black and white
Might have to frame a couple for the wall. 
That was a really cool day with the fresh snow


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

Would also look really cool in an old time trapper magazine!


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

wicklundrh said:


> What is even more interesting to me is the fact that she "asked" about it. Most of the time, a guy takes someone along, they see it, think it is cool, and want to try it. In this particular instance, she was inquisative about it and asked to do it. That says something about her character!
> 
> As others have said, I look forward to seeing many more threads and photos. Not only of this year but for many years to come. Here is a young lady that is doing something that not very many people are doing anymore. None of us get rich doing it. In fact, most of us lose money every year.
> 
> ...


Thank you wicklunder 
I think she enjoys it for all the reasons you mentioned as well as the learning and trying new things along with me. As I've said before I am definitely no expert so we do have failures and what we try does not always work. She and I are learning things every day together She enjoys being a partner instead of just a tag along. 
We talk about the sets and which critters to target. We plan the day and share the work. She is starting to read my trapping books and magazines. That tells me we are on the right track. I hope to soon hear dad your not doing that right let me show you how it's done. Or you don't want to set that there you should make the set over there. Once she starts to think she knows more than me and starts to go out on her own is when I know I have a trapping partner for life
I have read most of the posts in the trapping forum. I know it's like 6-700 threads. I haven't read them all but I've scanned a majority of them for useful information. I have learned a ton from the guys like seldom and freepop northcountry, ottertrapper and others and for that thank you guys
There's stuff on here from years ago that we will still be trying. I know my daughter is intrigued by rat tip ups


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