SUMMER 2022 VOLUME 47 | | NUMBER 4 Departments 6 | Editor’s Call 8 | Trapping as a Trade 10 | Make This Set 12 | The Management Trapper 14 | Fur Market Report 16 | On the Trapline 41 | Association News 50 | Classifi ed Ads 53 | Calendar 54 | End of the Line D A V E M O R E L L I Releasing Nontarget Catches, page 18 S FEATURES E G A M 18 | O I Releasing Nontarget Catches G DI N WI So you caught an angry critter and need to let it go. Now what? Y/ E L The author provides a few proven tips for safe releases. S N E H BY DAVE MORELLI H P L A R The Management Trapper, page 12 24 | Trap Maintenance Season Don’t wait until it’s too late ... here’s how to take care of your trapping gear now. BY JASON HOUSER The Trapper On the Web 30 | The Murray Lake Campaign What you’ll fi nd at This veteran steel-setter is always scouting for new traplines. www.trappermag.com Follow along as he sets out for mysterious new territory. • Free Email Newsletter: Sign up for BY CARY RIDEOUT updates from The Trapper • Subscribe Online: Start or renew The Trapper subscription 38 | • The Trapper Blog: Trapping tips Raccoon Roundworm and news This is exactly why trappers should always wear gloves when handling fur. BY NICK ROSHAN COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY LON LAUBER/WINDIGO IMAGES 4 THE TRAPPER Summer 2022 www.trappermag.com Editor’s Call | Jim Spencer MAKING THE SET FROM HELL P.O. BOX 548, WAUPACA, WI 54981 www.trappermag.com EDITOR CHRIS BERENS CREATIVE DIRECTOR T REBECCA VOGEL he location wasn’t anything spe- So, with my fi re merrily blazing, I EDITOR EMERITUS JIM SPENCER cial to look at. Just a freshly used chopped out my trap bed. Th en I no- ONLINE CONTENT SPECIALIST campfi re ring in a small opening ticed the paper wasn’t burning as well as SARA GILANE in a big expanse of national forest land. it needed to, and I reached in with my CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER But it drew me like honey draws a bear. gloved right hand to move the paper a bit. SANDI CARPENTER I had a trap in one hand and my set- Here’s some good advice: never reach CONTRIBUTORS ting bucket in the other before Jill even into a fl ame when you’re wearing poly- HAL SULLIVAN SERGE LARIVIÉRE opened her truck door. ester gloves. Th e glove didn’t exactly JASON HOUSER TOBY WALRATH I love setting campfi re rings. Th ere’s catch fi re, but it did melt, and the mol- CARY RIDEOUT TOM BEAUDETTE the visual attraction factor, of course; in a ten plastic bonded two of my right-hand STEVE BARTYLLA primitive campsite, the fi re ring is almost fi ngers to what was left of the glove. DAVE MORELLI always the eye-catchingest thing around. As you can imagine, this caused a ADVERTISING SALES CASEY LENZ But also this: campers oft en throw food degree of consternation on my part. (920) 407-1823 into the fi re — hot dog buns, paper plates I reacted by snatching my hand up [email protected] with food scraps on them, bread crusts, and back, which threw me off balance, ADVERTISING LSAISLEAS RCOICORHDTINEARTOR/MANAGER half-eaten hot dogs, bones. Even if the which caused me to put my left hand groceries get completely burned up, the down to steady myself — directly onto OFFICE MANAGER SUSIE MELUM smell remains. Add the dual facts that the pan of my trap, sitting there uncov- [email protected] fi re rings make attractive scent posts and ered in its bed. TELEVISION & ONLINE VIDEO there are oft en heavy sections of fi rewood Snap! went the trap, getting me on EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DAVID GILANE lying around ready to serve as drags and/ my last two (until then) uninjured left PRODUCER or natural fencing material, and setting fi ngers. Still off balance, my face was IAN SANCHEZ them is a no-brainer. coming forward as my left hand, trap The Trapper (ISSN 8750-233X) is published eight times per year, But this one turned out to be not so and all, was coming up. A collision en- January, February, April-May, Summer, September, October, November and December by Media 360 LLC. Periodical Class Postage paid at Iola, much fun. First thing: I whacked my sued. My noggin did not fare well. Nor WI 54945, and additional mailing offices. thumb when I was driving a fence staple did my nose. Nor did my glasses, which POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Trapper, P.O. BOX 37180 BOONE, IA 50037-0180. Copyright 2022 by Media 360, LLC. into the bolt of green white oak I was ended up eight feet away with a chipped Printed in the U.S.A. using for a drag. Hey, it happens. left lens. The Trapper and its logo are registered trademarks. Other names and Second thing: my trap wouldn’t stay I did eventually get the set made, de- logos referred to or displayed in editorial or advertising content may set. Th is I learned when the dog slipped spite looking like the second place fi n- be trademarked or copyright. The Trapper assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials sent to it. Publisher and advertisers are not the notch and the 1.75 coilspring got isher in a bar fi ght. It was a good-looking liable for typographical errors that may appear in prices or descriptions in advertisements. me across the knuckles of two fi ngers set, and it was in play 10 nights. SUBSCRIPTIONS: 877.300.0251 (U.S. and Canada) P.O. BOX 37180 on my left hand. A little work with the It caught a 'possum. BOONE, IA 50037-0180. Outside the U.S., call 386.246.3446. fi le squared the dog and notch and re- moved the excess wax from the contact surfaces, and the trap stayed cocked and ________________________________________ primed when I gingerly let off on it on Jim Spencer is a trapper and a turkey MEDIA 360, LLC the second try. hunter. For information on his books on BRAD RUCKS President, Publisher But my woes weren’t fi nished. One both subjects, email him at modernmoun- DANIEL E. SCHMIDT thing I like to do at fi re rings is wrap a [email protected]. Vice President, Content ________________________________________ piece of fatty meat (pork chop bone, Vi- enna sausage, a piece of raw bacon) in Media 360, LLC, also produces these fine publications: several layers of newspaper, put it in the Deer & Deer Hunting • Turkey & Turkey Hunting ring as close as possible to my set out- Ice Fishing • Modern Hunter • Guns DIY Deer Hunters’ Almanac side the ring, and set it afi re. Th e fresh Television Shows on Pursuit Channel: fi re smell and charred meat is hard for a Deer & Deer Hunting carnivore to resist. DeerTech TV • DeerTopia TV • Land of Whitetail FIND THE TRAPPER ON: Facebook: facebook.com/trappermag Twitter: twitter.com/TPCMag www.trappermag.com 6 THE TRAPPER Summer 2022 www.trappermag.com OUR IMAGE IS OUR FUTURE (cid:39)(cid:46)(cid:50)(cid:51)(cid:36)(cid:35)(cid:72)(cid:33)(cid:56)(cid:72)(cid:35)(cid:40)(cid:50)(cid:51)(cid:49)(cid:40)(cid:34)(cid:51)(cid:72)(cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:17) DEALERSS Romano 4-H Center CONTESTSS TAILGATERSS MT.. MANN RACEE 1841 Horseshoe Pike DEMOSS FOODD FURR HANDLINGG && MUCHH MORE!! Honeybrook, PA 19344 ADMISSION $5/day, $10 whole show Tailgate Space $50 Primitive Camp $15/night, RV Camp (no hook-up) $25/night FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS VISIT www.patrappers.com or visit our Facebook page RENDEZVOUS CONTACT HOST HOTEL: HOLIDAY INN - MORGANTOWN STEVE SENN (610) 637-5775 6170 Morgantown Rd, Morgantown, PA 19543 [email protected] (610) 286-3000 GROUP CODE: PATRAPPERS Birchview Campground - (610) 384-0500 Hidden Acres - (610) 857-3990 or (610) 857-0662 100 Birchview Drive, Coatesville, PA 19320 103 Hidden Acres Rd, Coatesville, PA 19320 TRAPPING AS A TRADE | JASON HOUSER Th e best thing that a homeowner can do to keep their home and yard free of snakes is to make it so that they do not want to be there in the fi rst place. Snakes love shrubs, bushes and thick vegetation SNAKES: that many people use for landscaping purposes. As attractive to humans as this landscaping can be, snakes see it as a place to hang out. If every- NO thing is maintained and kept neat, it should be easy to spot any snakes that have taken up resi- dence. Most snakes do nothing more than startle a person, so if you can see them from a distance, the better off you’ll be. As far as your garden goes, VACANCY keep it weeded and free of leaves that snakes could use to hide in. Th e most obvious part of this is to keep your yard mowed. An overgrown lawn is a haven for rodents. Wherever there are rodents, the snakes will follow. For that reason, you must also practice rodent control and prevention to keep the slither- ing reptiles at bay. Snakes will search out cool places to hide. If you are in an area of the country where you burn wood in the winter, or even in the fi re pit during the summer, woodpiles are a welcoming sight to snakes. Stockpiling wood near your home for the long winter ahead sounds like a good idea, but it is just an invitation to snakes. Find a place to store your wood as far from the house as you can. It doesn’t take much room for a snake to enter your home if it chooses. To keep them from get- ting inside your home, you need to look for any openings and seal them all off . Look near win- dows, pipes, doors and anywhere else that a snake may be able to fi nd its way through. If all of your preventive measures fail and you still have snakes to deal with, then you might need to trap them. Th e one positive thing that snakes have going for them is that they do kill rodents. Th at’s why it’s hard for me to recommend a le- thal trap for snakes. As much as I dislike snakes, I would rather have a snake in the woodpile than a mouse in the house. One of the best traps on the market is the glue trap. Scent lures will draw the snake inside a plas- tic box through a specially designed opening. To get out, the snake must enter fully and turn around. Once the reptile is inside, the glue holds it fi rmly in place. You can release the snake by spraying cooking oil on the glue pad. It may take a I few minutes, but it will eventually free itself. Th is fear snakes. If any is the best method for relocating a snake without were having to kill it. to ever get into my house, Most snakes are not venomous. With almost I would have to consider 4,000 diff erent species of snakes in the entire moving if my wife had any world, about 600 are venomous, and most of those trouble removing them. For are found outside of the United States. If you must that reason, I do whatever I handle a snake, I recommend wearing leather S E can to keep my home free of G gloves or using a snake hook. If you must pick up A M O I snakes. But I am here to tell a snake, pinch it right behind the head. Th is will G DI you that most commercial prevent it from being able to twist around and bite N WI repellents for them do not you. Venomous or not, nobody really wants to get N/ TO work. It is up to you to do the bit by a snake. H G AU dirty work of keeping snakes L P HI at bay. C 8 THE TRAPPER Summer 2022 www.trappermag.com Wildlife Control Supplies “ Experience Knowledge Products for Professionals One-Stop” Shopping (cid:88) (cid:88) (cid:88) (cid:88) GGoott ssnnaakkeess?? We can help! Premier Supplier to Wildlife Control Professionals www.ShopWCS.com Call toll-free 877-684-7262 MAKE THIS SET | HAL SULLIVAN ROBERT FRANZ/WINDIGO IMAGES 11 ON A DRAG POLE # T here was a time when the #11 was pair of vise grips. Th at brought everything stick supporting the free jaw, and I cover my go-to raccoon trap. in line. I could adjust the tension on those it with a scattering of weeds I’ve pulled I’m trapping a little shallow ditch traps and eliminate the wobble. off the bank. that leads from the hillside to the river Another modifi cation I made was Hindsight being 20/20, I should have below. Th e set is simplicity itself. I have to move the chain from the end of one brought some chain to extend my drag a #11 DLS bedded right in the bottom of spring, to the bottom center of the trap. length. Instead, I just wired the trap the ditch where there is a muddy raccoon Many of those traps already had a hole in chain to the drag pole. It had worked be- trail. Th ere was no good way to fasten the the cross frame and, with a J-hook rivet, fore — so why not again? trap, so I just wired the chain to the cen- I could fasten the chain there. But I didn’t Th ievery was so rampant in those days, ter of a drag pole about 6 feet long. I had quit with that. I put an additional swivel that’s what I suspected every time I came done that before, and each time found in the middle of the chain, and replaced across a set where my trap and my ani- my 'coon tangled up nearby. the wire loop ring, when necessary, with mal were missing. And that’s surely what Th is time, it was gone. Th e area was a another swivel at the end of the chain. I thought here. Th ere were some signs little bit more torn up, but the raccoon Th e open hole in that end swivel of a struggle. But my 'coon was gone. It had escaped that ditch, dragging the trap served as a drowner slide when I used should have hung up somewhere in the and pole with it. Th at was weird enough, that trap in the water. Actually, it was bushes, but it was not. However, there usually 'coons stay in the cover and get very much my preference to have the rac- were no traces of blood, so that wasn’t a themselves tangled up. Th is one didn’t. coon drown. But if I was near the water, defi nite dispatch. Th at #11 was a premier raccoon trap and could make a drowning set, I could With some diligence, I tracked that back before the turn of the century. Espe- use a bigger trap, like a #1.5 coil. But this raccoon up out of the ditch across a pas- cially for folks who could not use larger set was far away from the water, and any ture, under two barbwire fences, and bodygrips on land. Th e trap had a pow- 'coon I caught here would be very much then I lost it when it crossed a paved erful hold, and the jaw spread was small alive when I found it. highway. My young son was with me, enough to preclude self-directed biting. Th ose #11 traps were a pain to bed, which proved fortunate. “Listen Dad,” he In Ohio it was the best nonlethal option. with springs sticking out both sides. said. “I hear the trap chain.” (I am deaf in We didn’t have snares at that time. Sometimes the easiest thing to do was that frequency range.) Some old Victors had the hump cross. just set them on top of the ground and Sure enough, that 'coon was just across I didn’t like those wobbly pans. I cut out stabilize the free jaw with some sticks. the road, crawled back in an 8-inch cul- the notch in the cross frame, and welded A raccoon really doesn’t mind climbing vert, rattling that chain still trying to get a nail underneath the hump. I crimped around on things. out of that #11. the pan to that nail. As I said, this set is horribly simple. It was hard to shoot that 'coon without Some of the newer models had post and Th ere is a root sticking out into the patch shooting my trap. pan. Th at I appreciated very much. I could that the 'coons detour around. I’m set- tune these traps up just by pinching the ting the trap at the point of the root with ears of the post tightly to the pan, with a the springs on either side. I have a round 10 THE TRAPPER Summer 2022 www.trappermag.com