Pre-Season Prep

I have been working on getting stuff ready for this up coming season since the day that last season ended. I an getting close and only have a couple things left to do. But anyways I just thought that I would share some of the things I am getting ready for this up coming season. Hope everyone adds to this thread with the things they do to help prep for an up coming season.

Some of the pan covers I am making for my MB550s.

I would recommend 2 layers on top and staple the front of those 2 together. pointing up a little. That seems to make them a lot more sturdy. My bottom piece is just cut in a rectangular shape and stapled in back and sides, I'll drop one off for you so you can see what I'm trying to say. You're probably ok with the dog hitting it. but I slide mine in only to the dog. On the screens, I cut out for the dog. RPS

I am only using these for my burried yote sets. I got the one you dropped off and I think I would really like the double layered ones for my exposed sets on cats and am going to have to make some and try them on a couple of sets. I will post a picture of yours so others can see what you are talking about.

what kind of material is that

Shelf liner.

Here are rockytrails



Finished getting my old mans stuff all put together and welded all the J-hooks and s-hooks on his and all my MB550s.

Here is a pan cover for my 650s... I think I will make them bigger this year, but then again they worked really well for me and my old man last year.

How do u guys like those 650's?? Been thinking of getting some to try out this year for cats...

I am going to run all 550s and 650s on my yote line this year. I like the dogless set up on the 650s, the large pan, and man are they strong traps. Every yote I caught in the few I had last year were caught above the pad.

Anyone else working on any pre-season stuff or done with it? Interesting to see what others do to prepare for a trapping season?!?!?

I've bought 6 dozen new traps along with the base plates and 4 coil kits. I'm also making up some 1/8" cable extensions for the traps and for my snares. I've made a bunch of trap pan covers, but only about half of what I will need. I've got a guy making up some stretchers for me, but I will also be making up a new design of cat stretcher to try out this year. If it works well, I'll post the design. I didn't come up with it, and in fact its been around for some time, but I haven't run into anybody until just lately that uses it. The design can be used for coyotes and fox as well. I use a 3/4 inch washer and stamp my State issued trap number on it, and I'm still stamping those out. I can attach them with either wire or a hog ring to the trap chain. I do this because I've bought some traps that were used in the past and had to X out someone's number, so found this easier. I also do this with all my body grip traps as its about the only way to put a number on one of those or use an actual trap type tag. Also back in my younger years I used to live in another state and stamped that number on the bottom of my traps. Now they are X'ed out and I just use a steel washer. For my trap bedding material, I've got some peat moss drying (as it was moist when I first got it). I will be doing some scouting and trap set prep in the coming weeks along with putting out some trail cams to check out some areas. I still need to buy some stuff called "Ultra Seal" for the tires of my ATV and put it in the tires. This stuff is a little more expensive than the green goop you can buy just about anywhere. Ultra Seal will plug holes up to 1/2 inch, with very little if any air loss.
On a side note, I saw last night online where Utah now has a bounty system in place for coyotes! They will pay $50.00 bounty on coyotes taken is designated areas in the state. You have to go onto the Utah Fish and Game site to take an online course in order to be qualified to participate in it. I completed the training in case I wanted to do some calling in an area close to the Idaho border. For the Utah trappers, it will on the up side make coyotes worth $80 dollars or more, but on the down side it will mean more people running around out there and the possibility of them running across cat trappers traps and animal or trap theft a problem. So you Utah cat trappers, keep this in mind for this year. If the cat trappers put out a few snares for either coyotes or cats, the coyotes could just pay your fuel bill.

Ridgeback what are you making your pan covers out of?
I like the washer thing all my old man old traps have the same thing. I was check and setting some traps this year and walking down this draw I saw old trap laying in the grass half grown over and I pulled it out and sure enough it was one of my old mans.... kinda cool, I have it hanging on the wall with the trap that he caught the cat in that paid for my doctors bill when I was born. (an old #2 victor longspring) A nice tom, couple of yotes and a badger paid for the bill....I guess you could say trapping is in my bloode.

I'm running an experiment on trap pan covers this year. I have two different styles. I'll take a picture of them soon and post it.

I am working on waxed dirt right now, will start on dying and waxing next month. Also just finishing some drags

Been thinking of trying to make a couple of my own drags just for something to play with. What do you make yours out of garman?

flat stock steel I believe it is 1/2" by 1 or 1-1/2"...then cotton picker spindles for the sharp tongs and 1/4" round stock for the anti-hitching. I will try to get a pick sometime as long as you ingnore some of the welds LOL

If a person has access to used cotton picker spindles they work really well on drags. I’m still welding up new live traps, drying peat moss (it is very hot and dry here right now and the drying is fast) and building other things that I use on the line. I did paint all of the DP traps that I have and I still am going to weld a piece of steel on the dogs of my coyote traps to keep the coyotes from bending them. It gets old carrying two hammers and using them to straighten out the dogs each time I catch a coyote. It also takes a lot of my time while I am running a line to keep straitening the dogs out.

Here is a suggestion, old/cheap used stretchers can be cut up not only for snare supports (like the devils hatpin etc. the nose pieces can be used for the anti hitch on the drags. Very cheap to get and very easy to use for those uses (already bent).

You can take the wire stretchers and mount them on the upper end of your cat stretchers. It gives you a longer stretch on smaller cats and most of the time they end up as a 36" cat or longer. I watched Tom Krause's Big Buck Bobcats and learned how to make them. On my way back home to Idaho from ND where I work, I stopped and visited with Tom and his wife Gail in Riverton, Wy. They are incredible people and Tom shared alot of knowledge with me. Wish I lived closer or had more time to spend with him. His DVD is a great watch for high desert trappers, and I would suggest getting it if you don't have it.

yes great video ridge

Tom has written 4 or 5 books besides the two DVD's. I got his Marten Trapping DVD and liked the way he gave instructions on it, so I then got the Big Buck Bobcats. He goes into detail the reason why bobcats act like they do, and he also tells that the bobcat can see three colors very well. We can use this to our advantage to attract them to our sets. There is a lot more info than this on the DVD.

well got pan covers made, stretchers made, getting my traps tuned up and some scouting done. Can't wait for my second year and what it has in store for me. Got one cat and some kit fox last season hoping to do alot better this season.

Got some traps dyed today. Anyone else gettin ready yet?

Going to a friend of mine tomorrow to pick up a trap boiler. Will be dying about 200 traps this next time I'm home. 120 cat and coyote traps and about 100 muskrat/marten and beaver traps. I will also be boiling about 200 snares also. I've bought enough logwood crystals to do all these (12 bags). Hope to be ready to set some coyote traps toward the end of next month. Didn't do so well with the bounty hunting of coyotes in Utah. Only got 4 so far. Saw 10 that were on private property that I couldn't shoot, darn it. Will be doing some cat country scouting when I'm setting out coyote traps next month.

When I stopped and visited with Tom Krause last month, one of the things he told me was scouting was the second most important thing you could do for your trapline. Setting traps was the most important as like he and my father said, you can't catch them when they are not in the ground.

Good luck to everyone.

i cleaned and dipped mine all early in the spring right after season closed, so now all have to do is hurry up and wait

Got all my home brews lure and baits put up and ready to go today.

As well as dyed 62 double long springs and a dz coils and then waxed 7 dozen coils. Just need to tune adjust pan tensions and we are ready to roll.

Gotta love how nice 3 dz MB 550s stack.

I have been a little busy. I just finished up with 84 live traps today. They are all now painted and ready to set for cats this winter.

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Between building the fur tumbler, adding onto my fur shed, making a couple of new power skinners and other things that I have build, I'm still not finished with working on traps and being ready for season in another month and a half. I'm still wanting to weld 1/8 inch rod to the dogs on all of my coyote traps. I will get that done next week or during the eveniings. Everything else is ready. The cat urine cages are clean and now have a fresh coat of paint on them. The fur shed is cleaned out and everything is in place for the first fur to hit it.

looks good bill, did you get the straightener made?

I did, it takes all of the memory out of the of wire rolls when I'm unrolling them. It sure makes it a lot easier to cut and use the welded wire.

Wow!!!!

Wow now there is some trap prep!! Makes my day look like a drop in the bag!! Great deal Bill glad to see everyone's stuff is coming together!!

Well Lance you have showed us all up with your set up. Now that I have finished up the garage I can mess it up with getting traps ready. Sure is nice of you to share the pics.

Good now we can see some different ways of doing things.hope you post some pictures!Wish everyone else would put some of there stuff up on here too! Keep the thread alive and going. Thanks Bill for the picture of the cages.

I would post some stuff but my 50 traps don't compare to the stuff in seeing. I have been busy this off season though, second year first year by myself. I had to make stretchers, pan covers, buy a quad, and tune my traps. I have been out scouting and found some spots, I'm hoping I found some good area.

That is all part of it for sure. Just makes the catch more rewarding!!!! I think you will catch some cats for sure this year. I heard you may have gotten some help with your traps and strechers and etc.????

Bill,
Are those custom made cages? And are they drop down doors. I purchased a set from ML out of California, but I really like the looks of yours.

I make all of my own cages. I make new cages each year and then sell off all of the cages from the last year. I use swing doors, they are faster than the guillotine doors. Each year I modify the cages a little because of what I learn each year from all of the video I have of cats working the cages. The only change that I will be making to next year’s cages is to make them 18” tall instead of 20”. I will field test them for one year to see how well they work and to see if I am having any refusals.

Thanks for the quick reply Bill, I am in the planning stages of making my own cages as well, I see that you have a welded frame inside the cages is the 1/4" round stock or heavier? How much weight does that add to the cages themselves?

Also I am very curious about your swing doors, and how they are hinged and how they lock. If you have any cages for sale now, I would be interested, or most definitely at the end of your season. Thanks and good luck.

I have no idea how much weight the 1/4 cold roll adds to each trap, because I never build them without it. I will say that all of the traps have around 60' of 1/4" in them.

Right now I only have a couple of used traps here and they are already spoken for. I won't have anymore traps for sell until the end of our trapping season.