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(Posted for May-June 2007)
POINTS TO REMEMBER
By Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" May-June, 1992)
 The term "crossing at the point" is sort of a joke within my family. It comes from a deer hunting expedition we attended many years ago. Nearly every member of our camp gave this response when asked where the deer were traveling. Never mind that there were hundreds of these "points" scattered across our hunting area, the deer were invariably "crossing at the point". Although this may not have been the most accurate answer to give, it was the safest because most of these hunters knew that the deer would invariably use one of these points (narrow strips of trees and brush that extended into the open areas) to cross from one section of woods to another.
While I continue to use "crossing at the point" as a factious answer for the location of everything from squirrels to bass, I do recognize the potential that this type of feature holds in directing the movements of animals, especially furbearers. The type of point that consists of a wedge of cover extending into an open area is an easy one to identify, and it can serve as a base for discussing the relative features of a point. Keep in mind that this is not the only type of point structure but does serve as a good example.
Points are effective locations for traps because they exhibit a funneling effect towards animals traveling through that area. As a rule, animal travel will be directed towards the narrow end or point of a point. In the case of a brushy draw extending into a field, the point may actually provide a funnel from three angles. Animals traveling the fields would be directed up each side of the point, and smaller animals traveling in the brush would be funneled up the middle of the draw.
In general terms, a point is formed any time two intersecting lines of structure converge at a sharp angle. It is helpful to think of points as being in the rough shape of a "V". Points are most effective in channeling critters when the sides of the vee extend back into the predominant cover feature, and the sharp end of the vee terminates in a markedly different type of cover. A finger of brush extending into an open area was the example given, but a narrow strip of cropland that juts sharply into a woods also forms a point structure.
How a point structure works in relation to guiding the movements of animals is a function of its size, shape, and position in regards to other environmental features. Points can be small. They might be just minor protrusions from otherwise regular terrain. A small peninsula of land that juts out from a creek bank forms a point. In farming country, small points are often created when a limb or tree falls out into the edge of a field causing a detour for the farm machinery. Small points of course don't have the same funneling effect of larger points, but they are still a definite aid in getting a set close to an animal. When an animal encounters one of these small points in an otherwise regular line of travel, they usually pass very close to the tip of the point in order too keep their path in line with the predominant cover. They may veer out slightly to go around a small point, or the point may not stick out far enough to interfere with a straight course, and they will just pass by the tip as they go.
A set made at the tip of a small point is likely to be the most productive. On the other hand, sets made near the top of the
vee, where the point joins the background cover may not do so well. If the animal is detouring around the point, it will be moving away from the regular cover line, and any sets made near it. Furthermore, a set made near the wide end of the point would only be visible from one direction. An animal traveling on either side of the point would be able to see a set that was placed at the tip. But a set made in one of the back corners would not come into sight for animals approaching the point from the opposite side until they passed the tip of the point.
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Long brushy points that extend out into the middle of a field are
likely travelways for animals.
(Below)
Small points that jut out from the edge of cover are good places to
set traps as well.
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Larger points tend to function in a slightly different manner. Points that extend a considerable distance into the surrounding terrain are more than just detour bumps. In many instances, this type of point defines an entrance or exit location for animals going to and from the area. Whether hunting for food, or seeking shelter from enemies, or both, animals are attracted to cover. Points are attractive because they often represent the nearest available cover to an animal entering an area. Conversely, they extend the range of cover to an animal working away from the area. You can still expect the narrow end of the point to be a focus of activity, but in the case of a large point the path of the animal is not quite so easy to determine.
Large points tend to act like a wedge in dividing two pieces of land. They are usually fingers of rough or otherwise inhospitable terrain that bar free movement between two areas. When an animal approaches a large point, it must choose to go down one side or the other. An animal coming up one side of the point must choose to leave the area at the point or turn and continue on down the other side. This makes setting up large points a little more complicated. A set exactly on the tip of the structure would still be okay, but animals that are entering and exiting this cover do not always do so exactly on the point.
Depending on its angle of approach, an animal may simply swing into the side of the structure and ignore the extreme end of the point. Or in leaving the point for a different area, the animal may not go completely to the tip, especially if it leads away from the direction the animal has chosen. These long points are usually better covered with two sets, one placed on each side about 10 to 30 yards away from the tip.
While these large points do have a wedging effect on the animals traveling outside of them, they have just the opposite effect on animals traveling within. It is not only important to consider how points extend into and area, it is also good to consider where they come from. Points that extend away from water habitat can be extremely good producers of animals like mink and coon. Many times points are formed by gullies or poorly drained swales that lead into a water course. They provide a sheltered access for these animals to extend their feeding range away from the water. Good sets for theses animals can often be found where the point narrows down, and restricts the movement of the animal.
There is another feature of long points that bears examination. Often, you can find trails through these points that offer a shortcut to the other side of the structure. Animals that habitually stick to the cover line will often use this shortcut rather than go completely around the end of the point. It is also possible that animals will use this trail simply to switch to the other side, even though they continue in the same general direction.
It is a good idea to scout for a trail like this before setting up a point. First, it is a good place to make a blind set. Second, it can help to determine the location of your other sets. If the trail is near the tip of the point, it would be better to keep your sets behind the trail in the direction of the wide part of the point. If the sets were placed between the trail and the point, you would miss the animals that use the trail to shortcut and double back along the point. Of course putting a blind set in the trail does help to solve these problems.
Another option is to make your own trail across a point. You can cut, or pull, or stomp a clear path where you want it. Of course this should be done prior to the opening of the season. These trails can make good places to hang a snare if it is legal.
There are other types of structure that form points. They may not be as apparent as a brushy draw, but they have the same features nonetheless. A fence corner forms a point. It funnels animals from both inside and outside to the corner where the fences join. In cases like this, especially where there is no predominant change in the ground cover, a set placed near the outside corner and a set placed near the corner inside the fence would cover the animals that were coming either the inside or outside of the fence line.
A sharp bend in a road or creek also forms a point. But in this type of point the lines that form the point are also the direct lines of travel. This type of point is effective because it directs the animal's attention towards the turning point. Animals traveling these paths cannot see beyond the bend but they can see the outside of the turn from either direction. A set placed in the center of the outside bend will probably get the animal's attention before it rounds the point. Sets made on the inside bend can also be effective in intercepting animals seeking the shortest route through the turn.
It is important for trappers to take advantage of special features of the land to get their sets in front of the target animal. Points are one such natural feature that help to steer and guide animals traveling through the terrain. Studying these features and how they relate to the surrounding habitat will help you determine the best locations for your sets. You can expect to have greater success on your trapline - if you remember these points.
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(Posted for March-April 2007)
NO-DIRT SETS
By Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" December, 1991)
A trowel, a sifter, pan covers, and/or a trappers cap, are all part of the
equipment in a dryland trapper's arsenal. Some of these items are
essential for getting a trap buried in the dirt. And that is where most of
the traps end up - buried in the dirt. Be it dirthole, post, flat, or any
variation of these land sets, the trap is carefully concealed in the dirt.
This is definitely a good method for hiding a trap at a land set, but it
is not the only way or, in all cases, the best way.
It is
true that traps must be properly placed, bedded, and concealed at a land
set, but nowhere does it say that they must be covered with dirt. As long
as the critter can't see or smell the trap, it can be covered with almost
anything. Grass, leaves, chaff and a host of other materials can make
acceptable trap coverings, and in certain instances they may provide an
advantage over dirt.
Trappers
have been using natural materials to camouflage their trap beds for a long
time, but usually in conjunction with first covering the trap with dirt.
If the conditions are right, you can leave out the dirt and cover the trap
with the camouflage material alone. Chaff is a good example. It usually
doesn't contain anything large enough to clog the jaws of the trap, and it
can be sprinkled over a trap like course dirt to conceal it.
Other
materials, like grass and leaves can be a little more difficult to use.
When a trap comes up through dirt, the dirt crumbles and falls away from
the jaws. But leaves and grass will ride up with the jaws, and too much of
this covering can clog the trap and keep it from closing. The trick to
covering a trap with these materials is to use as little as possible. The
material must be carefully placed over the trap and not thrown on
haphazardly. Covering a trap with leaves, for example, most generally
requires individual placement of each leaf. The trap does not have to be
absolutely 100% covered, but it should pass a fairly close inspection. If
the covering is carefully arranged to match the surroundings, one layer
will hide the trap.
Grass
makes a good covering for traps, but sometimes it presents problems. It is
very hard to cover a trap with long, heavy blades and stems of rank grass.
These long pieces usually stick out well beyond the trap bed, and it is
hard to get them to lay flat across the top of the trap. Folding them or
wadding them up is not entirely satisfactory and usually leaves the set
very unnatural looking. It is preferable to use some type of short bladed
grass or pluck some of the shorter pieces from the base of the taller
growing grass clumps.
An
alternate method is to cut long blades of grass into smaller pieces. This
procedure is described by Charles Dobbins in his book "Land Sets and
Trapping Techniques". You can carry a pair of shears or a long bladed
knife and cutting board on the trapline if you know you will be making
this type of set. With these, you can cut grass to a suitable length for
covering your traps.
The
fact is, nearly anything can be used to cover a trap as long as it doesn't
interfere with the closing of the jaws and matches the natural
surroundings. In a livestock pasture, manure can make a good trap
covering. I know this goes against the grain of keeping traps "odor
free", but I don't think an animal can distinguish the stuff covering
the trap from the rest of the meadow muffins scattered about the field.
When using manure for a covering, it is best to find some specimens that
are well aged and fairly dry. These can be crumbled up, and if necessary
run through a sifter to cover the trap.
There
are occasions when certain individual or groups of animals become attuned
to the dangers of freshly disturbed earth. Ask any trapper that has gotten
a late start in the season, or has moved to an area previously trapped by
his competition. Once alerted to the fact that fresh earth might signal
trouble, animals can begin avoiding sets or turn into one of those
infamous "diggers". Not using hole type sets can help, but even
at a flat or post set, you still have to dig up and replace the dirt in
the trap bed. Unless the set has been aged by the weather, the odor of
freshly dug earth remains.
If the
critters demand a change in tactics, you can sometimes avoid digging in
the dirt altogether. If the natural ground cover is thick enough, you can
set a trap on top of the ground. Of course, the trap should be stabilized,
but this can be accomplished with sticks or stones placed judiciously
under the trap. Another method is to use the blunt end of your hammer to
beat a shallow trap bed into the ground. This is usually an easier way to
stabilize the trap, and helps to get the trap lower in sparse cover.
To use
this method, you must bury the trap in the cover itself. I find discarded
and broken piles of hay make good places for this type of set. Granted, it
is hard or impossible to get a trap set solidly on loose hay, but a
tolerable set can be made by pushing and packing the trap in place. In
theory, a critter walking on the loose hay would not notice a loose trap -
in theory.
Another
time when hiding a trap in the dirt is almost a futile effort, is when
that dirt is actually mud. I have pushed lots of mud noodles through the
bottom of the sifter to cover traps, and I've dumped tons of dry dirt down
those sump-holes. The results were always mediocre at best. Sometimes a
remake in the mud can be particularly frustrating because you don't want
to lose the set. Under these conditions, I often take some of the
materials at hand, such as grass or corn husks (if I'm in a corn field)
and smear them with some of the mud from the set to make a suitable
covering for the trap. Packing the trap back in the muddy bed, you can
plaster the non-dirt covering around the edges and over the top of the
trap.
There
are several good reasons why burying a trap is the most accepted method of
concealing it. And one of these is the fact that the dirt can be tightly
packed everywhere except under the pan. A critter can step all over the
trap and not know it's there. This is not the case with other coverings.
If a thin material is used for a trap covering, an animal could step on a
jaw or lever and feel the trap. This might not be a problem where small
rocks and sticks are part of the landscape, and the animal expects to step
on them. But most of the time it creates a disadvantage for the trapper.
When
using no-dirt sets, trap placement therefore becomes critical. The animal
must hit the pan on the first approach, or there is a good chance it will
step on some other part of the trap and leave. Using guide stones, sticks,
etc., at these sets can be a real help as long as they blend in with the
surroundings. Thorns and hard sharp burrs, like cockleburs, can make good
guides at a no-dirt set. To give the animal further inducement to step
squarely between the jaws, cover this area first and build the covering up
and away from the trap. This makes the center of the trap the lowest point
in view.
The
vast majority of my own sets are still dug in and covered with dirt. But I
don't hesitate to break with tradition when the critters or the conditions
won't cooperate. I've used grass, leaves, fodder, chaff, manure, straw,
hay, and an extended list of other items as the sole covering for a trap.
And I have caught fox along a trash strewn river bank using nothing more
than a piece of garbage bag to cover the trap. These coverings can be a
helpful alternative to sifting dirt if your dug-out, drowned out, or you
just plain forget your sifter.
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(Posted for January-February, 2007)
MINK ON ICE
By Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" March, 1993)
In most states, the water trapping season for animals like the muskrat, coon, and mink opens in the late fall. This leaves the trapper a narrow window of opportunity to catch these animals before water trapping season turns into ice trapping season. For most trappers, it's a scramble to rack up all three of these furbearers before the water goes into its solid state. When the ice forms, you can kiss the coons goodnight because they're going for a nap. You can chop a few 'rats out of the ice but production will be limited. But mink on ice are a real possibility, and this may be a wise move for some trappers.
It is well known that mink remain active during cold weather. Indeed, cold stormy nights are notorious for producing high catches of mink. And in keeping with their nature, mink are not adverse to snow and ice. Ice does present one problem for the mink. It locks out about half of their food supply. Mink prefer shoreline habitat because much of their prey (minnows, crayfish, etc.) comes from the water. At times like these, baited mink sets are probably more effective than during periods of open water.
Mink still hunt at or near the water's edge even though the water is frozen. But there is one major difference in a mink's pattern when hunting on ice. When the water is open, mink usually follow one bank or another for long stretches. When the ice is on, especially on smaller creeks and rivers, mink will hunt both banks almost simultaneously. An old snag that was once on the other side of a deep swirling eddy, is now just a hop, skip, and a jump across the ice for a curious mink. On the ice, a prominent looking feature may be more important to the mink trapper than trying to find a certain trail along the bank. Of course, blind sets will still be effective during freezing weather and will sometimes be easier to locate especially if ice is accompanied by a tracking snow.
Naturally, freezing weather and ice can hinder the action of a trap. These problems are worst during periodic freezing and thawing conditions that can occur any time during the season. A trap set one day in the water, may be part of the ice the next day. And a trap nestled in the mud, may be cast firmly in earthen concrete by a freeze. Traps that are set in anticipation of freezing weather need some special attention.
Since water and mud can put a late season trap out of commission, these traps need to be kept away from both. This calls for a type of dry trapping. Traps, however, can be set in damp places as long as they are insulated from the ground. Grass, leaves, or even a piece of plastic placed under a foothold trap can keep the trap from being glued down by ground moisture. Bodygrips can be set on a couple of small sticks laying perpendicular to the jaws.
Fast Forward -- Today, I rarely set any kind of bodygrip that is not fastened to one of my Sullivan Stabilizers. The stabilizer not only stabilizes the trap, as advertised, but it also holds the jaws up off the ground and keeps them from freezing down.
The smaller size bodygrips are effective on late season mink, but there is one note of caution. A mink caught in a bodygrip during subfreezing weather may have the jaws of the trap frozen to its fur. This is especially true if the mink was wet when it entered the trap. Furthermore, the dead mink could be frozen to the ground or whatever surface it might be lying on. Be careful picking up a dead mink during freezing weather or you may pull out some of the fur. If the trap is well frozen into the fur, it is often better to take the mink and the trap home to thaw before trying to remove it.
Mink are more susceptible to bait at this time of year. This gives the icebound trapper an edge in being able to "attract" a mink to a set. Natural and artificial cubbies and holes can be baited to make mink sets, but it still holds true that the closer these sets are to the mink's line of travel, the more effective they will be. Like everything else, the bait will tend to freeze also, and frozen bait does not give off as much odor. Often times, it can be helpful to apply a liberal dose of salt to the bait before placing it at the set. This keeps the bait from freezing so quickly.
Pocket sets are usually thought of as open water sets, but they can be used above the ice too--providing you can dig the pocket. During arctic weather, when the ice is a foot thick, no one is going to dig a pocket. But it is possible to make a pocket set up to and beyond the time that the ice will support your weight. These must of course be high pockets that start above the water line. If the ground is not frozen too deeply, a heavy duty tile spade will chisel through a few inches, and once the frost line is passed, these pockets are no harder to dig than any other.
Another set that can be very effective at this time of year is the hollow log or hollow stump set. Mink will visit these places frequently as they search for food. During bad weather, this can provide a sheltered place for making a set. You can often make these sets more attractive by scattering some of the rotted wood and debris outside the opening, especially if there is snow on the ground.
Mink hunt above the ice during these periods, but they will also hunt underneath it. This is especially true when the water level has dropped, leaving a slanted shelf of ice lying against the bank. Mink like to search through these hollow places, and a break in the ice shelf often provides an excellent location for a blind set.
Even during freezing weather, there are some stretches or pockets of water that remain open. Often these are fast moving riffles or spring fed seeps. These locations have a magnetic attraction for mink that hope to find some of their aquatic prey in the open water. But set construction here can be difficult. One popular set, especially in fast moving water, is made by fastening a fish on a piece of wire and letting it wiggle naturally in the current. Traps are then placed near the fish, usually one on each side. Another option is to fasten a small fish directly to the pan of a trap set in the open water where the mink can see it. Those natural looking rubber fishing lures that resemble minnows or crayfish can also be used in a similar manner.
One of the toughest parts of trapping is balancing your time. If you don't already have constraints, like your job or vacation time, mother nature will allow only so much time for open water trapping. This time must then be divided among the critters you want to catch. By switching to hard water tactics for mink, you can extend your season into the freezing weather. You can devote more open water time to the fair weather furbearers and concentrate more fully on mink when the ice starts to form. You may be able to increase your catch in all three categories, if you work on coons and 'rats early and keep your mink trapping on ice.
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(Posted for November - December, 2006)
THE ESSENCE OF ESSENCE
By Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" September, 1992)
Skunk essence has always been valuable to the trapper. Its long lasting and far reaching odor makes it a good additive or a good lure all by itself. Many of the older texts labeled a set as "improved" when it had been sprayed by a nontarget skunk. But today, skunk essence is more valuable if it stays within the skunk because there is a present and growing market for this lively liquid. Skunk essence is now a commonly traded item in the trapping industry.
By now, most trappers are familiar with skunk dispatching kits that kill skunks by lethal injection. I have no doubt that this is an excellent tool, and if skunks were predominant on a trapline this would be a wise investment. But the average trapper doesn't catch a large number of skunks and doesn't need extra equipment to carry around. However, just because you don't have an injection kit does not mean that you can't cash in on skunk essence, even if you only catch a few every year.
The biggest problem, of course, is killing the skunk without having it spray. That is where the kit shines. Without the kit, the next best thing is shooting the skunk. If you haven't figured it out by now, I will enlighten you: A skunk shot in the head will spray every last drop - every time. This is an involuntary reaction of their nervous system.
If you are going to kill a skunk by shooting it, you must be careful not to hit the central nervous system which includes the head, neck, and spine. This obviously rules out the shotgun as a skunk dispatching tool. A .22 caliber rifle or handgun would be preferable. Low speed ammunition can also help to reduce shock. I find CB ammunition good for this work.
The best method for a clean dispatch is to shoot the skunk through the heart. However, this is easier said than done. A skunk's heart is no bigger than the end of your thumb and presents a very small target. Couple this with the fact that the target is covered with fur and flesh, and you will begin to appreciate the difficulty of the task. The heart (as the animal is standing) lies at the front of the rib cage directly between the front legs. It can be helpful to autopsy a dead skunk to determine exactly where the heart is.
Since the heart is not readily exposed on a trapped skunk (unless the skunk rears-up like a grizzly bear), it is not easy to figure out at what angle you should shoot through the body to reach the heart. I was having only limited success at "guessing" a heart shot when I first started using this method. I tried front, back, and either side depending on which position the skunk happened to be in when I got the sights lined up. Eventually, I noticed that I was most successful when the skunk was facing away from me, and I could shoot through its left side. When I started shooting all my skunks from this very same position, my ratio of clean quick kills rose dramatically.
I don't mean to imply that this is the only, or even the best way to get a heart shot. But I do think the trapper/marksman/physiologist will have better success if he concentrates on making the same shot on every animal no matter where that might be. It is easier to position the animal than it is to master every different shot from every different angle. I like my method mainly because I can make the left-hand-quartering-away shot consistently. Also, it is not hard to get a skunk to turn its rear end toward you.
Here is an item of note that I know some people will find hard to believe. Even if your aim is off, and you don't kill a skunk with your first shot, nine times out of ten the skunk will not spray as long as you have not hit the central nervous system. This is especially true when using low power ammunition like the CB. Keep in mind that spraying is the last resort for a skunk. They have no power of reason and do not necessarily comprehend the sound of the gun, or the sting of a bullet, as the biggest threat to their safety. They are much more concerned with your human presence. If you don't get a skunk with the first shot, don't panic. Just aim carefully and try again.
The age-old advice is to approach a skunk slowly, talking calmly in a low voice and stopping if the animal shows sign of alarm. By doing this you can get quite close to a skunk. I tried to demonstrate this method to my 10-year-old a couple of seasons back. He thought it was hilarious, and about halfway to the skunk he broke out laughing. Quick reflexes and a gale force wind were the only things that kept him from getting a stinky lesson, and me a refresher course.
Shooting skunks is not as fool-proof as using the kit, and some skunks will spray. But those that don't, or those that only spray a little, can be retrieved and processed. I make it a practice to wrap a garbage bag around a skunk before I put it in the truck. A little skunk can go a long way toward contaminating a bunch of traps.
All you really need to extract the essence from a skunk is a hypodermic syringe. These are readily available from animal supply stores. They are usually labeled as disposable but they can be reused many times. If you have a choice, getting a large gauge needle will be helpful.
I have found that it is advantageous to coat the rubber plunger in the syringe with petroleum jelly then run it back and forth a few times to coat the barrel too. Skunk essence tends to react with the rubber in a syringe making it very sticky and hard to work. The petroleum jelly helps to protect the rubber and lubricate the syringe. When you are done, clean the syringe out with soapy water followed by a clean rinse. Another item that is not absolutely necessary, but advisable, is a pair of disposable gloves; skunk essence does not wash off easily.
I prefer to lay my skunks on a table to work on them. The scent glands lie on either side of the vent, and I turn the skunk from side to side to work on the glands. The glands are not hard to locate on a "full" skunk. If you pull open the vent, you will see the tip of the gland protruding through the wall of the vent. Be careful not push or pull too hard at this juncture because there is the possibility that a full gland might discharge. Although you can puncture the wall of the gland to remove the essence, I prefer to work the tip of the needle down through the duct in the gland. Don't insert the needle too deeply or you may puncture the other side of the gland and cause seepage.
You now pull back on the plunger of the syringe to extract the essence. It is an amber colored liquid. If you suck up white solid materials, you are into, or past, the wall of the gland. This occurs also as the gland gets empty and collapses. Carefully squirt the extracted essence into a bottle. Screw-top pop bottles, that have the plastic seal in the cap, are best for storing skunk essence. I tried using old one-ounce lure bottles for awhile, but they weren't entirely satisfactory. They did not seal as well and many times a good skunk will milk over an ounce of essence.
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Here
I am using a syringe to extract the essence from a skunk. The glands
are located on either side of the vent. |
Whatever you do, don't be sloppy with skunk essence. A drop here and there outside the bottle will raise a stink for weeks. It is also good advice to store your essence and the tools you use to collect it somewhere where it will not offend human noses. I store mine in a gallon coffee can, that is then sealed in a freezer bag - and it still generates some odor.
The essence is definitely the most valuable part of the skunk, but killing them in an odor free manner has also generated an interesting byproduct. No one particularly wants to skin a stink saturated skunk, but skinning one that is clean is not much of a problem. While the pelt is not worth much compared to the essence, it is relatively easy to put up. They are not hard to skin or flesh. However, the fleshing goes a bit easier if the pelt is allowed to chill out overnight. And one little bullet hole is not going hurt the pelt either.
Some trappers make a large portion of their income in skunk essence, but most of us will not make it a priority. The dispatch kits are the surest way of getting an odorless skunk, but a well placed shot can achieve the same results. A common syringe will do the job of extracting the essence. The average trapper won't get rich selling skunk essence, but in today's economy, it can be an added income source from an otherwise unwanted critter.
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(Posted for September - October, 2006)
TRIGGERS FOR MINK
By Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" October,
1991)
Taking
mink in bodygrip traps is not a new idea, but it does seem to be gaining
popularity among many trappers. The smaller size bodygrips are effective
mink traps, especially where conditions preclude making a lethal
(drowning) set with a foothold trap. Of course, the bodygrip trap requires
that the mink pass through the trap to fire it. You can increase your
success with bodygrip traps by making the shape and placement of the
trigger wires conform to the size, structure and habits of the mink.
Most
of us gain experience in using bodygrip traps by trapping a few muskrats
in them. Trigger placement doesn't seem to be very important for muskrat
trapping. Muskrats have rather wide bodies and tend to plow through a
bodygrip trap without much regard to the trigger wires. Furthermore, most
of these traps are set to catch swimming animals.
Setting
a dryland bodygrip for mink is a different proposition. A mink has a small
diameter body and can easily crawl through a hole no bigger than a coffee
cup. The mink tends to squeeze through the opening in a bodygrip like it
does through any other opening. They don't barrel through a trap like a
lineman, they slither through like a ballet dancer.
For an
example, let's look at a 4-1/2" trap that has been set with a
standard trigger arrangement. The trigger is in the middle of the trap at
the top, and the wires are spread in a vee to fill up the area of the
trap. A mink will try to avoid objects, even those as small as the trigger
wires on a trap. With the vee shaped trigger, there is often enough room
in the middle of the trap for a mink to hunker down and slide under the
wires without touching them.
When
trappers first started using bodygrip traps on mink, they noticed that a
lot of animals were being caught far back on the body, often by only one
jaw of the trap. Some believed that the mink were so fast that they were
shooting through the trap before it had a chance to close. There is a more
logical explanation.
These
far-back catches had to do with the motions the mink used to get through
the trap and not speed. You can observe this same phenomenon if you watch
a dog crawl under a fence. Invariably, the dog will slide its shoulders
under the wire, and when it is half way through, it will simply drag its
back half through letting the wire rub against its spine. The mink are
doing the same thing at the trap. They carefully snake their head and
shoulders through the trap, but grow careless when they drag their back
end through. They trigger the trap with their hips.
At
first glance, it might appear that the simple solution would be to narrow
down the trigger wires, and narrow down the trap opening so there is no
way a mink can get through without hitting the trigger. But this can lead
to a problem known as "trigger avoidance". It seems that if a
mink can find a reasonable size hole, it will try to slide through it. But
if you completely block the path with a trap, trigger wires, and forcing
sticks, so that is looks like the bars on a prison window, some mink will
not attempt to go through the trap.
When I
first started using bodygrips on mink, I tried this prison bar
arrangement, but found I was getting quite a few snapped, empty traps. I
knew the mink weren't getting through. Then a fellow trapper pointed out
my mistake, and offered an explanation. The mink were probably climbing on
top of the traps in order to get over the blockade.
To be
effective for mink, the trigger configuration on a bodygrip trap must
entail a hole or open spot that is large enough to invite the animal to
pass through, but small enough to contact the body of the animal and fire
the trap.
There
is one simple modification of the stock trigger that I used successfully
for many years and still retain on some of my older traps. Here, I let one
of the trigger wires (usually the one closest to the spring) hang straight
down. Halfway up the other trigger wire, I made a 90 degree bend. With the
trigger set in the middle of the trap, the wires form a box, about
2-1/2" square, in one corner of the trap.
The
other side of the trigger is an open space and it is necessary to use a
stick or other object to force the mink towards the box side of the trap.
This configuration works okay, but sometimes it is difficult or
inconvenient to fence the trap down. This configuration also results in a
number of hip catches. Many mink seem to be adept at getting their
shoulders under the horizontal trigger wire.
One
trigger design that has become popular with mink trappers, because it has
proven to be very effective, is the closed loop trigger. Forming the
trigger into a closed circle offers the mink the hole it is looking for.
But since this trigger is closed at the bottom, the mink cannot slide
under. With a closed trigger, the mink ordinarily fires the trap with its
chest and is well positioned for a quick kill.
I have
tried several methods for converting stock triggers to loop triggers, and
have heard of a few others. Some have suggested tying fishing line between
the ends of the wires, but I can't imagine that it would be a durable
addition.
The
first method I tried was to wrap a piece of thin wire around the ends of
the trigger. I flattened the ends of the trigger wires on an anvil so the
wire would not slide off. But just wrapping the thin wire around the
trigger wire was not a substantial fastening. They came unwrapped and slid
off anyway.
Another
way of creating a loop trigger is to use cable attached to the trigger
wires with ferrules. To do this, you slide a ferrule on the trigger wire,
peen the end of the trigger so the ferrule can't slide off, insert the end
of the cable under the ferrule, and hammer the ferrule flat to hold the
cable.
I had several problems with this system. First, I found that not all traps
have the same diameter trigger wires. The ferrules in the kit I bought
were too big for some brands and too small for others. I also had problems
with the cable pulling out of the ferrule. When this happened, I had to
cut off the old ferrule, file down the end of the trigger wire so I could
put on a new ferrule, and peen the end again to keep the new ferrule from
falling off.
I was
working with very thin steel cable and there wasn't much for the ferrule
to grip. I had another problem with this small cable. I lost some traps in
a flood and could not get them back for a month. When I did get the traps
out, I found that some of the cable had actually rusted in two.
Presently,
I am leaning back towards the fine wire I had tried originally, but this
time I have a better way of fastening it. If you peen the end of a trigger
wire on a good anvil, you will find that you can flatten it out
considerably. I do this, then I take a 1/16th inch drill bit, and drill a
hole through the flattened part of the trigger wire. Now when I put this
small diameter wire through the hole, and twist it around the trigger
wire, it stays put. If the wire breaks, it is easy to run a new one
through the holes.
One
way to make a loop trigger on a #110 size bodygrip is to replace the
trigger with one intended for a #220 size trap. The wires have enough
extra length to allow you to form a loop. Also, the #220 trigger will fire
with more sensitivity and improve the trap in that aspect.
 |
Fast Forward -- Since this time, I've
come up with a replacement trigger for both #220's and #110's. I
call it the Sullivan Circle Trigger. It is available on the
Supply Line side of the site. The #110 on the left is equipped with
a Circle Trigger. |
As
for the size and shape of the loop, a 2-1/2" opening seems about
right, and I prefer a round shape to the triggers. I don't place too much
emphasis on the shape of the loop, but I do think a nice round shape
offers a natural attraction for the animal. I often bend the trigger wires
over the edge of a tin can to curve them.
A
2-1/2" loop fills up the center of a 4-1/2" trap with only one
inch remaining on either side. There is no need for additional blocking,
but there is room to add a stabilizing stick if necessary. It is truly
amazing how a loop trigger centers animals coming through the set. I have
caught mice in situations where there was plenty of room for these little
critters to walk beside the loop. But even the mice were prone to go
through the hole at the center of the trap.
If you
have a limited number of small bodygrip traps that you want to use on both
muskrats and mink, don't be afraid to modify all of them. This will not
harm their effectiveness as muskrat traps. In fact, a loop trigger trap
seems to be very effective in centering muskrats for a lethal blow from
the trap. This can result in less struggling in the trap, and less chance
for fur damage in the muskrat. Many muskrats will be killed stone, cold
dead with their head and one leg through the loop.
Mink
are small animals, and their habit of slipping and sliding through their
environment can present special problems when taking them in bodygrip
traps. The opening in the trap must adjusted to account for the animal's
body size, and its pattern of movement. Mink always prove challenging to
trap, and you are likely to do better at catching mink in bodygrip traps
if you practice some sort of trigger modification.
###
For Sullivan Circle Triggers visit the
"Hardware
& Misc." department at the Supply Line
(Posted for July-August, 2006)
ARTISTS IN THE DIRT
By Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper" March-April,
1992)
I
think it is safe to assume that in this modern era, any trapper with at
least a double digit age knows what a dirthole set is. T'was not always
so. This set was a closely guarded secret until E. J. Dailey popularized
it in print and was generally accredited with its "invention".
By the revered words of Mr. Dailey and a bulletin from the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture, I entered the canine contest with my early
interpretation of what I believed to be a dirthole set. The contest soon
became an obsession as I struggled toward a perfect dirthole set - seeking
the "Holey" Grail so to speak.
My
first dirtholes required excavating a triangular shaped pattern, roughly
as big as city dweller's back yard, and digging a cave in one point of the
triangle with the trap and loose dirt piled fan shaped in front of the
hole. With all the debris sifted from the dirt, I would make little walls
to guide the fox onto the trap. The fox were numerous back then, and I saw
a lot of action. And on rare and unexpected occasions, I'd catch one. But
most of my time was spent reburying snapped traps.
Soon,
I figured out you can't just flop a trap down like a dead fish and throw
dirt over it. As I learned to pack the trap into the loose dirt, my catch
went up. And the size of my trap bed decreased. I didn't want to pack any
more loose dirt than necessary. I narrowed the pattern, and without so
much dirt to sift, eliminated the guide walls at the set. I reduced the
size of the hole to look more natural and thought that I was rapidly
approaching perfection.
I made this set time and time again. I shoved it into every nook and
cranny on every farm I trapped. I did well for a while, then I made two
discoveries. My catch was not increasing, but trap theft was. It seems
like all the varmints, both two and four-legged, had figured out what I
was up to. This sent me into the mini-hole or mouse-hole phase of dirt
sets. I made tiny holes with blended patterns that were barely discernable
to the human eye. This did a good job of fooling the thieves, but I
couldn't fool myself into thinking this was the perfect dirthole set.
At this point, I was becoming discouraged in my search for the perfect
set. I grew somewhat careless and constructed dirtholes of every
description with all sorts of different trap placements. Many of these
sets never caught a thing, but some of them did. After taking a sufficient
number of fox in imperfect sets, I finally realized that the art of making
a dirthole set is just that - an art, not an exact science.
While
dirthole sets can be made to certain specifications, these are actually
copies of an original supplied by someone who has mastered the art. We all
learn through imitation, but at some point, the trapper must learn to be
creative. The real effectiveness of the dirthole set is not in prescribed
hole size, pattern, or trap placement, but a balance between the three.
Look at the relationship between the hole, and trap placement. An average
three-inch hole dug six to eight inches deep on an angle will cause a fox
to step in a certain spot to check the hole. If the hole is straight down,
the fox will have to step closer. If the angle is shallow, the fox can
examine the bottom of it from further away. Also, a small hole will
usually bring a fox closer than a big hole. Patterns can range from bushel
basket size to none at all, but should match the hole. The smaller the
hole, the smaller the pattern.
The
beginner usually gets into trouble because he does not, or cannot, exactly
follow the pattern laid out by his instructor. Take for example
instruction, "Place the trap six inches from the hole." This
assumes that the hole is a certain size, and dug at a certain angle. But
the instructions may not tell whether it is six inches from the front of
the hole, back of the hole, or middle of the hole. And the trapper may not
know whether the measurement is taken from the middle of the pan or the
edge of the jaw.
Further
problems arise from the inability of both students and authors to
accurately measure or estimate the dimensions of a set. The student could
carry a ruler on the line, but if the author has estimated a distance to
be six inches, and it is really eight inches, the student will not have
much luck. Conversely, an instructor might exactly measure the dimensions
of his set, while the student makes the set by "estimating" the
distances.
For
those who would like to compare, or those who are still searching for any
dirthole set that will work, I humbly offer the following construction for
my standard dirthole set. The hole is 3 inches in diameter, and dug at a
35 degree angle (a little more straight down than 45 degrees). Trap
placement is 8 1/2" from the center of the pan to the center of the
opening of the hole, and offset 1" to the right of an imaginary line
that runs through the hole from top to bottom (the axis of the hole). I
dig a trap bed no bigger than necessary to bury the trap, which means
there is a small strip of undisturbed dirt between the trap and the hole.
Fast Forward: Since this time, I have adopted what I call
the "pound down" method of bedding traps. I dig a bed a little smaller
than the trap and pound down the rim of it with my hammer to make a solid
edge to set the trap on.
I
give the trap a "full pack" bedding both inside and outside the
jaws using a trappers cap to protect the area under the pan, and my
fingers! I finish the set by scattering the loose dirt in a fan shape away
from the hole until the pattern is about as big as a dinner plate.
I can
guarantee that a dirthole made to these exact specifications will catch
fox. And I can just as surely guarantee there are any number of other
combinations that will accomplish the same purpose. Learning one workable
formula for making a dirthole is a good way to start, but it is highly
unlikely that this formula can be used in all applications. That is why
mastering the various aspects of the dirthole set is more of an art than a
science.
If the
art of making dirthole sets were strictly a matter of inches, angles, and
degrees; we would all carry calculators on the trapline. While
"formula" sets are helpful to the beginning trapper, they are
like wearing someone else's pants - they might fit, and they might not.
Eventually, you must develop your own style in creating sets that are
tailored to your own personal habits and habitat.
By all means, you should start with a set using the pattern and
measurements offered by a reputable trapper. This gives you a point from
which to work and is a lot quicker than trying to re-invent the dirthole
for yourself. As explained, there may be differences between your
perception of the set and the author's, but nonetheless this should place
you on the right track.
Like
any other artist, you have to develop a basic skill before you can expect
to turn out a masterpiece. Once you have succeeded in establishing a
dirthole construction that produces consistently, you should begin to
experiment with new forms. But, don't change too many things all at once.
Stick with your established construction and modify only one element at a
time. You might try moving the trap closer or further away, and note your
results. Or you might try making the hole larger or smaller. Whatever you
try, make sure you achieve the desired results before you move on.
Once
you understand how the various elements fit together, you will be able to
assemble them in a number of different ways. Eventually, this becomes
second nature, and you begin to construct effective dirtholes sets, of
varying descriptions, without even thinking about it. This is one reason
that it is often hard for the experienced trapper to adequately explain
his construction to an amateur. And again, as with any art form, no two
trappers will construct their sets exactly alike even though they may be
equally successful.
Accomplished
artists usually possess some kind of natural talent, and I suppose this is
true for dirthole artists. But in reality most of these trappers have
achieved success through study and practice. This is not meant to
discourage the beginner, but those who have mastered the art of
constructing a dirthole have made literally thousands of these sets.
Some
of this discussion may have sounded a bit puzzling, but that is usually
the case when you are trying to discuss art. So to finish up, I will try
to clear the air a little. There is no great mystery about the dirthole
set. It is commonly used by nearly every trapper in pursuit of canines. It
is one of the best dryland sets ever devised, but no one holds a patent on
it. While you can learn its basic construction from a book or an
instructor, you should be prepared to adapt and modify it to meet your own
needs. It is highly unlikely that there is one perfect form for this set,
and you cannot naturally assume that once you have mastered a single
construction you are home free.
I
don't want to make this sound too silly, but you might look at mastering
the dirthole set like learning to paint. You start out with a
paint-by-number picture of a tree, and you follow the numbers and learn to
stay in the lines. Next you learn to do freehand work, and you can paint a
tree without the lines and numbers. Finally, you learn to paint any sort
of image you desire - a tree, a flower, a rock or what have you. Maybe
your artwork won't be as good as Leonardo da Vinci's, but on the other
hand I don't think he could make a dirthole worth a hoot.
###
For hardware visit the
"Hardware
& Misc." department at the Supply Line
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