is it too early to trap fox 'n such yet?

[davet]

I set my first trap and harvested my first Grey. Nice looking grey, but when I called by "skinning partner", he called the local fur buyer and the FB told him he was not buying anything yet. Now, I did not question him any further but I can only assume that he's not because he believes the fur is not yet prime. Does this make sense? I'm so new at this that I can't make any judgement as to if this is right or wrong.

Comments?

[redarrow]

He may be waiting to see how the market moves.
I would expect early 'coon will be tough market all season. Maybe if the harvest of 'coons is low,the price will be ok for the big, prime pelts. For fox, I would expect they will be easy to sell but the price may be anyone's guess at this point in the season.

[davet]

Thanks Redarrow. I'm going to reset my "behind the house" trap and set a few where I've seen fox scat and have a pretty good sense that I will bag some. My skinning partner will do the dirty work and in a few weeks when the FB figures out what he's doing, we will have a few pelts to offer up. Either that or I'll have to learn how to sew up a fox coat for my wife. Thank goodness she's only 5 feet tall!!!

[davet]

I got a call from my skinning partner and he said the fox skinned out just fine and looks really good. The fur was very nice and fleshed out in good order. So, yesterday I reset the trap...I also took the neighbor kid who spots and reports to me the neighborhood "big 'n small" buck activity!! I explained to him what I was doing as I went along. Funny part was when I baited the hole and put some lure at the top of the hole I told him this "stuff" was going to stink to high heaven as there was skunk gland mixed in it. Well, he told me he had a cold and couldn't smell anything. (Ghee...I smell skunk no matter what!!) But then the last think I do is spray the area with a few squirts (mist) of red fox pee. Well, when I ht the spray bottle, He jumped back and said he could for sure smell that!!! I guess we all have those smell tolerances.

He's going to check the trap later for me.

Dave

[Dutch]

My brother sold a grey yesterday, unskinned, $10

[longbeard2372]

Good job davet !!! Well done! Your fox hide should be fine as far as prime goes. Coons are another thing. I'd give them till the 15th. As far as selling to the local FB I wouldn't. I'd put it up and send it to NAFA or Fur Harvesters. What needs to be remembered about selling to local FB's this yr is everyone and esp. local FB's took a huge hit on prices last yr thus will be offering you less this yr in hopes to make up for thier losses of last yr. If you don't need the cash in hand and have a place to put up critters ship your hides if you want the best prices. Fox are by far the easiest to put up. Coons and butt sniffing yotes are the worse!

[davet]

Nov 11, 2014 18:06:10 GMT -5 longbeard2372 said:

Coons and butt sniffing yotes are the worse!

*coffeespit* HA!!! Thanks LB. I just figured...hey....set a trap, catch a nice fox!! How hard can this stuff be? Right? stirthepot Well, this am, after watching my local 8 point buck chase his doe well outside of my crossbow range, I went down to check my one and only trap I have set out so far (my youngest is getting married in 2 weeks.....in life, everything is timing...I'll maybe, maybe set a few more where I know there are fox, but then I'll have to pull 'em shortly after to go to my buddies deer camp. Oh well...choices!!) Well, in my trap this time.....was the smallest groundhog on the face of the planet!! That g-hog could not have been more than a foot long. And skinny as heck. I'm thinking my beginners luck is now over. But my interest sure isn't!!

Dave

[longbeard2372]

Sounds like you caught bait!

[davet]

Nov 12, 2014 17:10:51 GMT -5 longbeard2372 said:

Sounds like you caught bait!

I dunno, I'm telling you, I shoot a lot of groundhogs in the summer, and I can't recall shooting one this small. Or I should say this skinny. At this point in time they are usually nice 'n fat. For all the work involved in skinning this boy, it would be maybe a half a teacup of g-hog meat!! But...maybe I should just not skin him and cut him up fur 'n all.

Dave

[longbeard2372]

Yep no skinning. Just cut chop up with a hatchet. Do a search on trapperman.com and you will find some great bait recipes. If you hog hunt during the summer it may be a way to take your trapping to the next level. What could be a better feeling then catching a fox with your own bait and lure?

[davet]

Hmmm....So much to learn. And I do have a hatchet. I use it for splitting the pelvis on deer that I whack as it's way easier to clean out the "stuff" that is at the end of the deer pipes than to just split the pelvis and do a few cuts with a sharp knife.

I almost hate to say this.....but it looks like i "need" to catch a skunk. *badday*

[davet]

Nov 12, 2014 19:29:54 GMT -5 longbeard2372 said:

Yep no skinning. Just cut chop up with a hatchet. Do a search on trapperman.com and you will find some great bait recipes. If you hog hunt during the summer it may be a way to take your trapping to the next level. What could be a better feeling then catching a fox with your own bait and lure?

I forgot to post this, but I went the next day to retrieve the G-hog that I trapped and he was gone!! Now, there was no rain that we had that was strong enough to carry him away in the tiny little drainage creek that I tossed him into. Had we gotten a heavy rain....different story. So, there is obviously something back there that took him. Maybe the lock ness monster lives in that little pond back there? Perhaps I need to go to a 4-coil spring for such a creature? I ain't 'fraid a no green monsters er nuthin!!! smileys-whistling-823718

[longbeard2372]

Sounds to me like ya just gave a red fox dinner. LOL

[davet]

Well LB.....the trap is re-set. Iffin I don't get him in this one.....I'll just set another one nearby and see if I can get him to stick his nose down that hole.