Two Old Foxes

If the house had ever been painted it had been decades ago, and a handwritten index card duct-taped to the door read, "Owner armed and dangerous.  Nothing inside worth dying for," and another read, "If you have a cold, the flu, or any other plague, go visit a Yankees fan and leave me alone"; but we knew our knocks would be greeted by the gnarled, aged, yet handsome face of its only tenant, Wade Martin.

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Raccoon Trapping: Homemade Water Resistant Bait for Dog-Proof Traps

Raccoon trapping can be a fun and inexpensive way to introduce trapping to younger generations.  By using dog-proof traps, the initial cost is low and the need for intricate trap setting and bedding methods are eliminated.  The wide-ranging diet of the raccoon allows the trapper to easily make his or her own bait. This year, my daughter and I did just that!  

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Coyote Trapping: Trap Modifications

Trapping eastern coyotes can be a challenge. Eastern coyotes tend to be slightly bigger than their cousins from the west. In some instances, they can weigh around 60lbs. In this video Dan talks about the modifications he does to his coilspring traps. These modifications help improve the speed of his traps and their holding power.

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Lesson Learned on the 2016-2017 Pennsylvania Trapline

Every weekday morning, the alarm would chime at 4:30 am. For most other circumstances I would be inclined to roll over and aimlessly smack at the snooze button. But during the weeks that I ran my trapline, the alarm-clock’s usually annoying chimes, were very much welcomed. Some days, I found myself up before the alarm sounded (I think my wife really appreciated those days).

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Finding the Time to Put-Up Fur - My Method of Freezing and Fleshing Pelts

The joys of successful trapping are accompanied with the trials of finding time for processing the animal. The pelt of the furbearer you harvested will be dried and either shipped off to a fur auction, sold to a buyer, or tanned for display. However, the joys of everyday life won’t provide the average person with adequate time for the skinning and fleshing process...

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Trapping My First River Otter

I was 16 years old when I started trapping in Minnesota. I knew there was something unique about it that hunting and fishing didn’t have. Unfortunately, no one in my family trapped, but I was lucky enough to have my friend’s father, Andy, teach me how to trap. I always enjoyed exploring the woods, fields, creeks, and marshes for animal sign, and trying to find the perfect place to set a trap with the correct bait and lure. Andy first taught me how to trap in the numerous lakes, streams, and rivers that Minnesota provides. 

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