Which video should I get ?

[pahunter]

Well Im new to trapping and only got to tinker around with it last year. I certainly did enjoy it but them fox kicked my ----. I did learn alot and Im surwe it will go better this season. I was going to get a fox trapping video and was thinking about Bob jameson video. Has anyone on here ever watched it ? and would you recommend any others ? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[mink1574]

havnt seen Bobs,heard its good. Gary Jepsons coyote video is good

[big8s]

trapper arts advance fox and coyote is a very good and informative video

[mink1574]

am taking from your post that your in Pa.,so Bobs should help ya alot,some more that Ive seen are Matt Jones,good fresh ideas to alot of folks...no sense in being in a rut ya know.

[huckleberry]

if ya out east and wanna trap fox....read or watch anything by the Leggets.......I have never watched a trappin video in my life....but I would think theirs or Dobbins', or Matt Jones would all be good ones.

Dobbins' books are about the best I have ever read. If ya ever get after cats or yoes, Slim Pederson's stuff is hard to beat.

I would find it interseting to hear about the name ya chose......if ya don't mind tellin.....

[pahunter]

Yeah ! Im from Pa. Thought maybe Bobs video would relate to my area when it came to location. I didnt know how much one video differs from another.

[huckleberry]

you are on the right track.........learn from those near ya......what works in the east may or may not work elsewhere. The basics are always the same....location.....lures.....and even sets will vary from place to place.

Good Luck!!!!!

[Sunshine]

great to see you posting..

[mink1574]

yep some lures /sets work wonders in one area and are useless in another as huck said.

some good ones that i know work there are Bobs,and J R and Sons.

[huckleberry]

wht type sets ya run mostly? holes? flat sets? post sets?.....maybe the good folks here can help ya some too.....and it is free .....LOL

[Sunshine]

or are you new like i was last year and will take any and all recommendations? cause ya just arent sure of yourself at all?

i knw the feeling only thing im comforatble with catching for sure is coon and possum..lol

these guys have alot of info tween the loads of BS theyre toting around. they wont steer you wrong..LOL

[mink1574]

BS toting round...LOL ya got us there...but look whom is the biggest BSer of all..ya done went and said it yerself..LMAO

[coop]

My wife gave me Bob's 2 DVD set for fathers day. Very good info in them, covers things from start to finish. They are geared more for the beginning fox trapper, but a lot of tips for "seasoned" guys too. I also have Dobbin's DH tape and Leggetts tape, both are excellent.

[pahunter]

Yeah Catherine I guess Im a bit like you Ill take all recomendation I can get. With what time I got to trap last year I was using the dirt hole sets . Had a few fox visit my sets but I didnt catch any .I had my traps set at about 1 and a half pounds. Should I lighten that up a little ? We had lots of rain and my sets turned into mud holes and my traps didnt fire. Then it got cold and the ground froze like concrete. I enjoyed myself anyways just being in the outdoors and I learnedalot .

[Sunshine]

im still learning and i try and read everything i can ..these guys can and will help you. just readijng their posts has helped me alot.

[mink1574]

ok,first your pan tension is good. do you use just the set dirt for covering?

[coop]

Lots of little things make a difference. Things like picking a high(er) spot to make your sets to take care of the rain and drainage problems. Antifreeze or freezeproof bedding of some type, there are several. Low spot over the pan to target the foot. Not tinkering with the sets everyday if they don't catch. And the list goes on....have fun with it.

[pahunter]

Yes, mink I was just using the same dirt that I dug out to bed the trap . Ive read where using peat moss would be better.
Yeah I know what ya mean Ive read lots of posts and all the material I can get my paws on. We have lots of fox in my area and no one around here traps anymore. I can trap several farms and there is no competion around.

[mink1574]

ok ya have already read what i was gonna tell ya then,lol and coop has stated,picking your specific loc. for setting your traps,includes taking into account what happens after the weather changes. I like too use grass clippings myself,cut them about an eigth inch long to cover. flat sets will help,no hole to fill up with water and lose your attractant. clay soil is the worse.

[huckleberry]

Here are some tips for ya. these are pretty much the same tips I got started with and have used all my life trappin fox.

First off get yourself some bait. I prefer bait over lure for begionners simply cause if ya miss a critter and don't pinch or scare them bad they will be back for another bite to eat. I used real crispy fried bacon or or fried the skinned off a ham or other pork cuts. Fox love them. For me they were easy to get, I still use it to this day in fact. Cracklins are great too.

Your pan tension is fine. You will catch lighter footed criters with that amount of tension which is not a bad thing for a beginner. Learn to handle skunks properly, ya will surely need to have that knowledge.

Now for reds, which I am takin for granted is your target fox, ya need to find their paths. where they hunt, where they sleep if possible, and where they have a toilet area. The last being the best to find if ya can.

I look around open fields, lots, and in the timber breaks for sign. Pine thickets are great palces to find fox. Pastures also. There are many differnt places a fox will hunt. Look for trails about ten feet or so away from the "edge". Edges are critical to fox and they will stick close to them. A fence, a change in land or crop, a ditch line, about anything can make an edge. Natural or man made either one, they will follow them.

Make your sets with the most common wind in your advantage. It won't always be right, but use the most common and set accordingly. Here it is from the northwest most of the time.

Use natural backing if ya can. if not use something that stands out as much as ya can. Don't get carried away with being fancy about it. For natural stuff I have used clumps of grass I moved if need be, rocks, tree limbs, burnt wood, dirt clods, a pile of leaves, and hay or straw. In states where it is legal bones are great backing/attractors. Anything natural can be used.

For man made stuff I have used anything and everything I can find close. Pieces of iron, old wheels, camp fires, plastic bags, old rags, tools, etc etc,. Ya are doin nuttin more than catchin their eye with any of these. Once to the set they then become a guide as to where or how they approach your bait. Where they are placed in comparison to your trap is important. Specially for a wise old fox.

Fox like to see what is around them. They will rear up on some things to look around. This can be piles of dirt to hay bales. Or anything in between. Keep that in mind, it comes in handy later on.

Once ya find their trails find a spot ya feel comfortable that they will work a set. Intersections are good places. Along a log or old hay bale, any place they might wanna look around is better than a wide open area. If while lookin yourself ya happen to find where something has been diggin or tearin up the ground, make a set. Fresh dirt is a magnet to fox.

This is hard to explain on here but ya probaly have the idea.

Now your sets are ready to be made once ya decide on your location. Do not get all up in the air about makin the perfect set. I lay my trap on the ground where I want it to end up when buried. Then I make the dirt hole, or place my backin in relation to it. I can see or imagine how the fox is gonna work it. This way I have the advantage of movin the trap bed if need be. Without overly disturbing anything.

The dirt hole. Once the hole is dug, or holes if useing more than one, I then dig the trap bed. ya want the trap bed when finished just slightly lower than the surrounding ground. I prefer the loose jaw of my trap, a 1.5 trap, right close to the edge of the hole. I mean as close as I dare make it. Any more than 1/4 inch back is to far for me. Look at how a fox stands when sniffin or winding and ya can see why. Their nose is almost directly over their front feet. Now if ya do make a set and the trap is a little further back, leave it, it aint that important to be within fractions of an inch. Blend the set in as well as ya can and leave it. Do not walk right up on it everyday to check it. If it goes three days under normal conditions then ya can rebait it or re lure it. The off days stay back from it and let it weather itself into the surroundings. When rebaitin approach from the off side, not where ya think the fox will approach the set.

In rainy conditions I use flat sets alot more than hole sets. if I do use hole sets they are small two or three holes punched in with rebar stakes. Stops alot of the flooding of a set. ya will need two or three differnt scents for these type sets. Urine, is almost a must for them. Either cat or red fox is my favs. Cat litter or turd, down one hole and a bait in the third is what I normaly use. Two hole sets get a shot of urine and some of my lure. If you are not familiar with this set let me know and I'll splain it in more detail. Very effective sets for fox.

If ya wanna know more please ask. I will help ya any way I can. The rst of these fellas will add some to this I bet, and I hope they do.

Fox are not real hard to catch and can be a very fun critter to chase. Pay attention to your surroundings and what their tracks tell ya they are doin and ya can get them. Enjoy the time out chasin them!!!!!!!!!!!

[pahunter]

Well a big THANK YOU to all that responded And Huck I will let ya know which video I decide to get . Mink I never tried the flat set but Im sure gonna give it a try. I guess I should have tried it last year. I use polly fill under the pan , would using a pan cover be a better route to take in wet coditions. Im sure the answer would very from one to another , but I would like to hear some opinions.

[huckleberry]

cop and mink...i didn't mean to but in .....ya'll posted after I started typeing.....ya now know how long it takes me to type....LOL

[mink1574]

np huck,thats alot of typing
ilmakit1da..man we gotta get ya a nickname ...i never use a pan cover myself,my dogs are filed to where i dont need one,the polyfil when it gets wet collapses,if you use grass clippings or stuff from on site,ya ont need one. What type of soil do you have there?

[mink1574]

oh and huck GREAT post

[huckleberry]

I use alot of scent posts in wet weather....put the urine or whatever scent up high and let it run down the post.......gets better with each rain........

I also use wadded up wax paper for covers in wet weather. I will try my best to draw or get a pic of a set where ya can use a hole in wet weather to catch most anything. ya hve to hve the right place to use it....but when ya get that place...look out!!!!!!