Trapping season

[Possom]

Good morning everyone. Who else is excited that trapping season is about to open up? Well I am sure it is already open up north but us southerners are just about to kick it off.

I am not sure why there are not more trappers out there. Granted that pelts aren't worth what they used to be but it is still a good hobby to have and maintain. SHTF you might need a few sets to help supplement your food supply.

I trap coon and beaver on a regular basis during trapping season. With the occasional bobcat and fox in the mix.

Coons (or raccoon for you northern folk) are actually quite good to eat. I only make about 6 dollars for a coon hide but the meat is worth going trapping for.

Beaver has a bounty on it here in Arkansas. $15 per tail on my side of the state. Central and east part of the state is paying $20 a tail. And the meat is used for bobcat and fox sets and the hide brings $4.

Who else out there is a trapper?

[mitunnelrat]

Its still coon here in the north! lol. At least to me. Then again, I still catch hell for calling "pop" soda... :D

I've yet to get a foothold set but I've caught a few things in live traps. Grinners mostly, with a couple stinkers and two of those coon you've mentioned as well.

Seems like this is another of those things I just don't dive as deeply into as I'd like in any given year...

[helomech]

I have a couple catchem alive traps, but need to get some other types. I catch raccoons on a regular basis, but usually just throw them away.

[Possom]

Don't throw them away. That's some good stuff!

Here is a good BBQ recipe for them. Can also be fried. If you are wanting to fry them, depending on how old the coon is you will need to cut them up and boil them 30 min or so before hand. Make sure to cut off what fat they have on them and the kernels (hard little knots mainly under the front legs) if you leave fat on them they will come out tasting gamey. If you are still getting a gamey taste in them cut them up and put them in a bowl of water and mustard overnight in the fridge and the mustard will cut the gamey taste. I have heard soaking them in milk over night will cut the gamey taste as well but I have always had good luck with mustard.


~ 4 - 6 lb. raccoon, cut into serving pieces
~ 1 cup red wine
~ 2 onions, sliced
~ 3 bay leaves
~ 1 tbsp salt
~ 1 tsp pepper
~ 3 cloves garlic, sliced
~ 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
~ 1 tbsp paprika

Place the raccoon pieces in a large pan. Add the wine, onions, bay leaves, salt, pepper and garlic. Add enough water to cover the meat.

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the meat and drain. Place the raccoon in a greased baking dish. Mix the barbecue sauce and paprika together and pour over the meat.

Cook at 325 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

[2die4]

I am not sure why there are not more trappers out there. Granted that pelts aren't worth what they used to be but it is still a good hobby to have and maintain. SHTF you might need a few sets to help supplement your food supply.

Part of the reason why I decided to sit through the trapper education class. It would be a handy skill in a SHTF scenario. Another reason is that I want a hat. A nice fluffy raccoon hat.

[helomech]

The ones I tried to clean had so much fat that I just got tired of trying to mess with them. May give the next one a try like you suggested. Thanks

[Sniper-T]

the only thing open here is beaver right now, and at $4.00 a hide the only thing they are good for is bait. waiting...

[Possom]

We were in the same boat with beaver for a while. Trap one for bait then go to trapping bobcat and fox. No one trapped beaver regularly for several years. Now they are over populated to the point they are blocking and destroying most of the waterways in Arkansas. So the conservation office put a bounty on them.

[Possom]

Well it's fresh coon for dinner tonight!

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz87/cox-adam/coonhunting/F5ECE43C-0FEA-4BAB-B1C9-71183DA4C5F0_zpsjsoqprwn.jpg (http://s816.photobucket.com/user/cox-adam/media/coonhunting/F5ECE43C-0FEA-4BAB-B1C9-71183DA4C5F0_zpsjsoqprwn.jpg.html)

[Sniper-T]

post of some pics of the meal you're making! should be room in the food porn thread.

Once skinned out coon's look a lot like a chubby cat!

[Possom]

It will be a few days before I can get pics up. I was going to cook it for supper tonight but I got over ruled by the boss lady. I am to make BBQ coon Saturday as a side dish for thanks giving at mom and dad's.

Maybe I will have another caught tomorrow. Would like to put a few back in the freezer.

They do look a lot like a chubby cat, look about the same as a skinned out bobcat.

This coon was covered in fat. All coons have a good layer of fat on them but this one was packing it on. A good inch thick all over him. Fur was heavy and thick already too. Signs of a long hard winner.

The deer I have killed this year have been the same way. Already in a heavy winter coat and packing on fat.

[bacpacker]

Animals will tell you a lot about future weather.

Nice catch. Trapping would be a valuable tool in a SHTF situation. Something else I need to learn.

[Possom]

Not much to it. Coons are easy to catch. Couple dog proof traps and something smelly along a creek and you will have a coon in a day or two. Caught this guy with Vienna sausages. One can on sausages will set 6 traps. You don't have to use dog proof traps, they can be caught in a regular foot hold trap but they are bad about chewing their own foot off and getting away 3 legged. They can't get to it to bite it in a dog proof. Body grip traps work well too. Conabear 160 in a 5 gallon bucket works really well. I just prefer a live catch trap. Easier to skin before they get stiff. I have caught them in snares as well. They are bad about seeing a snare and pulling it down though. At least that is my experience.

Bobcat are fairly easy to catch as well. Easier than fox or coyote anyway. Bobcat meat is really good as well (I know eww your eating a cat) but it really is good.

There is a lot of information out there about trapping. Lots of really good videos on YouTube.

A good prep to have if nothing else is a couple dozen snares. They aren't expensive. Roughly a dollar a piece from FnT trading post. Well worth the investment.

[helomech]

We have chickens, so we have plenty of eggs. Eggs work great for catching racoons, and you don't catch any other animals. We use a catch em alive trap.

[Sniper-T]

...
Bobcat are fairly easy to catch as well. Easier than fox or coyote anyway. Bobcat meat is really good as well (I know eww your eating a cat) but it really is good.
....

Huh? I don't understand...

:rolleyes:

[Possom]

Huh? I don't understand...

:rolleyes:

I didn't really get it either but apparently some people are fond of cats and give you an ugly face when you tell them they taste like a cross between chicken and pork.

[Possom]

Well trapping season has gotten off to a slow start. All I have caught is the one coon so far. My wife and I moved our trap line to a new spot today and changed our sets up some as well as our baits. Hopefully we will have something by tomorrow.

[Possom]

Had a surprise of the trap line this morning. A civet cat (spotted skunk). Caught him in a coon trap. A dog proof. First time I have ever caught a non-target species in a dog proof. He sure is pretty and will bring in a little money.

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz87/cox-adam/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps2665a3df.jpg (http://s816.photobucket.com/user/cox-adam/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps2665a3df.jpg.html)

[2die4]

Nice score! How many lbs?

[Possom]

Not very big at all. Maybe 2 pounds. These civet cats don't get nearly as big as a striped skunk does.

[2die4]

Not very big at all. Maybe 2 pounds. These civet cats don't get nearly as big as a striped skunk does.


Do they stink like the other ones?

[Possom]

Oh yeah. They have just as much stink as their larger cousins. It's amazing how potent their spray is. A direct spray on you will cause your sinuses to break loose and flood your nose with mucus, your eyes will tear up and swell, it attacks your lungs. Causes you to have coughing fits. It's some nasty stuff.

Skunks aren't as bad to spray as one would think. They don't go all willy nilly spraying at anything that moves. They have to put up with the smell as well. They will give you plenty of warning first. Stand up on their front feet and threaten you. If you back off slowly when they stand up most of the time they won't spray.

I have walked up on striped skunks while deer hunting quite often. Just holding your ground and talking to them normally calms them down. They will just look at you and walk off.