Trapping season

[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]

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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.
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Huh? I don't understand...

[Possom]

Huh? I don't understand...

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.

[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.