Thought I’d start thread here we could all chime in on. To start, I’m a newer trapper that’s getting this down little by little. I literally learn new things every week. I think I mainly learned making sets from forums & watching YouTube videos & some really good dudes show me how to do it. I catch more & more over time & do get better fast.
We used to kill about 200-300 consistently for a few years…. I had/have a lot of guys around who are far better at killing than me. They bounced around with day hunting/calling & night hunting. Trapping, snaring, etc. We went from 200-300 & “if you shoot a deer & leave over night- 99% of time it’s gone in AM” to maybe 100 now & way less deer & fawns taken down. Also shoot them around fawn season & insane how much better the fawn survival is. I’m there daily & watch this close…. Without scientific evidence/study, I’d say our fawn predation was over 50%. It’s maybe 20% (5-7 years into predator killing). & yes… it was 50% with the most premium habitat, fawning cover & couldn’t make it better if dreamed. There was simply so many killers on landscape. So glad they are thinned way back!!
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTES: we also stayed on bobcats. Insane how many are out there. An overlooked one I didn’t know until a few years ago… those huge bore raccoons kill fawns as well. So- having so many more fawns survive is a multi-animal deal. Is this a lot of work??? YES & NO. Yes- it takes time & expertise like anything. If multiple dudes chip in, very doable. So many folks want to do it & if you find them & welcome them- helps a ton. We for sure lowered all the predator #’s with help from guys in general region doing same thing. Our turkey, fawn/deer, pheasant, quail, etc population has bounced back incredibly. Even the coon & possum stuff ….. being on farm seeing ripped up nests all the time to “rarely” is awesome. If you can find ways to make it efficient & fun- it’s not as much work in that way. Or again, invite folks who enjoy it to chip in.
HOW:
On traps, please chime in as I’m a beginner here!!!! I am running dirt hole, trench & few variations & using NO BS k-9 extreme traps, laminated jaws offset, 4 coil. IMO- amazing. Worth it. I think I have 4 dozen but 6-12 is probably sufficient for anyone. Wolf fang anchors & do peat moss, wax dirt or anti-freeze flakes in this weather. I think hard core guys might steer me to using less unnatural stuff like that. Variety of baits & lures & sure open to what dudes think is the best thing to run in iowa?? Location & trapping on sign is clearly great advice. Even where trail cameras show me where they are- helpful!
Thermals, calling, hunting or shooting them while deer hunting - we do it all but I’m by far the best at just whacking them while I deer hunt. I slay them. Other guys are the experts on calling & hunting on wind, where to go, etc. I go with thermal hunting & it’s insane how it puts about 0 pressure on deer & they don’t know you’re there usually. (Which does spook me for poachers but I’m that’s another topic)
Love to get better snaring & taking others advice here & how to avoid getting deer caught. Trying variation of things & this year be first giving it a Real go. Carcass or scraps & snaring the paths in CRP or brush openings to it.
My area vs say, SE iowa…. 5-7 years in SE iowa… those dudes were relentless killers. Dogs on coyotes & everyone on them. Very few coyotes. Making this up but I’d say like 5-10x less coyotes than I see in sc to sw iowa. Maybe it’s chanced. We have so many less coyote groups of any type around. I am thankful the hunting of them is growing. There’s no doubt in my mind you can reduce their #’s if stick with it and many others get on board. No doubt in my mind if let go, their #’s get obscene & has huge implications to deer & every other prey animal. Way overpopulated on coyotes, coons, bobcats, possum, etc. I like having some around (I love bobcats!!!! Wish I had a fox around!!!) but good gosh, out of control 5-10 years ago and last 3-5, way way less of all categories & helps immensely!!!!!!!!!
There’s my long post on some history, how, why, etc.
Question for you experts on coyotes especially, which are by far the hardest to trap of all the animals here…
-what baits & lures do you feel are legitimately the best in iowa over the next couple months. Maybe an array of what guys should try & a list to experiment with & take notes on?
-tips to anyone & please add on …. I got trapping down on location, firm bedded trap that does not move. Got basics of no dirt under pan, not getting scent on traps like bait or lures. Deep holes. Not over guiding with sticks but maybe just little dirt clobs to guide to pan. Making sure u have swivels on several parts of traps.
-my first year my major issue was getting deer in traps!!!! Pissed me off & freaked me out BAD!!!!! Since then I try to trap against a backing like a log, rock, ant hill, Thorn tree or bush. Like stuff where deer are gonna go around. I put trap pan maybe 8-10” away from hole so if deer smells it- they back far enough. Really seems to work. Other thoughts or suggestions???
-BIG QUESTION?!?!??!? Do you guys feel like you can have a trail camera pointed towards a trap from a distance so you know if you catch one??? Like- I know it works & I’ve done it further away with a 5 minute delay so it’s not hardly going off. BUT…. Do you feel this hurts you greatly or feel like not that big of deal? I do still physically check the traps to keep with the law but sure is helpful to know fast if I have one in the trap.
Ok- long thread to hopefully cover it all. For the dude that maybe owns land & has no time for any of this, my strong suggestion!!!!! Reach out to folks that do enjoy this. Let them go. It doesn’t mess with the deer done right. It greatly helps the deer done right. Stay on em!!!
This was a giant male… made a muddy mess of himself!
We used to kill about 200-300 consistently for a few years…. I had/have a lot of guys around who are far better at killing than me. They bounced around with day hunting/calling & night hunting. Trapping, snaring, etc. We went from 200-300 & “if you shoot a deer & leave over night- 99% of time it’s gone in AM” to maybe 100 now & way less deer & fawns taken down. Also shoot them around fawn season & insane how much better the fawn survival is. I’m there daily & watch this close…. Without scientific evidence/study, I’d say our fawn predation was over 50%. It’s maybe 20% (5-7 years into predator killing). & yes… it was 50% with the most premium habitat, fawning cover & couldn’t make it better if dreamed. There was simply so many killers on landscape. So glad they are thinned way back!!
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTES: we also stayed on bobcats. Insane how many are out there. An overlooked one I didn’t know until a few years ago… those huge bore raccoons kill fawns as well. So- having so many more fawns survive is a multi-animal deal. Is this a lot of work??? YES & NO. Yes- it takes time & expertise like anything. If multiple dudes chip in, very doable. So many folks want to do it & if you find them & welcome them- helps a ton. We for sure lowered all the predator #’s with help from guys in general region doing same thing. Our turkey, fawn/deer, pheasant, quail, etc population has bounced back incredibly. Even the coon & possum stuff ….. being on farm seeing ripped up nests all the time to “rarely” is awesome. If you can find ways to make it efficient & fun- it’s not as much work in that way. Or again, invite folks who enjoy it to chip in.
HOW:
On traps, please chime in as I’m a beginner here!!!! I am running dirt hole, trench & few variations & using NO BS k-9 extreme traps, laminated jaws offset, 4 coil. IMO- amazing. Worth it. I think I have 4 dozen but 6-12 is probably sufficient for anyone. Wolf fang anchors & do peat moss, wax dirt or anti-freeze flakes in this weather. I think hard core guys might steer me to using less unnatural stuff like that. Variety of baits & lures & sure open to what dudes think is the best thing to run in iowa?? Location & trapping on sign is clearly great advice. Even where trail cameras show me where they are- helpful!
Thermals, calling, hunting or shooting them while deer hunting - we do it all but I’m by far the best at just whacking them while I deer hunt. I slay them. Other guys are the experts on calling & hunting on wind, where to go, etc. I go with thermal hunting & it’s insane how it puts about 0 pressure on deer & they don’t know you’re there usually. (Which does spook me for poachers but I’m that’s another topic)
Love to get better snaring & taking others advice here & how to avoid getting deer caught. Trying variation of things & this year be first giving it a Real go. Carcass or scraps & snaring the paths in CRP or brush openings to it.
My area vs say, SE iowa…. 5-7 years in SE iowa… those dudes were relentless killers. Dogs on coyotes & everyone on them. Very few coyotes. Making this up but I’d say like 5-10x less coyotes than I see in sc to sw iowa. Maybe it’s chanced. We have so many less coyote groups of any type around. I am thankful the hunting of them is growing. There’s no doubt in my mind you can reduce their #’s if stick with it and many others get on board. No doubt in my mind if let go, their #’s get obscene & has huge implications to deer & every other prey animal. Way overpopulated on coyotes, coons, bobcats, possum, etc. I like having some around (I love bobcats!!!! Wish I had a fox around!!!) but good gosh, out of control 5-10 years ago and last 3-5, way way less of all categories & helps immensely!!!!!!!!!
There’s my long post on some history, how, why, etc.
Question for you experts on coyotes especially, which are by far the hardest to trap of all the animals here…
-what baits & lures do you feel are legitimately the best in iowa over the next couple months. Maybe an array of what guys should try & a list to experiment with & take notes on?
-tips to anyone & please add on …. I got trapping down on location, firm bedded trap that does not move. Got basics of no dirt under pan, not getting scent on traps like bait or lures. Deep holes. Not over guiding with sticks but maybe just little dirt clobs to guide to pan. Making sure u have swivels on several parts of traps.
-my first year my major issue was getting deer in traps!!!! Pissed me off & freaked me out BAD!!!!! Since then I try to trap against a backing like a log, rock, ant hill, Thorn tree or bush. Like stuff where deer are gonna go around. I put trap pan maybe 8-10” away from hole so if deer smells it- they back far enough. Really seems to work. Other thoughts or suggestions???
-BIG QUESTION?!?!??!? Do you guys feel like you can have a trail camera pointed towards a trap from a distance so you know if you catch one??? Like- I know it works & I’ve done it further away with a 5 minute delay so it’s not hardly going off. BUT…. Do you feel this hurts you greatly or feel like not that big of deal? I do still physically check the traps to keep with the law but sure is helpful to know fast if I have one in the trap.
Ok- long thread to hopefully cover it all. For the dude that maybe owns land & has no time for any of this, my strong suggestion!!!!! Reach out to folks that do enjoy this. Let them go. It doesn’t mess with the deer done right. It greatly helps the deer done right. Stay on em!!!
This was a giant male… made a muddy mess of himself!
