new to trapping

[daddywags]

hi everyone,
  im new to trapping and was wondering some of you guys could give me some tips on how to get started and maybe what animals i should start of with trapping.  also what due fur dealers look for as far as quality, and how are most skins prepared for sell?   any remarks would be greatly appreciated.  thanks

[Dan Mich Trapper]

Where ya from Daddywags ? The easiest animals toi start trapping are coon and muskrats . I would suggest finding a fur buyer and ask them how they want there furs . I flesh and dry all mine , but you can sell them just skinned (green) , but freeze them untill you are ready to sell .If you decide to flesh and dry them , Get a magazine or book on fur handling and it will explain how to do it .Hope my two cents helps a little .

[CoOnKiD88]

i would look and try to find some used traps that are in OK condition. maybe in the news paper or garage sale... becasue u can get them cheap. those new traps are very expensive. maybe try getting to the NTA conventions or your state conventions and buy used traps there. you can get used traps for very cheap and people there could help you with what you need beyond traps. i would get 1 1/2s coil springs to start. they are good for just about everything that i trap . coon,mink,muskrats and they will hold a fox. if you cant get any used traps the cheapest trap is Duke. they arent a bad trap even tho people say the are.

lures- i wouldnt go way over board on lures. for muskrats you dont need anything. u can use just an apple for them . for coons and possums you dont really need lure. u can just use sardines,jack mackeral, anything fishy or sweet. like honey and vanilla. but it wouldnt hurt to get some lures. some good lures for coons would be fish oil- its cheap and works well. also red fox gland lures work great for coons and so does red fox urine. for mink you can use fish. and a lure. i dont know much about mink. lol

fleshing and stretching- maybe get some muskrat strethchers if your going to trap them, there isnt much fat on them and you dont need a bunch of tools for them, all i use is a butter knife and scrap all the fat off with that. i still sell my coons green becasue i dont have enought money to buy everything. it would cost around 150 to get started fleshing. if your fur buyer buys green furs he usually takes off about 2-3 bucks.
hope that helps some...

[KYtrapper17]

Hi. I am new too. I jst nw registered to this forum and I hope to get hep too. I went to the fur auction here in KY this year and I noticed that the really check those furs when they grade them.They check or slippage and the better you put thm up the better price you'll get. Skin your hides right, and properly flesh, stretch, and dry them. Most people go after rat wen they start trapping, but I went after coyotes and coons. I caught 6 coyotes and about 8 coons along with a red fox, a skunk, and plenty of possums my first year and a half of trapping. I have a lot of trouble finding rats where I live. :wink:

[Dan Mich Trapper]

KUY , Have trouble finding them here too since the water levels dropped so much . They are in the rivers and beaver ponds here . Sighn is not real obvious but you can count on them being there.

[TRAPPER-N-HUNTER]

I would recommend tryign your luck at coons' and rats' to get you going.  they are usually the most abundant and easiest to catch.