Author Topic: Hey WackyQuacker (Read 460 times)

coyotero · « **on:** October 14, 2004, 03:11:21 PM »

Wacky please enlighten me if you can on cable stakes.Most of my soil is gumbo with rocks.How long a stake do you use and how do you pull them for remakes? Signed "Breathless in Montana"

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #1 on:** October 14, 2004, 04:08:06 PM »

Dear Breathless, I don't move my traps on remakes so this is not an issue for me.

I would venture that a twelve inch cable would do very well in that type of soil. I have, in places, very hard baked soil. The only way I can get a flat washer anchor in is to drive a pilot hole then drive the anchor. For a pilot hole I use a concrete form stake that can be purchased at Home Depots. I weld a pipe "T" handle on the shaft about 1" from the end and weld a Nut on the end.

Now some, including O'Gorman, use 1/2" conduit cut at 45 degree angles on each end with the cable attached in the center of the tube. These are a bit longer than bullet stakes. I don't know if you would have any better luck driving these in hard ground without a pilot hole or not.

The advantage of the cable stakes, for me at least, is that I can use short chains without cross staking...no worry. I leave my cables and mark them by wiring a "log" or the like to the end when I pull my line. Next year I'm ready to go on the hot spots.

I do want to make it clear there are some places on my line where a re-rod stake makes more sense; one example is blind trail sets...gotta move after every catch.

That old buzzard RdFx probably has a bunch of different tricks up his sleeve.

coyotero · « **Reply #2 on:** October 14, 2004, 04:34:18 PM »

Interesting The local coyotes won't work catch circles here until we've had a hard rain or snow and melt. It's usually 3 to 4 weeks before they'll go into the circles if we don't get moisture.If I move over after a catch,just outside the circle,I'm back in business.The local fox,what few we have,are a different story.

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #3 on:** October 14, 2004, 05:11:06 PM »

I don't think your experiences are that much differnt from mine or those of others. Try this, at your remake add a bit of something different interms of a lure. I've used bobcat gland lure with success and Gappa repports good results with Stefs Fisher lure. I'll bet a nickle one of Asa's load all calls like mink or what ever would work also. I think this different smell makes a new focal point and pulls some in. This won't work all the time but I've caught a number using it.

Gappa also swears that over misting with urine increases things at a remake. I have no reason to doubt this. After his insistance I treid it last year and the next check I had another waiting.

jim-NE · « **Reply #4 on:** October 15, 2004, 12:35:39 AM »

Its been my experience here too, Wacky. Remakes just get better and better. About the only remake I pull a set on around here and remake a short distance away is after a skunk catch and sprayed circle. I pull those and remake a set very nearby. Not so much because that stinky skunk circle isn't operable anymore, (though the odor seems a little too intense to be visited directly...but you'ld be surprised if you do reset it) but I mostly move over a ways and remake mostly because every inch of that skunk circle is concentrated 100% long-lasting odor...which gets onto my shoes, my clothes, gloves, in my nose, etc. when remaking right at that circle. I still have to go home at night, go to work the next day, and still have to be able to have the family ride in my vehicle. I don't take chances on those remakes...just too much at stake if you know what I mean.
Jim-NE

jim-NE · « **Reply #5 on:** October 15, 2004, 12:37:12 AM »

I also use cable stakes nearly exclusively now, save for a few trail sets and snare sets. Most of my hot locations are good year after year, too, so it does afford me to just leave the anchor for a few seasons. In some dry years, it was nearly impossible to retrieve them anyway so I tried leaving them and found it be a fast way to set up the following season. I only had to move a couple of them closer to the new action but most were still in good placement to me.
Much lighter than rebar, especially from an ex-cross staker myself. I didn't cross stake so much to hold coyotes as I did to keep my traps from being pulled by 2-legged predators. The earth anchors have served me very well in this manner also.
Jim-NE

coyotero · « **Reply #6 on:** October 15, 2004, 06:24:37 PM »

Wackyquacker I spent 2 falls trying different baits and lures in remakes.Here for coyotes the circle has to age(for lack of a better word) If I move outside the circle.Bingo we are back in business.It's too late for me now,I cut rebar for stakes this morning ,got the washers and welder all lined up.My experience with fox is different than coyotes the set just gets better after each fox in the same set.Got snowed on for a short spell this morning.

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #7 on:** October 16, 2004, 02:28:24 PM »

Coyotero, I wasn't clear, I too see many coyotes refusing remakes. I can't say for fox I just don't have enough to tell. I have found that in some cases a daub of very different smell pulls them in to a remake. I cannot even give you a reasonable % value since I use so many drags.

trappnman · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2004, 01:43:18 AM »

If I had to reset every remake- between the possum and coon and skunks and housecats and yes even coyotes and fox- thats al lI'd be doing.

I hae no problem catching coyotes in remakes- whatever kind.

as wacky mentions- I mist my remakes heavily- flat sets are converted into trash pile sets and stepdowns are remade into stepdowns.

I have many people tell me I am wrong, wrong, wrong in misting over remakes... many times, the same people who can't catch coyotes in remakes.

But I do find, as mattjones mentions- that the slicked down hard surface look like after a rain, snow is a no-no- here I do have refusals. But there is an easy solution- take a few handfuls of dry dirt and broadcast that over the surface of the remake pattern- the fresh dirt gives the pattern a fresh, textured look.

Another factor- many say they don't relure remakes- enough lure, gland smell there already.

To them I reply I lure remakes heavily...and I catch cooytes i nremakes.

So bottom line- according to many experts- I am doing things all wrong- misting sets, heavy lure use...but I catch coyotes in remakes.....trappnman

coyotero · « **Reply #9 on:** October 18, 2004, 03:01:56 PM »

Trappnmn Just curious,what length of time are your checks.I run a minimum of 3 days,usually 4 days(3 or 4 lines).I was wondering if the extra time produced more animal smell and destruction at the circle.I move out of all catch circles,we don't have possums but I remake outside after skunk or coon.I do remake fox circles.

RdFx · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2004, 01:16:20 AM »

I was under impression that Montana had a shorter trapline check... or is it differant for diff fur species.... here in WI we have to check land sets every 24 hours and water or drowning sets every three days.

coyotero · « **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2004, 06:09:16 AM »

Rdfx we don't have a law on check time here yet.Some people think we have high coyote populations,thats not so,in farm/ranch mixed country we have(on the average) one family unit per 9 sections.In the sage brush/greasewood country it's a lot more sections per family unit.After dispersal you are looking at 2 or 3 coyotes per every 9 sections.The dispersal coyotes head for the the rough,gamed up areas.You have bigger concentrantions of coyotes but it is usually snare time as you can't keep traps working then.Several times out in the sage I've set up on hot ,fresh sign and had coyotes back threw in 27 or 28 days,did thet get bounced?,Were they off on a new food source?.We have a 5 week long deer season and it really changes the patterns for the coyotes.Just my experience.