Canine trapping tip.

[RdFx]

  Alot of people say dont take dogs on your trapline... this is pure BS.  I  have been taking dogs on my canine line for many years and they  help locate urine post type sets ect.  Also if you use drags they can locate animal  almost before you leave truck as when you open door the  trapline dog is gone out the door and looking already.    Take your dog along now during summer and you will be very surprised  as the spots your dogs will find. Male or female dogs make no differance, females will find  spots also and of course squat.    If you  use waxed dirt , now is time to put up when your sweating your butt off in summer heat.  Now is time to adjust and treat traps, not week before season.. Also if you make your own bait, NOW is time... when fall comes you want to be getting  permission to trap and  finding areas you will set traps on opening day, not scouting  for locations on opening day.....  Get busy now and get your trapline  planned out... Good luck

[Asa Lenon]

Hey RdFx, being i've never used a trapling dog I have a question i've always wondered about. When one has multiple sets at a location (I usually make 2 to 5 sets), how does one keep the dog from getting in one of the traps??? Ace

[coyotero]

Asa   I had a female Golden Retriever that I took along for years,she passed away last fall.The first 2 trips I watched her and told her "No" when she got close to getting caught.She would sniff but stay back from the pattern.She got caught in a snare one time while Pheasant hunting.She just sat down when the snare pulled down.She knew all About being on a leash.I used spots she would urinate and do kickbacks at late in the season to catch old ones I'd wised up.

[Asa Lenon]

Thanks coyotero! I'll bet my Yellow Lab would only have to be caught one time to stay away from sets. Ace

[RdFx]

Asa   a dog will possibly get caught once or twice and then avoid like the plague unless a blind trail set ect.  The dogs learn very quickly especially females.  The dogs relish  checking traps and really work as a partner locating  drag caught animals.  Trapper Art has a small dog something like a  Jack Russell terrier and the dog is  right on  bobcat, fox and yotes. but comes back  to get Art when he has a wolf in trap....LOL.... Art sometimes gets help too when he has wolf in trap.  One time big alpha male  wouldnt let Art  snarepole him and always shook  off and  more or less let Art know who was boss... any rate  Wi Dnr came out and sedated wolf . 

[Asa Lenon]

I would imagine some dogs are naturals at finding dragged animals. It reminds me of a baby fox I was raising that got out of the pen. My neighbor had a beagle/bluetick he always bragged up, said he would find the missing fox real quick. Well, we couldn't make the dog even understand what he was supposed to do. Along comes another friend with a yellow Lab so we showed him the pen and said "go get 'em"! The Lab with no previous training instantly took right off with nose to the ground and right straight to the baby fox hiding about 250 yards into the woods.      Ace

[coyotero]

Asa     Maggie was the most obedient dog I've ever owned.She hated coyotes.She was real good at finding coyotes that were on a drag.I don't know how many times she would go out and challenge coyotes when I took her calling.They'd focus on her and I'd get great shots.When she was real young she'd bite and growl at coyotes laying on the garage floor waiting to get skinned.I couldn't stand it after she passed away.I now have Sadie a 5 1/2 month old female Golden pup.