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About a month ago I was asked if I'd like to trap for coyotes and bobcats in an 8000 acre hunting lease next to the one I belong to. I told them I'd like to do so but only if my longtime friend Festus could join me. At first we had planned to split up and cover different parts of the lease on our own, but while talking to Mark June, he said he and his partner had tried it both ways and it worked better for them to stick together and make multiple sets quickly and move on to the next location. So after Festus and I discussed this (and have high respect for Mark June's opinions) we decided to trap together. The club allowed us two days of set up and 14 nights of trapping. We had made a couple of ride abouts before we were to start trapping to learn the layout of the club. So off we went and started getting some sets out but noticed we saw little coyote sign. We finally figured out that the coyotes must be feeding near the hunter's stands and feeders and the only tracks we'd see would be when they would travel to another feeding location. We were not allowed to trap too near the hunter's stands, so it was basically road trapping. We set out steel traps, some snares and a few Conibears on some water locations near the roads. We had horrible weather at first, wet and hot, then a few days of cool weather and ended with a 3" rain the day before we pulled our traps. Our catches proved to be an interesting variety of varmints in this lease. Neither of us had ever dealt with so many possums! Our tally at the end of the 14 nights was:
76 possums
8 coyotes
10 bobcats
24 coons
3 beaver
2 otter
2 armadillos
2 grey fox
1 red fox
2 cottontail rabbits
1 swamp rabbit
1 slider turtle
1 pig
1 squirrel
1 dog (released unharmed)

We would be on the move at the break of day and many days we came in just before dark. We had a great time and a lot of laughs. We met some of the club members and they were all nice and interested in "how" we set traps and what we caught. Two of the beaver I caught were in the LDL traps that WOLF had sent down for me to try out. They seem to be the Cadillac of Conibears! Now if I can do as good or better in January when I go down to Camp Winky for an annual trapping expedition I will be happy.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I would say your tally is pretty darn good,and trapping with a friend makes it great...congrats

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buck creek coon hounds ... [><] .. >>>>>>--------->.......... bypass.road@hotmail.com

Wow. Sounding like the making of a new reality show. Great job Swap.

Congrats to the both of you. Those are some high numbers for the amount of time spent. True masters for sure. Working with other people some times pays. Now am looking forward to camp winky and another adventure from a master trapper. We need some pics.

Festus thought I should add the picture of HOBO BILL. Every morning when Festus pulled into camp with his buggy to pick me up to make our rounds, I'd be standing among the trees in a different spot and he always watched for me. So I remembered I had an old ugly mask in my camp and put it on one morning and when he passed just at daybreak he got to meet HOBO BILL.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Nice ldl on that beaver. Your lucky Cletus never shot hobo bill. You took to many chances. Great pics and catches.

Awesome ! Love that spotted cat.

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Those who trade liberty for security shall have neither.

"Take ye heed,watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is".

Rev. 6:8 and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death , and Hell followed with him.

I especially liked the spots on that one too doc. I have plans to have it's hide commercially tanned.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

That was awesome as all get out Swamp. Thanks for taking us along via the pics.

Of all the possum catches me made, some by 3 feet, some by 2 feet, some by the tail or tail and feet, the strangest was this one....no feet or tail involved, just a nut sac!

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

OUCH

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Coyotes -
Fox -
Raccoons -
Muskrats -
Mink -
Otter -
Bobcats -
Fisher -
Beaver -

Well, Swamp, some of those grinners are well hung

Seriously, looks like it was a blast. That's a lot of "eco wool" from those possums. Shows the density of things. Nice looking reddie for down south there, can't remember you showing many reds from Camp Winky. Hope you and F get a bit of coin from those bcats!! Certainly wish we had them around here...

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"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

Wow, great job Swamp. Looks like a ton of fun, and to be doing it with an old friend makes it only that much better. Thanks for showing the pics.

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Molon Labe.

Very impressive 2 weeks swamp. You two done extremely well. Congratulations on seeing your hard work rewarded.

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Swamp, awesome adventure for sure. Congrats and thanks a million for posting the pics

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NYSTA member

Live Free or Die

Did ya do the right thing or did ya let 'im go?

I did the "right thing"....I feared he'd be humiliated at being a she/him.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Incredible pictures and story Swamp!

I am glad you had such a great time.

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trapperrick@comcast.net

Awesome job Swamp!! I'm very impressed with the cat catches. That one rosetta(sp?) is very nice!!

Yepper that was a rosetta cat. We caught some pretty cats and some good sized ones....but not as large as the ones TrapperAL has been taking. Have you got to do any trapping yet?

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Lol, haha, no, I have not even dyed or waxed my traps yet, I have done nothing to get ready. We have two weeks of vacation starting next week, so maybe we will try to catch something. We have seen several cats, fox, and coyotes on our game cameras.

The weather has been like a roller coaster...good luck on your outings.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

You are right about the weather! Very little cold weather, and a lot of warm. Next weeks forecast is highs in the mid 70's and lows in the mid 50's.....great trapping weather

Looks like you had a great time. Nice pile of furs!

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See ya in the woods

It looks like you found the Bruce Jenner of the opossum world. It's crazy the lengths they'll go to when there are no qualified surgeons available.

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MIZ-ZOU!!