Tips For Trapping

These tips for trapping were designed to do one thing, supply several basic trapping techniques to help you become a better trapper.

The tips found on this page are pretty general and are designed to give you ideas and skills to help you increase your success rate.

If you have researched this topic before you will quickly realize that there are TONS of tips and techniques related to trapping.

Why?

Because there are TONS of different ideas and methods that work!

To get you started here are 10 basic trapping tips that everyone should read.

10 Basic Tips For Trapping

1. Keep Your Traps And Supplies Clean

Clean traps are important especially if you're targeting K9's.  

Boil and dye your traps for best results and wear rubber boots and gloves when handling your traps or making the set.  

Scent control for trapping is a lot like deer hunting, the more you're aware of it the better luck you will have.

2.  Prepare Before The Season 

Prepare your gear, traps and equipment in the off season.  

Do you need new trap tags?  

Do you need swivels, stakes or lure?  

Take this time to scout new locations, obtain permission from land owners and fine tune any traps that need adjustment.

3.  Trap Selection

Buy the best traps you can afford and pick a trap size and style that fits your targeted species.  

If properly cared for, traps will last a long time.  

If you can afford the added price, a well made trap is worth the extra money especially if you don't want to do any out of the box modifications.  

Also, choosing a consistent brand will help you "know your trap."  

Although most of us will acquire several different brands of traps over the years, keeping it consistent will make things a lot easier.

4.  Set On Sign

Look for tracks, scat or hair.  

If an animal has been there once chances are it will probably be back.  

Once you locate sign you know you're in the right area.

5.  Carefully Check Traps

Check your traps buy getting just close enough to see what's going on.  

This will keep your scent down.  

Don't mess with your traps once they are set, especially coyote sets!

6.  Check Traps Daily

Always check your traps at least once a day.

If you know you're going to be busy and won't be able to check your traps for a couple of days, pull them until you can have enough time to devote to your trapline.

7.  Make A Map

Sure it's easy to remember where you put 3 or 4 traps, but what about when your trapline grows?  

Making a map or marking the location on a GPS will save you time and money.  

No one wants to loose a trap especially when it's still set.

8.  Use Multiple Sets

If you find a good location for K9's placing two sets will generally be more productive than just setting one.  

A dirt hole set with a flat set about 10 feet away is a good combination.

9.  Research

Read, talk to fellow trappers and always look for new tips for trapping.  

There is always something to learn.

10.  Have Fun

And finally, what's one of the most important tips for trapping?

Be safe and have fun!  

Let someone know where you're going and what time you expect to return.  

Also think about introducing a child to trapping to help pass on trapping to our future generations. 

After all, I'm sure that's how many of us started!