Catching your target animal

[justwannano]

Trapper_Stephen88 's comment ,"most all I ever get is possums", in a recent thread got me to thinking,remembering, the frustrations of a beginner trapper.
Believe me I was totally frustrated several times.

I've mentioned several times my father in laws comment, " I just set them where I see a track". It took me a while to see the significance of that simple statement. You can't catch em where they ain't. You can find the perfect place for a set, make that perfect set and still not catch a thing. Also if you make a coon set on a possum track you still won't catch a coon.

Guys, you have to know your prey.Study them.This is a year round thing. Knowing the spacing between footprints will tell you where to set your stepping stick when making a blind set.When making a pocket set for mink you shouldn't set the trap in the same place you would for a coon. Simple things but often forgotten by new guys.

If you catch a lot of possums and very few coons in an area thats probably because there are a lot of possums and very few coons in that area.Its not necessarily something you are doing wrong.

I remember one comment from a young trapper that he had 1.000 acres to trap on. Thats great but you are confined to catching the critters that frequent that 1000 acres. If there are very few coons there you won't catch many coons.

While you are trapping remember this.That critter you are trying to catch isn't very smart. Their entire thought process is geared to survival or reproduction. When afield try to think like your prey. Ask yourself questions like why would I be here.Where is the nearest food.Whats the easiest path to get there.

Experienced trappers---feel free to add your comments.

[Trapper_Stephen88]

Thank you for the advice. Your right about there being more possums here than coons. So far this year I've trapped 9 possums. But I did get a chance to spend a few weeks at my grandpa's house,down in Doniphan Mo. The second week I was down there I caught my first,and so far, only raccoon. I ,like you said, looked for trails which is how I caught the coon.At my grandpa's house there's alot of raccoons.He said it wasn't nothing for someone to go coon hunting and in no time get 5 or more raccoons.I guess my problem is thinking the animal is too smart, I heard of a guy who set a trap by a bag of trash not far from his house and caught a fox.I have looked for trails at my house but couldn't find any, so this year I'm going to clear a spot in the woods and make a bunch of brush piles and stuff, to make animals want to live around there.-Stephen