I trap everything, to the best of my ablilites, trapper and predator caller is a great magazine, and Fur Fish & Game, Thats what my buddies and I have read since we were young. It is tough to trap everything, I tried to do that my first year of trapping ever, but learned real quick with school, and that stuff that it was hard to do. Concentrate on several animals, and experiment with other animals, but hey, trap em all if you want, this is only what I did. coon are fun, and they are most everywhere. fox, really aren't as hard as everyone thinks, I have peed on sets and still caught them, no lie either. Just make sure that your trap is concealed good, but can still go off very easily, and catch them. If its an average hole set, with a log backing, off set the trap just a little and put it a little ways back, 2-3 inches? I just go by sight, you will learn instinctively where to set it. Most people stake them, I tripple strand some 16 ga. wire (I think 16 the stuff as round as an inside of a pen could be 14 ga. you can pick it up in the building section at menards) make trap pan covers I think reading about that stuff is the best thing to do, trapping has so much info I could not possibly post it all. just don't let the pan get clogged in the springing process. Just find some good fox lure, trapper art has good stuff, leo hoeft has good stuff, and I forgot the other one, but go with a more trapping catalog to order it, rather than a animal control one, although they can work too. but just to be safe. Use a #2 trap for fox and coon, I can also catch coon in a #1 I just like to make sure he's caught real good. #3 for coyote and bobcat, Coyote are trapped the same as fox, just a little bigger, more space etc. they are a little more tricky, and bobcat are even harder, especially when there aren't many of them. Otter are fun, runs and stuff for them and beaver are good to set with 280's and 330's for beaver, and fish is good bait, like chubs for otter, make your own fish oil for use on almost any animal, just catch fish throw them in a jar and let them be for a few months, Ok I am going to write a book if I continue, if you have any more specific questions I can answer them. but to sum it up, once you start you can't stop, Trapping is a lifestyle, not a sport, and it becomes part of your soul, I think it is something that is becoming a lost skill that takes a real outdoorsmen to accomplish. Most who try it will love it.
MASTERGUIDE
