I understand that, but the issue comes to the application of the law and how it intersects with the certification. It's not a matter of obtaining it, it's what you do with, where and when you do it, it that matters.
Trapping Season 2025-2026
- Thread starter jagermeister
- Start date
Two sets in where I've been getting almost daily pics of yotes. Turns out, there was a dead yearling buck close to the second one, which isn't shocking given the conditions the past two weeks and the size of the yotes I'm seeing.
This one is set at the mouth of a bowl, or a thermal hub as the cool kids say these days. Multiple yotes have been through here daily since the first snow. Full disclaimer, I'm still a rookie and have only trapped one yote in about three cumulative weeks worth of trapping over the past decade. In my mind, anything done in the snow is going to be obvious, so I played on that by slinging dirt and leaves like I was digging furiously to bury my treasure. I have good backing here and the dirt was perfect for bedding the trap. Lots of salt and dry peat moss to cover it, then a dusting of snow. I made sure to soften up the snow and use debris in a way to encourage that front right paw to land on the pan as they reach for the hole. I had some rancid deer meat for just the occasion, so I filled the hole with that juice, then put fox piss on the top like I was claiming it.
This one is near the intersection of the hollers and is also seeing a lot of yote activity. I cut off a tuft of deer hide and stuffed in the hole, which was filled with the rancid deer meat juice. Add fox piss, and decorate to your liking. We'll see how it goes. The buck had a leg torn off, so I bungeed it to the back of the quad and made a loop around the trails dragging it through the snow, then by each set. There's cell cams on each, so it would be nice to wake up to some cool videos!
This one is set at the mouth of a bowl, or a thermal hub as the cool kids say these days. Multiple yotes have been through here daily since the first snow. Full disclaimer, I'm still a rookie and have only trapped one yote in about three cumulative weeks worth of trapping over the past decade. In my mind, anything done in the snow is going to be obvious, so I played on that by slinging dirt and leaves like I was digging furiously to bury my treasure. I have good backing here and the dirt was perfect for bedding the trap. Lots of salt and dry peat moss to cover it, then a dusting of snow. I made sure to soften up the snow and use debris in a way to encourage that front right paw to land on the pan as they reach for the hole. I had some rancid deer meat for just the occasion, so I filled the hole with that juice, then put fox piss on the top like I was claiming it.
This one is near the intersection of the hollers and is also seeing a lot of yote activity. I cut off a tuft of deer hide and stuffed in the hole, which was filled with the rancid deer meat juice. Add fox piss, and decorate to your liking. We'll see how it goes. The buck had a leg torn off, so I bungeed it to the back of the quad and made a loop around the trails dragging it through the snow, then by each set. There's cell cams on each, so it would be nice to wake up to some cool videos!
OO2
Well-Known Member
Buckmaster
Senior Member
Wiley E Coyote
Well-Known Member
You have to cover the bait with brush to be legal! And set your snares back a least 10 yards or you will be catching hawks and owls.
Wiley E Coyote
Well-Known Member
I would set my snares 360 degrees around the bait site. Sometimes you may catch 3 or 4 in the same night. I may set up to a dozen snares around one deer. Use small pieces of survey tape to help you locate and find them when you're ready to pull. They can be hard to find at times when you have that many out. They will circle the bait several times before getting the courage to comment. I learned over time they love walking between two saplings just wide enough for them to fit and if there is a horizontal limb just high enough the better. Lots of times I would wire a limb up and hang the snare from with it anchored on the tree. Locate these locations on trails and set them up but keep it low enough to the ground deer do not try going under. A word of caution if you have a lot of deer in your area it's possible to catch them. Try to keep your loops to a minimum size. Nine to ten inches.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
…..and have a solid catch pole if you need to play catch and release for Fido.
Wiley E Coyote
Well-Known Member
I ran a snare and trapline every December and January from 1995 to 2013 being my last serious year and was lucky to only snare one dog. It was my neighbor's Blue Healer. He was very smart! Was just sitting there and did not fight the snare at all. Let me walk up and relax the snare and set him free. He looked me in the eye as I rubbed on his head like he was saying thank you then took off for home. I was very impressed with that dog and felt very lucky it turned out that way! In leg hold traps I've caught more dogs then I care to remember. I do carry a catch pole for releasing. The lures you use for K-9 trapping suck in any dog that gets down wind and they jump right in with no caution. It's a lot of work making sets and nothing gets a trapper in a bad mood faster than people that let their dogs run wild but it's part of it. On another note I shared three deer.
Wiley E Coyote
Well-Known Member
One deer was dead the other two alive. I just tagged them.Processed the meat in my freezer and used the skeleton at another bait station and caught more fawn killers. Tried to cut the live ones free but the snares were just to tight around the neck and could not get my cutters on it. Plus it was very dangerous situation out there by myself. They made good burger