GETTING STARTED

THE BASICS

You don ’ t need to purchase a registered trapline and spend several months in the north to start trapping . The farmlands or “ settlement ” areas offer excellent trapping opportunities . Many furbearers in the farmlands , such as coyotes and beavers , have open seasons or even bounties for their removal . There are a few steps before you start . If you have never held a trappers license you may be required to write an exam or attend a training course . Be aware of the season dates and rules in your area . There is a published standard list of humane traps and methods of capture for each species . It is our

duty as trappers to do everything in our power to collect fur as humanely and ethically as possible . Respect and work with the land owners . Once they become aware of your intentions , gaining permission is not generally a problem . The time they spend on , and knowledge of the land and animal movements , can be invaluable to your pursuits . My personal favourite farmland furbearer to pursue is the coyote . Agricultural areas provide multiple sources of food allowing these masters of adaptation to flourish . Their keen senses and wary personality allow them to take full benefit of what our farmlands have to offer .

You will need to fool the coyote ’ s senses as well as use them to your advantage to be successful . There are a few rules you will need to follow .

sense of smell

Proper trap preparation , boiling and waxing , is necessary to remove human scent . I also use a dedicated set of gloves when setting to minimize my scent . I also never

use those gloves when handling bait as it will draw attention to the set and lead to missed catches . Coyote or fox urine can be used as a cover and help remove some suspicion .

Being opportunistic , coyotes are very susceptible to food and curiosity attractants . I prefer to make my own food-based bait using scrap meat and allowing the

bait to “ season ” in the warmth until quite ripe . I also add some skunk essence to brighten up the smell allowing it to travel further . I like the bait to be in the consistency of a paste to which I add glycerine to keep it workable in cold temperatures . I have used several of the commercially prepared baits over the years and met with good success .

I do purchase a long distance call lure to add to my sites to increase the drawing distance .

trap site

When choosing trapping sites , remember that coyotes love to travel edges . Fence lines , field edges , bush lines , shelter belts , shorelines and even as subtle as the transition between two crop stubbles is enough for them to follow . Build your sets within sight or upwind of these areas to take advantage of the traffic .