How can I keep skunks out of my traps? I was thinking of fox and coyote sets. Don't need mr.stinky

When you find out let me know :), but you have to look at it this way, they pay for gas.

maybe leechmann could chime in on this one....if i remember right he caught quite a few last year

Theres not much you can do, that I have found. All you can do is skin the out and sell the essence!! Like brownie77 mentioned it helps pay for some gas

Thanks Brownie, I will say that trap location can play a part in the amount of skunks you catch. I've been told and have expierenced that if you place your trap in the dead furrows along a plowed field you will increase your skunk catch. I've also noticed if you use a lound stinky lure, you will get more skunk action. Sometimes it's just going to happen. Mr. Stinky and his buddies are going to do you dirty. If you catch a skunk or two, then you have a great place for a remake set and the fox love those sets. So think of it as cleaning out the skunks and then getting after the fox. Hope this helps, good luck.
Leech

I see to get less if i set farther from cover. In stead on right on the edge of the fence line go out 10yds. They claim the coyotes travel farther out from cover and use there nose to see if there is anything in it they are looking for. I got a skunk this year on plain coyote gland lure and coyote urine. Was a baited dirthole little ways away, thought that was odd.

From my past experiences in over 20 years running traplines, that isn't gonna happen! No matter what type of set you use for canines, eventually you are gonna get a skunk, or a possum.

Any freshly dug dirt, any type of smell that could lead to a bite to eat, anything out of place, eventually one of the above will find it if a canine, coon, or feral cat doesn't find it first.

Kinda like trying to kill a skunk without it spraying, that doesn't happen......not unless you get into spending the time to inject em with a needle and some poison, that probably isn't gonna work all the time either. Got to learn to embrace em as a neccessary evil if ya wanna be a canine trapper.

trap all the skunks first...then there wont be any left to get in your canine sets!

Thanks Guys, It has been also long since I last done any trapping. (35 yrs) forgot a few things. So far this year I have only gotten 25 muskrats. What are they worth? not skinned? You can E-mail me jigginjim@aol.com List it as trapping prices. Thank you,

Jim...usually you can get a fairly accurate idea as to what fur prices are doing, from FFG (Fur Fish Game) magazine. Then work from that.

I quit selling to local buyers about 5-6 years before I gave up the trapline. I got tired of the grading system that never seemed to give the trapper a fair shake. We sent our stuff to the Canadian auction. The last season I trapped in ernest, my nephew and I, we sent something like 125 or 150 fox and other furs to the auction and in the spring, we sent 120 put up beaver. We always done better doing it that way, but you had to have enough fur to make it worth the effort.

Post Script...You weren't by chance fishing Pulaski on Wed., were you? we were out in Buffalo to look at a boat and I had to come by the turn around on the east side and I seen a boat out there so I took a run down to the ramp and there were like 3-4 vehicles with trailers sitting there.

Got my 5th skunk yesterday morning. Guess they don't mind the snow yet

Yeah a couple of years ago when we had a warm spell in january, I caught six of them in dirt holes. They will stay active until it gets cold.

leechmann ya caught any this year?

We live in Brooklyn Center and the other morning when it snowed, I looked out the window and low and behold, a skunk had come from across the street, up our driveway, hopped up and walked across the top of our low retaining wall, under the drain pipe and on into our neighbors yard.

We don't live far from the river, so it isn't surprising. Had a whole family of raccoon walk across the top of the privacy fence, one moon lit night...that was pretty cool, mama and cubs. Could see em perfectly, looked like shadows.

Had a turkey across the street a couple of years ago, my wife says, "Wow, look at the size of this pheasant!" The turkey seen it's reflection in the glass door and stood there about 10 minutes looking at itself. Fox, deer, possum, raptors of all kinds, 1st ring surburban wildlife...it's okay with me!

We've got 3 of the stinkers living under our hunting cabin that need to disappear. They escaped my live trap efforts this past weekend. Mothballs and poison haven't seemed to be a deterrence either. Any suggestions?