Pete Rogers Outdoors

Getting Ready

One of the things I love most about trapping season is getting ready for trapping season. It seems somewhat silly to some, but the preparation and anticipation are almost as much fun as actually trapping. With opening of the 2012-2013 South Carolina Season one week away, there is much to do.

Ridge adding dye to our trap cooker

Traps need attention from last season. Several dozen need mid chain swivels, others need new 'dogs'. Still others need their pans adjusted to the proper tension. Like a lot of trappers, I have traps dedicated to specific species. My coyote traps have pan tensions set a lot stiffer than my raccoon traps. And my bobcat traps have a different pan tension from either of these, then there are the fox traps, and muskrat traps. 

Adding swivels to my traps

Body grip traps need triggers manipulated, and dogs filed. Anchors need to be remade. Stakes need welding. The biggest task is dying the traps. (unlike many trappers, I don't wax my traps - I have my reasons) Lastly, is making bait - which I didn't mean to put off until the last minute, but alas, I did. 

Ahhh - the smell of cooking traps

The day is filled with anticipation. My partner, who is also my 11 year old son Ridge, and I headed out to the shop early, the fire was lit beneath the washtub that would serve as our cooker for dying our traps. (NOTE TO SELF: It takes at least an hour to bring 17 gallons of water to a boil on a high burner propane cooker - allow for this next year) While the water was heating up, we cut chain, added swivels, tightened pans, adjusted triggers, and finally added the dye (Pete's Sleepy Creek Trap Dye) It takes about a bottle and a half to do my traps in seventeen gallons of water. I like to wire a half dozen traps together so I can remove them when done. Traps were added to the water, and typically I let them cook for a minimum of one hour but prefer a bit longer. My tub would hold about eighteen traps, so I had several rounds of cooking. 

While the traps were cooking, our bait making process began. I can without a doubt this is my Ridge's least favorite part. Filling the shop with the aroma of Violator 7, or GH II is something neither if us enjoy but its necessary. Bottles were consolidated, some thrown out - (I know our garbage man loves this.) and others were made. All in all it took us about nine hours to complete our task. 

Once the traps are cooked, I lay them into their air-tight containers where they remain until they go into the ground. Bare hands will never touch again. A pair of gloves is in each tub and they will only be handled with the gloves designated for that tub.  - More about this if a future story.

As I said earlier  - trapping season open Dec. 1, seven days and counting. Sites have been scouted, sets marked and now all traps and bait are ready. The countdown to opening day begins. 

Of all the things I do in the out-of-doors, nothing beats the challenge and excitement of trapping. I love all 'opening days'. Opening day of hunting season, and the different ones that follow - Deer season, gun season, duck season etc. But nothing - nothing gets me as excited as opening day of trapping season. 

Wait to see what comes this season as we set steel to catch some critters.