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Post by trapdog on Apr 8, 2011 21:08:06 GMT -6
And there are other guys doing the same thing. Amazing!
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Post by Kelly on Apr 8, 2011 22:24:33 GMT -6
And there are other guys doing the same thing. Amazing! Yes, there are no less than 6 MN guys and a couple locals all trapping the same general area-several of these guys are close to 200 a day and over.
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Post by Kelly on Apr 8, 2011 22:37:18 GMT -6
Finished building the new floats today and after a trip to Watertown-35 miles one way-for S hooks I started checking at noon. Managed to set all but two of my extra floats today-those will be set tomorrow along with moving a couple that have gone dead(in very small sloughs-guess I trapped all the rats ;D) After tomorrow I'll have 96 floats out plus about 13 bank sets.
Only was able to get through the line once today-last two floats were checked with truck headlights. 136 is today's numbers making 888 total. Expect a new personal best tomorrow-actually figure 150+ which will also put me over 1000. My previous seasons best was 1067 back in 1977 in the high country of Colorado.
Today had a streak of 17 floats with 2 rats each and 8 bank sets w/ rat so that was 42 straight traps with a rat. The shear numbers of rats here in SD boggles even my mind-this County I'm in must have over 100,000 alone. You have to understand that with all of us trapping just the ROW we are only touching about 1/10 of the waters that have rats.
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Post by hvtrapper on Apr 9, 2011 5:39:06 GMT -6
I always knew I should of transferred to SD instead of NE with HyVee. Another classic case of coulda/woulda/shoulda. For you younger guys, that's what happens when you talk things over with your wife before you make a move!
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Post by stomper on Apr 9, 2011 5:47:43 GMT -6
Sounds like fun. Hope you are getting some pics of your sets to post latter. Keep skinning.
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Post by 4fur on Apr 9, 2011 7:35:35 GMT -6
Absolutely ridiculous! You have now caught more rats in less than two weeks than I caught all last season! I was happy to hear about the $7 finished price, though. Maybe I can still get at auction what I was offered for my rats carcass locally in December! Hope you bought some flashlight batteries when you went shopping for the S-hooks! S-hooks?! What do you need S-hooks for? Noon start time ?!
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Post by steven49er on Apr 9, 2011 8:01:36 GMT -6
Sounds like alot of fun yet to be had kelly.
Wish I was still there.
I dont think a guy can fathom the amount of rats that are there and the small amount really of pressure.
When I was there it would be like one slough there would be a couple three guys and than you'd take a left when the competition took a right and you'd have a spot all to your self.
There are guys with the time that are going to put up some serious numbers this spring. 5 to 7 thousand isnt an exagerration.
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Post by trapdog on Apr 9, 2011 22:08:52 GMT -6
I'm sure there are cycles in the population, but is there always that many rats there?
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Post by Kelly on Apr 9, 2011 22:57:56 GMT -6
Needed S hooks for attaching traps-am tired of working with wire.
I would say that almost half of my 126 mile line is to myself-then the other half has from 3-6 NR and 1 resident.
Someone from Iowa showed up here Thursday-haven't seen where his truck is from.
170 today 1058 total. It was foggy, misty all day and the rats really moved. Also had 3 ate by mink(I don't count what doesn't go in truck) All floats are set(96) even moved 5-6 from poor locations to new, ice out locations.
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Post by steven49er on Apr 10, 2011 9:09:35 GMT -6
trap dog they are in a wet cycle right now and the conditions are ideal.
But I believe there is usually alot of rats out there comparitively.
They dont have the drainage we do in mn or you guys do in IA.
I've heard that farms were bought and paid for out there in the day on rat money and I believe its said in all seriousness.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2011 13:16:50 GMT -6
Kelly, is there a reason most guys are using floats? Why not trap private ground with colonies in bank dens?
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Post by steven49er on Apr 10, 2011 13:48:42 GMT -6
nick why not use floats when its deadly and you can run the ROW and not have to deal with permission, or possibly have to go on foot.
Colonies in the culverts are deadly as well.
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Post by Kelly on Apr 10, 2011 21:15:49 GMT -6
It was windy, raining and just plain miserable day-38 degrees but hung in there and did get every trap checked. Only 150 today bringing my total to 1208. Will check again tomorrow-then taking Tuesday off as I need to sell again at 1:00 in the afternoon plus need a day to recuperate. Prices have dropped 50 cents a rat but still profitable to continue.
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Post by ~ADC~ on Apr 11, 2011 9:10:52 GMT -6
Keep it up Kelly!
Have you thought of sorting out a few of the nicer rats and putting them up? Maybe not a bunch but 10-20/day? That way you can cash in on better money in a different market for them and make up for the small price drop on the carcass rats?
~ADC~
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Post by justwannano on Apr 11, 2011 12:16:11 GMT -6
Hey Kelly
Do the guys pretty much use the same design float? You apparently use a double trap float. I'm wondering what the big # guys use. Keep it up and bring a few live ones home to my area. Ours don't seem to be very prolific.LOL
Keep us informed. First thing I do when I turn on the computer is check to see how Kelly is doing.
just
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Post by riverbandit on Apr 11, 2011 18:32:22 GMT -6
That's awesome Kelly. Keep after them.
I know Blakely uses a one trap float. Not sure about others.
Please don't bring any of those SD paper backs back to IA alive! LOL
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Post by trapdog on Apr 11, 2011 20:34:59 GMT -6
I'm with justwanno - first thing I do is check Kelly's report. I've been telling people about your numbers and enjoy the dumbfounded reactions!
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Post by 4fur on Apr 11, 2011 20:49:51 GMT -6
Will check again tomorrow-then taking Tuesday off as I need to sell again at 1:00 in the afternoon plus need a day to recuperate. Cut the crap, we all know that you're meeting with the real estate agent after you sell tomorrow. While that is mind boggling what Steven49er said about buying a farm with rat proceeds, I think it will be much cooler next year when you say, "I bought this big house with '11 rat money and all these guys staying with me and trapping rats are my friends from ITT!" BTW, forget my idea about advertising for 'rat floats on Craigslist. Just put a sign on any NE or MN tagged floats you see on your line. WANTED; RAT FLOATS. SAVE HAULING THEM HOME AND NEVER USING THEM AGAIN. EXCELLENT CONDITION, $1, GOOD CONDITION, $.50. ;D Keep up the good work and appreciate the opportunity, Kelly.
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Post by Kelly on Apr 11, 2011 22:52:26 GMT -6
Today started out really slow and at about 1-2:00 was wondering if I'd even make 100. But after the halfway point the rats really started coming in and ended up with 145. Total so far is 1353. Have 601 to sell tomorrow. Then 3 days checking and sell on Saturday again.
Forecast is for lower 60's again tomorrow but then cooling of to low to mid 40's and some rain.
ADC; Will start doing just that with next batch and then after Saturday will cull hard in the ROW only bringing home the better and bigger stuff.
Have been pleasantly surprised at the size of these rats. Sure some have papery leather but think they are just young rats-maybe first litter born previous year. All of the big rats-would stretch over 17"- have good heavy leather. What I do find is two very different colored rats-some with brown fur and others with nice dark fur. That coupled with some having silvery underfur and other the normal gray colored underfur there sure is a variety in looks of SD rats.
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Post by Kelly on Apr 12, 2011 21:22:00 GMT -6
Sold today but the price is dropping fast and will be below $3 by Saturday, but the finished prices are still averaging over $7. So have changed plans slightly, bought another freezer so will load all three up-then come home. Really don't want to call it quits till I get to 2000 and the rats sure have been looking real good lately.
Hope tomorrows catch is a good one with the day off and the cooler weather already here for tonight a fellow trapper friend here at the motel said they were really moving after 5:00(when the front came through-25 degree temp drop with more tonight) high tomorrow of only 47-then 36 by saturday.
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Post by ~ADC~ on Apr 12, 2011 22:37:51 GMT -6
Sounds like a good plan Kelly! Anyone spoken for the glands yet?
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Post by Scott W. on Apr 13, 2011 4:35:59 GMT -6
Good idea that new freezer. How many rats can you get in an 18 cu. ft. freezer, assuming they are freezing fast enough?
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Post by 4fur on Apr 13, 2011 6:16:42 GMT -6
I think I figured Kelly could get about 420 rats in the two freezers he took up. One was a 6 and Bud Hall's old one looked like an 18 cu. foot. Why don't you ask your Iowa ride along to bring some back to skin, Kelly? I think he has peeled some in his day. ;D Hope he remembered his camera!
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Post by Kelly on Apr 13, 2011 20:45:13 GMT -6
I think I figured Kelly could get about 420 rats in the two freezers he took up. One was a 6 and Bud Hall's old one looked like an 18 cu. foot. Why don't you ask your Iowa ride along to bring some back to skin, Kelly? I think he has peeled some in his day. ;D Hope he remembered his camera! I bought a 25 cubic foot one and figure it will hold 400 easily. Bud old one is a 20 and it freezes slowly but will jockey from new one to his with frozen rats after today. Figure I should be able to hold 800 plus with my 3 freezers but don't know if I'll catch that many more. Tuesday will be my last check day, I figure. Put 135 in the truck today w/no second checks. 1488 total so far. Oh, caught another mink in a bank set, which I'll turn in. Also, moved about 6 floats that had no action in two days to new places. Will move more tomorrow. My ride along tomorrow is not going directly home but via his daughters for a few days. ADC, sorry but the rats glands have been spoken for long before I left. Just hope the guy doesn't shoot me for selling all those carcass rats!
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Post by johnathon on Apr 14, 2011 14:58:16 GMT -6
wow! sounds like your having a blast! thanks for the updates
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Post by Kelly on Apr 14, 2011 20:46:29 GMT -6
Very windy today along with snow in the morning then rain throughout the day. What a NASTY day! 102 today-1590 total. Tomorrows forecast is for wind and 3-5" of snow so I might have a "snow day". The wind was so bad last night and today so any float on the East or North sides of the road had huge whitecaps rolling over their sides causing there to be lots of sprung traps today.
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calvin
Hyper-Active Trap Talker
Posts: 163
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Post by calvin on Apr 14, 2011 21:31:33 GMT -6
Let us know how that snow pans out, Kelly. Hopefully not as much as they talked. I think I made it home just in time.
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Post by ~ADC~ on Apr 14, 2011 21:38:36 GMT -6
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Post by dspree on Apr 15, 2011 1:28:53 GMT -6
Still sounds like a blast even if you are getting a little snow.
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Post by braveheart on Apr 15, 2011 5:16:56 GMT -6
Kelly the weather sounds crappy but I bet it is more fun than work.Sounds like your still piling them up. Good job Kelly.
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