The Importance of Trapping

Trapping is known for the fur trade, but trapping is something for more than just fur traders. Anyone passionate about helping ducks, turkeys, turtles, and upland birds have better nesting outcomes is encouraged to take part in trapping.

From a study done by the Wildlife Society observing mallard and Gadwall nests, predators visited 44% of nests observed. The most common predator was the raccoon while other common nest predators were fox, coyote, and mink; all of which can be managed through trapping.

Many trapping seasons begin mid-October and go until March, depending on your target species. This is great timing to check traps after a duck hunt or in the off season you can trap areas you know ducks are nesting.

Not only does it keep you outdoors and busy in the off season, but the funds from your fur harvester license help preserve public lands, and you help many species of animals have better nesting outcomes. When populations are managed, the overall health of an ecosystem is enhanced.

Most research suggests mallards need a 15% nesting success rate to maintain the population while other species such as Pintail need 20%. Wood duck success rates are hanging around 20% however one study has shown if the ducklings can swim more than a mile a day to dense scrub vegetation, their success rates go up to around 60%.

If by trapping we can help tip the scales in the ducks favor, it is worth it!

Managing populations of predators doesn't just benefit ducks. According to NWTF only 10-40%of turkey nests successfully hatch largely due to nest predation. From there, only about 25% of poults survive beyond 4 weeks.

For wood turtles, nest predation is as high as 80% with raccoons being the main predator along with skunk, otter, mink, fox, and coyote. All of which can be legally trapped or hunted in most states.

A study of 450 pheasant nests found 34% of clutches hatched successfully. Of the nests that failed, 43% were lost because of predation. Of the nests that were predated, fox and crows were the top predators.

For us another benefit is the wonderful educational opportunities trapping brings. We home school our kids and they come set and check our trap line with us. Trapping requires track identification, knowledge of how animals move, what lures them in, geography to know how to locate your trap line, patience, and learning about the importance of conservation.

If you are interested in learning how to trap I have found YouTube to be very helpful in everything from trap placement, what to bait with, how to skin and flesh, and more. For a good place to start i would search "how to trap raccoons" as they are a common nest raider across the board, their numbers are plenty, and they are relatively easy to catch.

We use dog proof traps for raccoons and have had great success with them as they are easy to set and bait and you have fewer incidental catches.

I hope that if you have an interest in trapping that you get out there and go for it! There are several helpful trapping groups on social media and you may be able to find someone local to you if you want to find a mentor. Good luck and tight chains!

Written by ReelCamo Girl ProStaff Member Heather Iverson