Fisher trapping ?s

[Cooter]

Should be getting a fisher tag either this fall or next year. Have a couple questions: size 220 conibear in a cubby set? Meat or a bait/gland scent, or both? And if meat or some type of scent lure, what kind? Now if I'm in an area with a good pop of fisher, how many traps should I put out for the weekend? I mean, I don't want to short myself but don't want to find 3 of them in traps one day either(limit one in WI). And for cubbys, wood or wire or what type material? (Think plastic pails are not legal here but will check). Thanks, later.

[WalleyeWeasel]

if there are fisher in your area you'll only need 1 set

Get yourself a roadkill skunk or at least a piece of one,not a rotten one, just one that smells like a skunk, find a natural cubbie. A Rotten stump works for me !! set that shunk piece in the stump, lay balsam boughs on top of the stump so as to hide it from flying predators, make your set and you'll catch 1 guaranteed. The limit deal is tough. one year i set out 12 pine marten sets and in about 20 hrs. i had 4 pine marten and a fisher.. Woops!! the limit was 2, so i brought the extras to the dnr in Virginia. You should of seen the pile of pine marten on the floor......i think everyone caught too many

[BIGBORE]

PORCUPINE WORKS GOOD TO CUT IN IN HALF AND USE A BUCKET SET WITH A 220 HAS BEEN DEADLY FOR ME. USE A GOOD CALL LURE TO GET HIS ATTENTION, HE WILL HIT THE TRAP REALLY HARD. GOOD LUCK

[woodview]

Out of curiousity what do you mean by call lure?

Also, have you ever caught anything else with the skunk? I know that owls and such will tag a skunk but I'm curious as to what mammals do.

[OUTDOORNUT]

There are various lures for almost every critter, some have a more powerfull aroma, thus used for "calling" their nose to the trap location.

[BIGBORE]

LAST YEAR WE USED A COMBONATION WE HAD A GOOD STINKY LONG DISTANCE CALL THAT WE PUT UP ON A TREE, AND THEN WE ALSO PUT A MINT SMELLING TYPE CALL INSIDE THE BUCKET WITH THE BAIT, WE ALSO HUNG OUR BUCKETS UP VERTICAL IN THE TREE ABOUT 20 INCHES FROM THE GROUND WITH THE BAIT HANGING IN THE BACK OF THE BUCKET. THE ONES WE CAUGHT IN THAT SET UP HIT THE TRAP SO HARD THEY WERE HALF WAY THRU IT BUY THE TIME IT CLOSED. WE USED A PASTE TYPE LURE ONE WAS CALLED GANG BUSTER(MINT) AND THE OTHER WAS MAGNUM MARTEN(REALY SMELLY)THE LATTER BEING WHAT WE PUT UP ON THE TREE.

GOOD LUCK

[WalleyeWeasel]

The skunk smell "IS" the call lure. Have you ever seen a skunk in nov., dec. ?? Not too often . You will catch any predator in the area (works great for coyotes). They smell the skunk and say wonder what that skunks up too !! and BLAM out go their lights !!

you need to find a shunk before they hibernate best kind are the ones that have been drivin on for a long time usually nothing left but the skin and fur. Hide it somewhere till season. Otherwise use fatty beaver meat !!

[monstermoose78]

I use deer fat for martin and fishers. It worked well

[Cooter]

I love the vertical cubby setup mentioned above, sounds slick!! Please keep the suggestions coming.

[gorrilla]

yeah guys, I'm going to run a fisher line locally this year and when on public land I'd like to avoid the possibility of getting someones grouse dog in my 220 so I'm thinking of the hanging pail as well. What is the reasoning with the 20 inches off the ground, would three feet up not be more dog proof and equally attractive to the fisher? And whatother sets do you guys recommend. I used to trap coon in pails on the ground w/ sardines...

[BIGBORE]

WE WATCHED A DEMO ON IT AT THE TRAPPERS CONVENTION A FEW YEARS AGO. 20 INCHES WAS THE NUMBER HE GAVE OUT. IT IS ACTUALLY A BOBCAT SET, BUT THEY HAVE PROVED HARDER TO GET. THEY HAVE ACTUALLY WALKED AROUND UNDERNEATH AND SAT DOWN, AND PACED BACK AND FORTH BUT NOT WENT IN. BUT THE FISHER JUST PLUNGES IN. ANOTHER TIP IS THE BOTTOM NAIL USE A DOUBLE HEADED CEMENT NAIL AND HANG THE TOP JAW OF THE TRAP ON IT. DRIVE THE TOP ONE IN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE FROM THE TOP SO IT GOES ON THE INSIDE OF THE BUCKET BEFORE GOING IN TO THE TREE AND YOU CAN HANG YOUR BAIT RITE FROM THE NAIL.

[WalleyeWeasel]

I Dont think you'd have a grouse dog in the woods @ this time of the year Nov. 25- Dec. 12.

I use leg-holds that way you can relese the dog !!

[Cooter]

I need to double check but there are laws in regards to body grip traps in the 220 size range here in WI - like the size of the cubby and how far in the trap must be to prevent most dogs from being able to reach the trap anyway. Only problem might be the bunny beagles?

One other question, I don't suppose there is anyway to set up for fisher to try to select for the larger males vs the smaller females? I know the females fur sells for more but I'm looking for a rug and of course being human the bigger the better. We can only take one in a season anyway and there is up to a 3 year wait in between tags in certain areas. Later.

[WalleyeWeasel]

The males are much bigger than the females.