Fall trapping season can feel a long way off during the warmer months, but experienced trappers know there is plenty of work that can be done ahead of time. Scouting before the season gives you a chance to see where animals are moving, locate areas with consistent activity, and think through potential sets without the pressure of running a trapline.
At Murray’s Lures & Trapping Supplies, we believe time spent preparing can help make your days in the field more productive. A few scouting trips now can give you valuable information to use once the season opens.
Look for More Than Tracks
Tracks can tell you a lot, but they should not be the only sign you look for. Droppings, worn trails, feeding activity, digging, dens, hair caught on fences, and disturbed vegetation can all point toward regular animal activity.
Try to determine how recently an area has been used. Fresh sign in several places is usually more useful than a single old track. Returning to promising locations before the season can also help you see whether animals are continuing to use the same areas.
Follow the Routes Animals Already Use
Instead of choosing locations simply because they look good, pay attention to how animals naturally move through the property. Field edges, creek bottoms, fence lines, wooded trails, drainage ditches, and old logging roads can provide convenient routes.
Pinch points are especially worth noticing. These are locations where terrain, water, fencing, or vegetation funnels movement through a smaller area. Trail intersections and crossings can also reveal where multiple travel routes come together.
As you scout, make notes or save locations on your phone or GPS. When opening day arrives, you will already have a list of spots worth revisiting.
Picture Your Sets in Advance
Finding animal activity is only one part of scouting. Take a moment to consider how you could approach and work each location once the season begins. Think about available cover, changing vegetation, water levels, accessibility, and how fall weather might change the area.
Always consider applicable trapping regulations and landowner requirements when evaluating potential locations. A promising spot is only useful if you can legally and responsibly trap there.
Get Your Trapline Equipment Ready
Pre-season scouting can also reveal what you need to add or replace before fall. Inspect your traps, snares, tools, trapline accessories, baits, lures, and fur-handling equipment while you still have time to prepare.
Murray’s Lures & Trapping Supplies has been serving trappers since 1993 from Walker, West Virginia. As a family-owned business run by trappers for trappers, we stock products we trust and use ourselves. Get your trapping supplies together early, scout your locations, and enter the fall season ready to put your preparation to work. Contact Murray’s Lures & Trapping Supplies at 304-275-TRAP (8727) today or visit us online for more information!
