As Musher said, one snow and one night don't leave much time to generate sign. And I'll agree that traps in the back of the truck don't catch anything but traps set on poor locations don't catch anything either and it takes a lot of muss and fuss to get those traps set, only to look empty traps. In this case, empty traps in the back of the truck are easier to look at than empty traps set on poor location, especially now that snow and freezing weather is extant.

The problem here is that you don't quite know how to identify good location yet. It in fact takes a few years of trapping, and a few years of trial and error to begin to understand that. So for somebody to just tell you to set in good locations, while good advice, is meaningless if you don't know where those locations are.

I would advise you to wait a few days, if possible, and check the snow again. By that time, the critters will have moved around a little bit. Then they will tell you where the good locations are.

Hal

I am sure that i havent figured out how to pick a great location yet and that is why i didn't know how to take his advice how am i supposed to know exactly where to set. I read constanly and ask people what they saw around here and where if they could show me where and i read archives for pointers i am going off of that information but i hope to figure it out someday i want nothing more that to become a decent trapper someday. My biggest issue right now is it will not quit snowing everyday 1-3 inches and temps in the teens. I for some reason as hard as it is right now i should be getting diasapointed but i just get more interested everyday i cant let traps sit in the bucket when i have a spare moment i get an urge to go set them and even if i am not on location right now and catching i am learning how to bed traps cover them how to use all my tools properly how to maintain my traps and manage time and i am learning where they dont travel.

With all that snow, it's time to break out the snares. (Your state calls them cable-restraints just to confuse you, but they are snares nonetheless.) When you find a definitive trail, you can (conforming to regulations) place a snare above it. Foot traps are hard to keep working when it is snowing day after day.

Hal

Thanks Hal i do plan to take the cable restraint course here in pa i may as well give that a try to i am sure i will catch something on footholds eventualy. May as well start studying how to set snares now and how to use them to give myself an edge before i take a course.

A while back we had a discussion about "Google Earth", not sure if it's in the archives or not?
Search: Google earth, download the free version. Once it's loaded, you'll be able to look over your properties, through the eyes of a satelite. For most folks it's easier to keep your bearings with an aerial photo than it is with a topo map. Once you pick out a few good locations on the computer, then you'll need to go look at them in person. It will help you pick out locations, and save a lot of foot work.

http://www.bing.com/maps/

I use this site as photo source also

I'm sorry, I forgot you have to take a special course to use snares in Pennsylvania.

The Google Earth is a good suggestion for any trapper. Thanks Tim.

Hal

I have google earth and use it religously no matter what i am hunting i think if more people would use it they would know more about how to read land and they wouldn't go in blind to places. I like the foot work alot of the time though. Talked to a guy over the hil tonight didn't know he used to be a realy good trapper before he hurt his back talked a good while learned some new things and he said when the weather broke he would help me out some he believes the fox population around here is not as high as before but is still a trappable number. Kinda funny he told me about a spot he caught alot of fox on before he hung it up for a few years and i have two sets in the exact spot. So i do have one location i might have gotten right. Feel bad i have permission to be there he no longer does. Maybe he can teach me some things and get me up and going.

Dated for search.