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Hello my name is Mike DiSalvo and welcome to my pages. I have been
trapping for 25 years. I got married in 1999, and introduced my sons
and daughter to trapping as well. In 2000 my youngest daughter (Charly) was born,
and she went out on the line before she could walk, and continues to go
trapping with me and her sissy (Teagan).
The boys have a bit to much on their plates to do much trapping right now, but hopefully
they'll come back when they have time.We did not get to do much trapping
this past season but we plan to try harder this coming fall. This is
my website and I have worked long and hard to make it the best I can,
so enjoy.
These pages will cover the basics on most common forms of trapping. I
have sections on trap tuning and modification, trap dying and waxing. I
also have sections on the more common furbearers, detailing tracks,
sign, locations, sets, lures and baits. There is a very extensive fur
handling section as well as a huge photo album. I have also written a
few of my experiences down in the stories section.
Now let me introduce the teachers I learned from. My Grandfather (Pop)
(on the 
right in the
photo)passed away in 1998 one day after his 75th birthday. He taught me
how to trap coons, opossums, and muskrats. To read more about things I
learned from him visit thestories section
(Old men, Tattered jackets, and Smelly cars). My Father(on the
right of the lower picture) taught me how to trap foxes. Together they
showed me where to put my sets and why to put them there, how to use
lure and bait, how to read sign and tracks, how to pick my locations
for sets carefully, and how to put up my hides as good as the best of
them. My old trapping partner Arnold and I once took hides to an
auction in another state.We watched as the fur buyers looked over the
hides.
Our usual fur buyer was looking over the lots of fur. He came across
our lot looked it over, and looked around the room. When he saw us he
lifted a coon pelt of ours and nodded to us. He later said as soon as
he saw the pelts he knew they were ours.
In about 1986 the fur market died, so my Father quit trapping, Pop and
I continued on however. In 1988 Pop almost severed his finger working
on his tractor. That pretty much ended his trapping career, as he
didn't have the strength in his hands to set traps anymore.
So I didn't again trap until the fall of 1990. That fall an old friend
of mine (Arnold Favinger) stopped by to ask if I had been trapping a
field below my house. I had not been trapping in 2 years I told him. He
said it had been about 3 for him. We sat down and shot the breeze for
awhile. 
We talked of the
traplines we had run as children, and of going trapping with our
fathers and grandfathers. Arnold told me he never worried about his
traps or coons when Pop was trapping the same creek. He told me he
heard my Father was a great fox trapper, but had never met him. We
talked it over and finally he asked if I wanted to trap with him. I
thought about it for a good 5-10 seconds before saying yes.
Some of the finest days and nights I ever had trapping were with
Arnold. He was and is a great coon trapper, and a top notch fox
trapper. He taught me how to trap beaver and coyote.I taught him some
of the fox trapping tricks I knew as well as fur handling. We learned a
great deal of knowledge from each other over the years of our
partnership.
Come along with me down memory road, and you just might learn a
thing or two. I'll discuss the more common sets, and I'll even tell you
some of mine and Arnold's wrong way sets. We call them that because we
do them the wrong way according to the books. Pop once told Arnold and
I a great trapping secret "IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT!" Basically
if what you do catches what your after don't change your style because
you read or heard you weren't doing it right.
If you visit PLEASE SIGN THE GUESTBOOK, and leave your comments, ideas
or criticism . If you have questions or comments
e-mail me, or take just a few
minutes and sign the guestbook below.
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