HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: A trapping season prequel

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By Nolan Svoboda, East Buchanan freshman

WINTHROP - The start of the 2013 trapping season in Iowa looks good with low temperatures and great weather for coon to be out moving at night.

Water levels are a little low and small creeks and culverts are mostly dry, but that doesn't effect me because I trap the Wapsi.

On opening day, I will probably have around 50 to 60 traps out - about 50 percent of them set strictly for coon, another 10 percent set for coyotes and fox, another 10 percent  for beaver,and the remaining 30 percent set for coon, mink or muskrat.

My main goals this trapping season are to get at least 50 coon and, hopefully, a first coyote or otter. I also hope I don't encounter skunks, opossums and cats caught in my traps.

I want to make, at least, $800 after expenses.

I will be running about a two- to three-mile strip down the Wapsi on both sides and then some in the backwaters. I mainly will be setting 1 1/2 coil springs and Z dogproofs. If everything goes as planned I will get at least 10 coon the first day.

The trapping season opened last week, a day I had been waiting for for a long time.