Is there a topic that discusses trapping in the winter, particularly elk?

[UniversalRanger]

For example, what bait to use, what type of traps work. For example, I can't dig pit traps in the winter, at least not with my inferior wooden shovel.

So, I set a couple of big deadfall traps where I've seen else, but they don't ever seem to be triggered. So, I'm thinking maybe what I need is to set them up where I see elk again, and bait them this time.
 

[PALU]

You can catch elks with pit traps (out of season, as you noticed) and bear traps (the largest deadfall traps). The second largest is good for wolves, gluttons, and lynx, but not elks or reindeer. The bear traps can catch wolves as well, while gluttons and lynxes are too small.
Trap fences makes the two large game trap types more effective, as they herd the game towards the openings (where the traps are).

[Tom H]

Turnips is the bait for elk (and rabbits/snares), on the heavy deadfall traps. Pit traps are great IF you've set up a fence line with them at intervals. Carry a cord and a turnip when traveling. If you see an elk, set up a large deadfall trap in that area. I've found that, once you see an animal's tracks, it's just a matter of time until he returns to that area, often within the day.

In the last few weeks, I've caught two elk in deadfall traps that only had spoiled animal fat. Maybe my trap skill has improved to the point that the elk are just stumbling into them (doubt it), or maybe there's a curiosity thing happening with elk.

I have an even dozen large deadfalls, all set up where I've previously seen bear or elk, or their tracks. They've all caught at least 3 or 4 animals over time, which includes a goodly number of wolves. I put two baits in them, turnips and raw meat of some type, any type. The effective bait is gone when I've caught something.

I have at least a dozen of the small deadfalls, too. The usual meat baits and turnips seem pretty ineffective. Common berries have never worked, either. I can count on one hand the beasts these traps have caught.  It's not obvious to me that these are worth the trouble of making and checking. 

[Ara D.]

 I like to save fat and spoiled fat from squirrels and birds as predators don't seem to have a preference on amount ie a 1.0 cut of meat or .1 of fat work equally well as bait. So I can carry lots of fat for the same weight as one meat cut. Spoiled fat does not seem to make a huge difference to me, cooked will NOT work. I also save partially used turnips for bait, for the same reason, weight reduction. I also have had no luck with berries, I have had luck placing snares on Berry bushes that are ripe as birds do "pick" those.

[PALU]

Birds can be lured with berries as bait (the bait is gone when the bird is caught).

[Tom H]

Funny to note that SPOILED berries also serve as bait BUT are never eaten by the birds it lures into your traps!

[Dungeon Smash]

The trick to trapping elk in winter is that you must dig the pits for your trapline before the first frost.  No other step has a time limit, you can make the pits into traps and build the fence during winter time if that's what you want to do.  It's actually a pretty good winter project if you have time to kill.  trap pits without the sharp stakes will help preserve the hide somewhat.

if you want to trap elk but did not dig the pits in time, your only option is to build large deadfall bear traps and bait them with turnips.  This can be fairly effective if elk are in the area and your trapping skill is good.

either way, you want to stretch a line of fence inbetween your traps so that the elk have no choice but to go into them.  You can't leave even a single space unoccupied by fence or trap, or else the elk (or similar animals like reindeer) will most likely get through there.  on the small scale, try to make opportunistic use of trees as much as possible so that there is less fence to build - animals cannot move through trees any more than fences.  on the large scale, try to build your trap fence so that it ties into 2 or more large natural features such as lakes, rivers/rapids, or cliffs/mountains, and blocks off the space inbetween.  These features will act as a natural funnel, drawing animals into your traps if they want to move through the area.  As it says in the game manual, your trap fence may have to be quite long in order to be effective (3-10 big map tiles).

One of the layouts that i have found most effective is to find 3 or more lakes, close together, that form a triangle or trapezoid.  It's relatively easy to block off the small segments of land between the lakes, and you will have made yourself a natural funnel-shape.  Sometimes you get so many deer that it becomes better to disable the traps or they will rot before you can process them.  Of course, in winter the elk and deer can walk right over the frozen lakes.  but in the other seasons it's quite effective.

[Tom H]

Dungeon Smash- I have no doubt a trap fence of the dimensions you propose will work, but, that's an enormous undertaking! I've never found it necessary to go to such lengths.

There are a lot of tiny lakes. I build a trap fence around these, although, in fact, I've never actually encompassed more than half their circumference. Still, I've never had to completely surround such lakes in order to catch a lot of deer, elk, bear, and such as they come to drink. The few times I've built a trap fence that did not utilize a lake, I've had little luck.

The nature of the trap fences I've made seems to be a great success the first year, especially in winter, and then only an occasional catch thereafter. I suppose it takes a while for the wildlife to recover in the area. lol...After I've done as much fencing as I can stand, I find I've left about half a lake uncovered. It still works, though, because when they wander in between the lake and my fence, they wind up getting caught trying to leave through the 'gaps' in the fence. 

Anyway, I appreciate the amount of work you put in constructing fences so grand. After I've constructed my more diminutive fences, I'm quite happy to be done with that...lol.

[PALU]

Real life trap fences are several kilometers long in the real world, as far as I understand, but a trap fence surrounding my farm plots (about 30 * 30, I think) with 3 bear traps on each side, together with two "random" bear traps elsewhere, provides my character with more meat than can be used (taking into account that a large number of dried cuts are used as payment for hirelings when doing robber quests).

[Edico]

Animal size seems to sometimes alter which trap is effective against it.  I've caught small foxes in a light lever trap, big wolves in a bear trap.  I can't recall off the top of my head how I've seen cub/young status alter effective trap size, so I'm not sure if the trap size is based on weight or animal classification + size modifier (small, normal, big.)

Turnips as stated work well for elk.  For herbivores some will also eat other plants, but I think it has to be the part that spoils over time (can't use herbs I don't think.)  I've caught elk with milkweed and lakereed root, and hares with milkweed root.  I've seen elk munching on marsh calla before, but I haven't used it in a trap before. Some birds prefer different berries than others, some may not like berries at all, obviously raptors and scavengers but even some of the others.

[Tom H]

Regarding baits for snares/traps, I've tried various types of mushrooms to no avail. I've tried poisonous mushrooms, too. Again, no joy. 

I never thought to try those various types of roots. Maybe one of those will work for gluttons and polecats?

[PALU]

I've had a single case of mushroom bait working. I had a character working on a trap fence while one of the small predators (weasel/ferret...) ran around nearby and eventually entered a trap with a spoiled mushroom and ate the mushroom. However, it's the only time I've encountered it.

I can possibly imaging a glutton eating non meat, but hardly a polecat. Roots tends to work as bait for hares, though, and badgers eat just about anything.

I think effective trap size is based on the animal species rather than the size of the individuals, although I don't have any proof. As far as I've seen wolves can be caught both in wolf traps and in bear traps.