As trappers, we carry a lot of tools around to make effective sets and catch furbearers. From dirt digging tools and hammers to traps, stakes, lures and more, there gear can really start to add up! Like most people, I started out toting my trapping supplies in a five gallon bucket. To deal with the small tools and accessories a bucket organizer with lots of pouches on the … [Read more...]
Bodygrip/Conibear Trap Setting Tools: A Review
If you're setting a bodygrip trap for the first time, without tools, you may find yourself in quite a dilemma. Sure, setting smaller traps like the 110 or 120 sized bodygrips can be done by hand, but once you get into the larger traps - 160, 220 and 330 size, you really need a tool. A few super strong folks may be able to set the larger conibears by hand, but doing so with a … [Read more...]
The Coyote Trap: An Overview of the Top Traps Used to Catch Coyotes
Long before Mr. Coyote became established as king predator in much of the U.S., the primary target for most land trappers was the red fox. Sometime around the 1960's and '70's, coyotes began moving in and taking over much of the fox's habitat, and fox trappers, particularly those Northeastern farmland trappers, were ill equipped to hold the bigger canine. Coyote trapping … [Read more...]
Earth Anchors and Stakes for Trapping
Fastening a trap is one of the most basic things a trapper must do well, but it can be done in a number of different ways. Let's go through the history of trap staking, and explore the staking options trappers have today. You have to fasten your trap to something in order to make sure the target animal doesn't get away. Aside from the use of drags (click here for … [Read more...]
Why I Use Coni-Pans for Marten and Fisher Trapping
Traditional body gripping traps have a two-pronged wire trigger that the animal pushes as it moves through the trap, which causes the jaws to fire and make the catch. But this trigger isn't always the most ideal, and a number of modifications and improvements have been made over the years for more effective trigger setups in certain situations. Don't get me wrong - in many … [Read more...]
A Review of Trap Drags
Drags are a great way to anchor traps for a number of reasons. Basically, instead of keeping a trap anchored where it's set, a drag is designed to get hung up on brush, trees, and other objects while the caught animal leaves the set and heads for cover. It's a great way to conceal your catch from other trappers, while allowing caught furbearers to get under cover and lower … [Read more...]
AuSable Rotating Trap Drag Overview
Here's a quick overview of the AuSable rotating trap drags from PCS Outdoors. For those who like to use drags, I think they'll work pretty well, and provide a pretty good compromise between performance and portability. … [Read more...]
Dyeing Traps with Cold Dip
You can buy traps from the factory and use them without dyeing, but it's not recommended. They'll start rusting quickly, causing poor performance, likelihood of failure, and a shorter life span. Traditionally, traps were dyed with tannins from the bark and/or boughs of certain trees. They were then dipped in wax. The dye provided a thin layer of protection by binding with … [Read more...]