Trapping tips 101...Part 4 Anchoring your traps



...with Ted Mitchell

An earth anchor attached to the trap chain and featuring
the extraction tool, a modified wrecking bar.

Now that we have our trap size sorted, and our trap and trap chains modified to our high standards, we must next look at ways of keeping that trap in the general area if it makes a successful catch on our intended target animal.
In general, the term ‘anchoring’ is where we’re at.
Anchoring the trap can be done in a few different ways. We can stake the trap to the spot, or we can use a ‘drag’ system, allowing the captured animal to move a certain distance, and even in a certain direction.
We can use steel reo bar stakes to anchor that trap to the ground, or we could use one of the ‘earth anchor’ systems available.
First we will look at the reo bar stakes. These are a simple piece of ½” or 12 mm reo bar cut to around 450-500mm in length.
One end is sharpened to a point to facilitate driving into the ground, and the other end has a large heavy duty washer or nut welded to it, leaving about a ½” of bar protruding above the nut/washer. This is to take the blows from your hammer when driving it into the ground. If the nut/washer is welded directly onto the end, then you are belting the welds, which in time will weaken and let go.
I would always recommend using two stakes for dingo/wild dog, and one for foxes. Dogs tend to jump and jack the stakes out of the ground if used singularly, where foxes tend to go round in circles.
They can be single staked in most soil types.
Next is the ‘earth anchor’. Google them. They can be a flattish piece of steel plate with a bit pressed out to accept the steel cable, or a cast bullet pointed anchor with a welded chain to be able to make the anchor retrievable.
They are a handy item, especially when trapping in sandy/soft soils, but are not indispensible.
They can be a pain to drive at times, particularly when you get half way in and hit rock. Better to use a ‘drag’ of some sort.

We will have a close look at drags next time.