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.

Trapping tips 101...Part 3 Strengthening traps



...with Ted Mitchell

A cheap style of trap which has been mangled by a wild dog.
It has been dismantled for repair and modification.

Now getting back to the actual traps, I suppose we should spend some time talking trap strength. This can vary considerably, depending mostly on where they are manufactured.

Traps that are actually made in America are generally pretty good, with decent metal being used in their construction. Some traps are made in places like Korea, Taiwan and other Asian countries, and are made from inferior materials.

This of course compromises their strength. If the metal used in the manufacture of a trap is too soft, then there is a good chance that the trap will be destroyed by a hard fighting animal, resulting in failure of the trap and loss of the captured animal.

I have personally seen this happen. Bent base plates, bent and popped jaws, chewed and mangled pans and dogs.

Of course, these same traps can be successfully modified to add strength and make them much more user friendly. For the most part, however, I find that by the time you buy the extra bits and pieces, and spend the time to make those modifications, you may as well have just gone and spent the money on a decent trap in the first place.

Some of the modifications can be to weld the base plate at the crosspiece, weld the pan post, weld the pan and tower, bubble tip or fold up the jaw tips, file the till, tighten the dog eye, night latch the dog, add spring retainer,..the list goes on.

I have done all of these, and in fact find myself doing these types of mods quite often, as it is a relaxing way of spending an evening in the trap shed with a cigar and a Bundy rum. We all have our vices I suppose.

Trapping tips 101...Part 2 Chain selection

...with Ted Mitchell

All foothold and leghold traps have some sort of chain system so as to be able to anchor them to the ground, or attach to a drag set up.

Before we go any further on chain systems, a foothold trap does just that, hold the foot.  Usually just above the rear most pad. A leghold trap holds the captured animal somewhere above the foot, between the rear most pad and the elbow or knee joint. Not a big difference, mainly in trap size rather than style, and we will go on from here.

Complete chain system showing MB Crunchproof swivels x 3,
Chestnut double stake ring, and ‘T’-bar shock spring.

The chain which comes with the vast majority of traps needs some modification; one trap brand which comes to mind that doesn’t is J.C.Conners “Jake” trap. In my opinion, Jim Conner’s trap is the ‘Rolls Royce’ of traps, and is beautifully finished, and ready to go. I like his chain set-up so much, that I copy it in its entirety on every trap I use, no matter the brand, size or style. You see, Conner’s chain set-up incorporates a heavy American #3 size chain, his own ‘T’-bar in-line shock spring,  three MB (Minnesota Brand) Crunchproof swivels, and ends with a ‘Chestnut’ double stake ring.

Now let’s look at these parts individually so we may better understand them. Starting at the trap, we have a swivel, which is an indispensable item in itself. The swivels are needed to stop the chain from twisting up and shortening to the point that the captured animal’s leg breaks, or at best, is severely damaged. Most captured animals have a tendency to go round in circles, in the one direction. The swivels let the trap go around in these circles without hanging up. One swivel is definitely not enough. And I think three is better than two. One swivel can be easily bound up with wire grass, vines, or dried clay etc, and having those extras is then vital. The MB swivels are the strongest on the market.
We then have a length of strong American #3 welded chain. Obviously the whole system is only as good as the chain. If it is weak, then you not only lose your trap, but your target animal as well. Never compromise on chain strength for the sake of a few dollars.

Another MB Crunchproof swivel attaches the chain to the ‘T’-bar inline shockproof spring. There are many styles of springs on the market, but again, in my opinion these are the best. These springs are important as they serve several purposes. They help prevent injury to the animal by cushioning the sudden stop when it is fighting the trap. This also helps prevent the animal from escaping as the dampening effect absorbs energy. The springs also help minimize damage to the traps jaws and frame in the same way. The fourth purpose I can think of, is that the spring will help stop the animal from pumping the stake/s out of the ground.

Again, another MB Crunchproof swivel connects the spring to the ‘Chestnut’ double stake ring. Now this simple but ingenious idea is simply a oval shaped piece of metal rod which, because of its shape, can accommodate two stakes. This is extremely important when anchoring a trap used for trapping wild dogs.

We will talk more about stakes and other anchoring systems when the time comes, but next we will get back to the traps themselves.

Next time we will look at more on trap structure and choice.

Click here if you want to try some of Ted's quality predator lures..

 

 

 

Trapping tips 101...Part 1 Where do you start?

...with Ted Mitchell

SO, you are thinking of trying your hand at trapping? Well, I highly recommend it as not only a very useful tool for predator control work, but also as a great way to spend some leisurely time in the fresh air. But first, you will have to figure out what traps you will need.

Two at a time.

 Foothold traps come in many different sizes. These can vary in size from # 1 sized traps often used for rabbits, #1 ½ size traps for cats and fox, #2 size traps can be an intermediate trap, used for cats and foxes, and also for wild dogs/dingoes. #3 size and up to #5 are mainly used for wild dogs. Traps also come in different shapes and styles. They can be ‘long spring’ traps with single or double springs, or ‘coil spring’ traps, with either two coils or four. Some are ‘dog on’, and some are ‘dogless’.

As you can see, it is not always an easy decision for the beginner. So first things first. What is your main target animal? Wild dog, fox, or cat? Of course, if your target animal is one of the smaller animals, then a #1 ½ size trap will suffice. If you think you may want to one day move up to wild dogs, then may I suggest you go straight to a #3 sized trap, as the larger dimensions in both jaw width and pan size will make catches a little easier on the smaller critters anyway. The only real downside to this is that the actual larger size of the trap will sometimes make it a little harder to get it into a tighter spot.

Personally, I like the ‘coil spring’ models, and would always recommend the same to anyone wanting to buy their first traps. They are much more compact than the ‘long spring’ models, and are generally easier to set too.

A Jake trap by J.C. Connor, a great 'dogless' design

I also have a personal preference for a ‘dogless’ design for the trigger mechanism. To me it is just one less thing to worry about on the trapline, as a ‘dog’ or ‘tongue’ can get chewed up by captured animals and then needs some minor panel beating. This of course doesn’t happen very often, but it can. I still do own and use a lot of ‘dog on’ traps. The ‘dog’ of course, is the piece of metal that folds over and holds down the jaw when the trap is set. Its end fits into a notch in the ‘till’, which is on the rear part of the ‘pan’ or ‘plate’. It seems difficult to explain, but I’m sure you get the idea. We have all seen the old style rabbit traps and had a go at setting them.

Next time we will look at chain systems.

Click here if you want to try some of Ted's quality predator lures..