Anyone ever carry a rat trap?

SubaruSTi · Mar 5, 2009

IMO a rat trap is better than any rock drop dead fall, or snare (that you want to catch squirrels or rats with) The new plastic ones a really strong/light and the best of all, they work! All you need is some peanut butter or whatever and your almost guaranted a dinner. The larger models should be able to take a squirrel.

IUKE12 · Mar 5, 2009

I'm sure they are very effective.....but, I think the whole point of the deadfall or snare is that these can be created from your material surroundings.

benchmadebob · Mar 5, 2009

i had a thread on rat traps a while ago and someone said you could float them to catch geese and ducks.

SubaruSTi · Mar 5, 2009

IUKE12 said:
I'm sure they are very effective.....but, I think the whole point of the deadfall or snare is that these can be created from your material surroundings.

So can fire and clothing and a log cabin but I would rather bring some of the stuff with me.

DazedAndConfused · Mar 5, 2009

Building traps will serve better in a survival situation I presume. If you brought a trap and bait, why not just bring food for yourself instead?
You revert to making traps when you have lost everything. If you still have your pack you should be in good condition, although I dont think it would be a bad idea to stick one or two in the pack, for the just in case scenarios.

Fonly · Mar 5, 2009

DazedAndConfused said:
Building traps will serve better in a survival situation I presume. If you brought a trap and bait, why not just bring food for yourself instead?
You revert to making traps when you have lost everything. If you still have your pack you should be in good condition, although I dont think it would be a bad idea to stick one or two in the pack, for the just in case scenarios.

Thats true, I know for me I can take much better things in the place of one or two traps though, having the skill to make correct traps will give you the same odds of catching something anyways, why does a rat trap make a better trap, pre assembled?
Thats the only thing I can think of. In the place of even one rat trap I would take a SAK and some line, that way I can make all the traps I need and a fishing rod with line to catch fish.

wildmike · Mar 5, 2009

Floated attached to a string or cord and baited with bread they make a great trap to catch geese or ducks.

stingray4540 · Mar 5, 2009

The wood ones don't take up any space, I don't see you replacing that space with much food. Even if you did bring food, if you were stuck out longer than expected and ran out of food...

You can always make a bunch of traps, but it would be nice to have one that was easy to set up, and pretty much fire proof. At least you know that one isn't going to get blown over, or get set because you made the trigger too sensitive.

I think It's a great idea. Thanks for bringing it up.

TheNick · Mar 5, 2009

I use the glue rat traps, I'm way too afraid to injure myself setting the spring action traps.

The glue ones are very light since they are made of cheap plastic. They come in pair.

j_d · Mar 5, 2009

It has been my experience that rat traps dont work on squirrels, at least the eastern grays. They pull out with only a tuft of hair left. If you are serious about catching small critters use a conibear/body grip trap. The small 110's take up very little room and are much, much more effective, if a little heavy.
Josh
Ps. dont worry about the springs, if you mess up they just provide a little motivation to not do it again...

RescueRiley · Mar 5, 2009

In my youth I tried catching squirrels in my neighbors attic with rat traps... 1st time I did it I found a sprung trap with blood and fur... and decided it was not a reliable killer for squirrels.. I wouldn't personally attempt to catch a duck with one (but that's just me I have not had the same problem with dead falls. But I'm talking about your typical hardware store 3.99 rat trap not the fancy ones they have now. ALso for me making the traps is all part of the process, the mastery of these skills is what defines the woodsman..why work on bowdrill skills when I can bring a stove? the pursuit skill in the field of woodcraft is it's own reward (to me) ymmv

Bushman5 · Mar 5, 2009

yup, except not for trapping.

works great with fine thread tied off and strung all around the perimeter, 12" off the ground , terminating at the baitholder on the trap. (mouse trap)

walk thru my camp i'm going to know about it.

snareaman · Mar 5, 2009

The problem with a rat trap is this: what happens when you catch a coon, skunk or possum? Peanut butter is attractive to them too. If they don't drag the trap away they will dismantle it to get loose.

A dozen 1/16 snares or even 5/64 snares weigh a little more than the rat trap but if you hook another critter that galvanized aircraft cable will hold it.

Many a 50lb beaver or 25lb coon has been harvested with a piece of aircraft cable and a one way lock

.

johnny reb · Mar 5, 2009

If I`m bringing peanutbutter, thats what I`m going to eat. Kinda hard to eat rodents When you got peanut butter.

Zaner01 · Mar 5, 2009

SubaruSTi said:
So can fire and clothing and a log cabin but I would rather bring some of the stuff with me.

There's high priorities and low priorities. Food is among the lowest. If I'm packing a survival kit, and I have limited space, I'll take up space with shelter and warmth before I pack a trap.

As snareaman said, rat traps have limitations that snares don't. Add to that the fact that snare wire can be used for other purposes. I'd take snare wire.

SubaruSTi · Mar 5, 2009

snareaman said:
The problem with a rat trap is this: what happens when you catch a coon, skunk or possum? Peanut butter is attractive to them too. If they don't drag the trap away they will dismantle it to get loose.

A dozen 1/16 snares or even 5/64 snares weigh a little more than the rat trap but if you hook another critter that galvanized aircraft cable will hold it.

Many a 50lb beaver or 25lb coon has been harvested with a piece of aircraft cable and a one way lock.

I tried to catch a possum with one but it just triggered it then licked it clean, no damage.

To all that say snare wire would work better. Yes it might. If you do the classic ramp on tree with alot of snares, maybe even some bait. But the rat trap will work 100%, on alot of critters. Takes no skill and hardly any time to work. Can be reused right after you catch one. They weigh next to nothing and take up hardly any space. I cant believe there are even nay sayers here. You could catch 20 squirrels a week with no work with just one little light trap. Small dead falls are hard to set up, time consuming at best and dont always work. You need bait with both. And the dead fall is not portable (rocks are heavy) so you need a new set of sticks almost every time. Snares work but the non baited ones hardly ever do. The rat trap is 100% a good idea.

jca21 · Mar 5, 2009

i've considered packing 1 or 2 of the really big rat snap traps.

but them again i like building figure 4's

snareaman · Mar 6, 2009

SubaruSTi said:
I tried to catch a possum with one but it just triggered it then licked it clean, no damage.

To all that say snare wire would work better. Yes it might. If you do the classic ramp on tree with alot of snares, maybe even some bait. But the rat trap will work 100%, on alot of critters. Takes no skill and hardly any time to work. Can be reused right after you catch one. They weigh next to nothing and take up hardly any space. I cant believe there are even nay sayers here. You could catch 20 squirrels a week with no work with just one little light trap. Small dead falls are hard to set up, time consuming at best and dont always work. You need bait with both. And the dead fall is not portable (rocks are heavy) so you need a new set of sticks almost every time. Snares work but the non baited ones hardly ever do. The rat trap is 100% a good idea.

I must respectfully disagree with you. I know people who have caught thousands of animals with unbaited snares. A huge percentage of the North American fur market is harvested with snares set in trail sets and no bait what so ever is used.

Have you ever used a rat trap for squirrels? In a wilderness setting,not in a park with half tame grey squirrels? I'm not being confrontational, I'm just trying to get a read on your line of thinking.

I'm just making observations based upon my personal experiences, as animal behavior is much different in different habitats and regions.

RescueRiley · Mar 6, 2009

if you think it's "100% a good idea" than pack em... You seem confident enough. so do your thing..and rock on...To me however I'll take Wits over kits any day....but obviously a healthy combination of both is the optimum...choose your tools and the skill sets you think are best for you and get proficient and familiar with them.... But that's just me YMMV

plumberroy · Mar 6, 2009

RescueRiley said:
In my youth I tried catching squirrels in my neighbors attic with rat traps... 1st time I did it I found a sprung trap with blood and fur... and decided it was not a reliable killer for squirrels.. I wouldn't personally attempt to catch a duck with one (but that's just me I have not had the same problem with dead falls. But I'm talking about your typical hardware store 3.99 rat trap not the fancy ones they have now. ALso for me making the traps is all part of the process, the mastery of these skills is what defines the woodsman..why work on bowdrill skills when I can bring a stove? the pursuit skill in the field of woodcraft is it's own reward (to me) ymmv

drill and run a few drywall screws through a rat trap where they stick up about 3/16th to a 1/4 inch just inside the bar drill a hole in the back to wire it down you squirrel/muskrat size dinner will be there when you get there
Roy