Are Deadfalls outdated

Z

zach225a

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Oct 29, 2005
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Hey ya when i was talking to my mentor for my senior project i got the feeling he felt dead falls are outdated. because you can build more squirrel pole and other traps quicker.So what go you think to fall or not to fall and why

I feel there great addition to your trap arsenal only if used correctly
 
Out dated no way. They work, because the really work. Many a man and beast have been killed with them. I say learn them because you never know when you might have to use it. The times we live in they could be come real handy, sooner than many think.


Just my thoughts.

Bryan
 
outdated in what sense? That seems like a pretty big can of worms to ask on a wilderness survival/primitive skills forum. Is bangin' rocks together for fire ''outdated'', um - YES! So is half the stuff we discuss on here. =)

Outdated - probably, less effective than it was a thousand years ago? Not in my opinion.
 
In a survival situation it is good to have a few different ways to get food. The beauty of deadfalls and snares is that they work while you are not.

By the way, whats a squirrel pole?:o
 
I think its because no one uses them anymore, well at least in north America due to the fact that a gun works faster in killing animals. and its just not practical anymore. therefore they may seem outdated, but the fact is that they work. and they work well.
 
How can you make a squirrel pole (a broom handle length or longer pole with multiple passive snares along its length) without cordage or wire? Are squirrel poles reliable for creatures that don't climb? How many rabbits have you seen climbing trees? Sounds like your advisor needs some advice himself.

The figure 4 is one of many traps a woodsman should know. It requires only a knife and some time. It is 100% natural and as TonyM points out, it is something that works for you when you rest or tend to other chores. As is illustrated with that tidbit of information your advisor gave you, it just goes to show trapping is 10% trap construction and 90% knowing the animals habitat, tracks, behavior etc.

There are guys who do use them here in the U.S. and they are still popular and deadly effective. Outdated? Hell no.
 
I still use them!


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Best part is no mess or blood

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the figure 4 is the only trap that i have spent any amount of time studying and practicing...

this is partly because my interest in trapping is not that high, and partly because i feel that it is the most effective and versatile trap, as well as one of the easiest to make with nothing besides a cutting tool.

a fig. 4 deadfall can be set for a mouse or a deer, or anything in between. all you need are some sticks and something to cut with, and you have your trap.

also, since a deadfall is baited, it can be set anywhere. snares need to be set in places that animals typically walk. in the dryer seasons around here it can be tricky to track animals. instead of going to them, i can make them come to me. of course, setting a deadfall near an animal run will make it more convenient for the animal, and increase the chances for success, but in my opinion that is just icing on the cake.
 
i keep 3 different traps commited to memory. 2 are deadfalls. easy set up (after you've practiced), not very complicated, is more foolproof than a snare, and you can make alot of them in a short time with little resources.
 
Poor cute mouse................. (screams)Murder . Playing with the trap in the desert i would say yes its work even for someone that is not an expert at making them... I figure i could build about 20 of them in less then one day not even trying hard. What does he means outdated??? it dont work or that its an old idea???? Unless the animals evolved to a point where a heavy rock dont hurt falling on there heads!!!!!!!!

Sasha
 
I think terrain will dictate what the best trap will be to use is.

What happens to people who are out west in a desert area where there are no trees or squirrels just brush and tumble weeds? You going to set a squirrel pole up against a cactus and catch what?

I really don't know what else you could set out in an area like that. Maybe a snare right at an animals hole to their den, if you are lucky enough find one. I think you bait a dead fall and let the animal find the trap in this type of terrain.
 
siguy said:
the figure 4 is the only trap that i have spent any amount of time studying and practicing...

this is partly because my interest in trapping is not that high, and partly because i feel that it is the most effective and versatile trap, as well as one of the easiest to make with nothing besides a cutting tool.

a fig. 4 deadfall can be set for a mouse or a deer, or anything in between. all you need are some sticks and something to cut with, and you have your trap.

also, since a deadfall is baited, it can be set anywhere. snares need to be set in places that animals typically walk. in the dryer seasons around here it can be tricky to track animals. instead of going to them, i can make them come to me. of course, setting a deadfall near an animal run will make it more convenient for the animal, and increase the chances for success, but in my opinion that is just icing on the cake.
Click to expand...


Hey Simon, snares can also be baited, frequently in conjunction with a cubby.

Doc
 
both deadfalls and snares are equal in m mind...both have variations that vary in leves of complexity...neither is outdated....i have used deadfalls with great success...and while I frequently practice with snares as well I have never caught game with one...No disrespect to your mentor, I'm sure he's a more experienced bushman than me, but in my mind the more ways of filling your belly that you are proficient with, the better...
 
A DOC SIGHTING!!!!!

I don't think any trap that works is outdated. Don't get me wrong - when I want food, I get in my car and drive and get it. That is what my contemporaries do. But this is a forum that concentrates on skills we would use then contemporary issues fail.

I think, perhaps, the figure four is not the easiest to use of dead falls... I like a split stick deadfall much better. I also think the Paiute deadfall is more sensitive and keeps your hands out of the deadfall like the splitstick. However, the Splitstick requires a lot of cutting and the Paiute requires cordage (natural or otherwise). If I were going to set a dozen deadfalls in a day - I would likely choose the figure four - then I would seek to replace them with split sticks as I had time and energy.

Outdated would only be true if the animals became naturally leary of anything in a 4 configuration. Deer stands are sometimes tenuous because Deer are learning to look up, for instance, but even that technology is not outdated.

TF
 
Zach,

What kind of senior project are you working on that you are studying traps and snares? Sounds like tons of fun (more fun than I had on my projects).
 
I really don't think you'll find an "outdated" skill in wilderness survival....


...........aside from "how to canoe in a lawnchair".

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Deadfalls are in no way outdated.

When I was living outside for several years I used a trapline of around 50 - 7o traps to feed myself. I had them set along rockfalls and trails as wel as some snares in some locations and around brush piles. Between the traps and snares as well as a bit of survival fishing and I never went without food.

The key was in spending several days setting up a large number of traps in likely locations and checking and resetting them daily
 
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