- Joined
- Jun 9, 2006
- Messages
- 5,525
I still use them!
Best part is no mess or blood
Man..that is one FLAT mouse! I love it!
Kevin said it best..knowledge is key, tracking and hunting skills are paramount to the actual trap construction. Gene
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Are Deadfalls outdated
- Thread starter zach225a
- Start date
Man..that is one FLAT mouse! I love it!
Kevin said it best..knowledge is key, tracking and hunting skills are paramount to the actual trap construction. Gene
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2008
- Messages
- 9,491
I have a nasty lil mouse in the back room in my store that is really pising me off. He has set off a payute, and figure 4 just leaving some poop behind.
I have the traps set at a hair trigger, but I am using cardboard file boxes as the crushing force. They are heavy but I think the flimsy cardboard is giving them too much room to crawl out. This damn mouse has also set off those store baught traps as well. I have seen the lil bastard twice, I am resetting my traps now with stronger crushing weights. I'll keep you posted.
Mick asked:
"When you processed the animal, was there any indication of damage to the internal organs, that might have allowed the contents of the gastrointestinal tract to leak out, tainting the meat in the process?"
Hell yes!!!!
But I've never caught any food animals in deadfalls..... only rats and mice. They can get totally flattened. Cant recall for sure, but I think I've actually seen the guts pushed out through the stomach wall.
So my deadfall trapping has just been done to lower the vermin population. Very effective too. Like the picture above, I caught one mouse using a figure four trigger under a box of nails on a building site. Dang near could have posted the poor little beggar into the slot of a bank machine.
A baited deadfall might be set in such a way to land just on the head or neck area on a 'meat' animal. And I think there is a good possibility that an animal caught randomly under a big deadfall might not have any burst intestines. The limbs, spine and ribs could all help to act as 'spacers' keeping the body from getting completely squashed. And guts are fairly darn strong.
I know that meat animals can get 'gut taint'. I've shot game and the guts have burst open in the process.... but generally the meat is just fine if it is processed reasonably soon afterward.
Some of the worst gut taint I've tasted has been in snared animals that have layed around dead for a while before I've processed them. This has been particulary true for the Australian Brushtailed Possums I've trapped.... and the taint can be there even if the intestines are still in perfect condition. So nowadays if the possum was dead for a while before being gutted etc, I would not generally save the meat that surrounded the gut....i.e. the belly flaps and undercut steaks etc. And if I did cook it all up (the taint is just a 'taint' after all) I would be sure that I did not serve it to sensitive guests or family members.
However my climate and animal feed etc is probably very different to yours, so what I can get away with here might not work so well for you.
I have no problem with shooting an animal in the evening in summer and leaving it overnight with the guts in before I butcher it (if you cut open the stomach, you are likely to have a zillion flies crawl in and lay eggs). I also have no problem with shooting an animal up on a hillside and cutting it up while it is warm...then stuffing the meat in a plastic bag and carrying it back home on a hot day even though I have been 'warned' against the practice. I've never had a problem. Naturally I try to apply common sense and basic hygiene principles to all food preparation... and I am always sure to cook pork well.
I get the idea that some traditional hunters in England like to hang their game birds and hares for ages - with the guts in - before they eat them. Maybe some people like the taste of gut taint.
While I would try to avoid gut taint if giving meat away or serving meat to guests, I don't think it is anything to fear. It can certainly add some 'gaminess' to a meal though.
I'd be interested to read other thoughts on gut taint.
"When you processed the animal, was there any indication of damage to the internal organs, that might have allowed the contents of the gastrointestinal tract to leak out, tainting the meat in the process?"
Hell yes!!!!
But I've never caught any food animals in deadfalls..... only rats and mice. They can get totally flattened. Cant recall for sure, but I think I've actually seen the guts pushed out through the stomach wall.
So my deadfall trapping has just been done to lower the vermin population. Very effective too. Like the picture above, I caught one mouse using a figure four trigger under a box of nails on a building site. Dang near could have posted the poor little beggar into the slot of a bank machine.
A baited deadfall might be set in such a way to land just on the head or neck area on a 'meat' animal. And I think there is a good possibility that an animal caught randomly under a big deadfall might not have any burst intestines. The limbs, spine and ribs could all help to act as 'spacers' keeping the body from getting completely squashed. And guts are fairly darn strong.
I know that meat animals can get 'gut taint'. I've shot game and the guts have burst open in the process.... but generally the meat is just fine if it is processed reasonably soon afterward.
Some of the worst gut taint I've tasted has been in snared animals that have layed around dead for a while before I've processed them. This has been particulary true for the Australian Brushtailed Possums I've trapped.... and the taint can be there even if the intestines are still in perfect condition. So nowadays if the possum was dead for a while before being gutted etc, I would not generally save the meat that surrounded the gut....i.e. the belly flaps and undercut steaks etc. And if I did cook it all up (the taint is just a 'taint' after all) I would be sure that I did not serve it to sensitive guests or family members.
However my climate and animal feed etc is probably very different to yours, so what I can get away with here might not work so well for you.
I have no problem with shooting an animal in the evening in summer and leaving it overnight with the guts in before I butcher it (if you cut open the stomach, you are likely to have a zillion flies crawl in and lay eggs). I also have no problem with shooting an animal up on a hillside and cutting it up while it is warm...then stuffing the meat in a plastic bag and carrying it back home on a hot day even though I have been 'warned' against the practice. I've never had a problem. Naturally I try to apply common sense and basic hygiene principles to all food preparation... and I am always sure to cook pork well.
I get the idea that some traditional hunters in England like to hang their game birds and hares for ages - with the guts in - before they eat them. Maybe some people like the taste of gut taint.
While I would try to avoid gut taint if giving meat away or serving meat to guests, I don't think it is anything to fear. It can certainly add some 'gaminess' to a meal though.
I'd be interested to read other thoughts on gut taint.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,484
G'day Coote
Thanks for sharing your experience :thumbup:
After noticing that the first two animals I've caught with a deadfall (both rabbits) had ruptured stomachs, I haven't bothered to use a deadfall since (must be over 20 years ago).
Obviously they still work. However, since there are other ways of trapping game that don't seem to have the same potential to cause leaking of the GI contents, I prefer to use other methods.
As always, everyones milage may vary :thumbup:
Kind regards
Mick
Thanks for sharing your experience :thumbup:
After noticing that the first two animals I've caught with a deadfall (both rabbits) had ruptured stomachs, I haven't bothered to use a deadfall since (must be over 20 years ago).
Obviously they still work. However, since there are other ways of trapping game that don't seem to have the same potential to cause leaking of the GI contents, I prefer to use other methods.
As always, everyones milage may vary :thumbup:
Kind regards
Mick
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 2,373
Bushcraft and primitive skills are not outdated, they are timeless.
Deadfalls, friction fire, cordage, etc are all based on the laws of physics as applied to natural materials. They are among the first simple machines like the lever and the inclined plane and are the basis for modern civilization. These are the things which enabled man to solve his most basic problems and get on with planning a better life. Mac
Deadfalls, friction fire, cordage, etc are all based on the laws of physics as applied to natural materials. They are among the first simple machines like the lever and the inclined plane and are the basis for modern civilization. These are the things which enabled man to solve his most basic problems and get on with planning a better life. Mac