Ethan's January Challenge

[kg4ghn]

I accept the challenge. #36

 

[PropThePolecat]

I accept the challenge. Beckerhead 30.

EDIT: Entry withdrawn. Too much work.

 

[Guyon]

I accept the challenge. Beckerhead #9.

 

[Md 25v]

I Accept The Challenge!!! BH#39

Before I post about the fig-4 I want to update on a thread I did earlier. I showed how to make cordage from yucca leaves in this thread.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=808663
I said I would use the cordage for the Paiute trap in the Jan challenge. I got some more leaves and kept at it. Now I have over 8 feet of cordage. I don't know the strength but it can hold up a 20lb free weight. I'm gonna keep making more until I have enough to use this cordage for both the Paiute and for the L7 snare.



TRAP 1- Fig4 Deadfall

On to the Fig4:
I have decided to only use the Eskabar for this challenge. I wear it as a neck knife and no matter what happens to my gear I will have my Esky.

I will use a different wood for each trap. I choose sugar maple for the fig4 because it was available behind my house. I battoned the branch apart and then in several places to length. Esky handled battoning just fine.

Then I brought it inside to get started. I batoned out the sections that I needed and started stripping the bark off the trap parts. I also had a couple knots to baton off.

With the upright finished I laid the bait stick across to determine the length I would cut it off.

I like to make serrations in the end if the bait stick when I am using a meat product for bait. As the meat dries it hardens (think jerky) and the serrations grip the bait. Squirrels will always go after meat products! I the spring, birds eggs are by far the best bait, but they require a different trigger. The second pic shows the notch on the bait stick that catches on the upright.

Slap on the angled stick and this one is finished.

TRAP #2 Paiute Deadfall


Raw materials

Strip bark from necessary parts. Batton lengths for trap parts.

Make the Cordage.

Attach cordage to trap

Set and tune trap

For those not familiar with this trap, here is a top view of how the trigger is set.

TRAP #3 L7 SNARE

Baton wood to length then split to get a flat spot.

Next, shape the top (trigger) section with a hook on one end and a groove for the cordage on the other.

Pick a good strong branch for the anchor and baton the length you need, strip the bark, and cut the notch that will mate up with the hook end of the trigger.

BIG STEP I made ten feet of yucca leaf fiber cordage. I don't even want to think about how many splices it has! The first pic shows how I made a sliding loop in the natural cordage to act as the snare.

I have had nearly a week of freezing rain and snow and have not been able to set my traps. I'm frustrated because this is a common exercise and I KNOW I can get a squirrel or two at the minimum. I will do my best to set them when the weather settles but it's just not possible right now. I wish it would get colder so that it would just be snow. That would be ideal for trapping.


CHALLENGE COMPLETE!!!

 

[NixKustoms]

I have never made any traps so this certainly will be a challenge. I'll see what I can do.

I accept the challenge BH#51

 

[DerekH]

Any way we could get a better detail of the last two? Maybe a bigger pic or a link to where one is shown?

 

[Moosez45]

Any way we could get a better detail of the last two? Maybe a bigger pic or a link to where one is shown?

I will be doing some tutorials this weekend, and MD25v has posted some pics of the Piaute, and the L7 is a name that was given to them, but not the actual name of the trigger, me thinks. I'll see what I can find.

Moose

 

[Md 25v]

Any way we could get a better detail of the last two? Maybe a bigger pic or a link to where one is shown?

Here you go

Fig-4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrismolloy/5270320294/

Paiute
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrismolloy/5270410190/

L7 snare
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrismolloy/5318144909/

 

[Md 25v]

Some tips for anyone that is gonna try to actually take game.
There is a lot more to making the trap work on a real animal than getting the notches right. This video shout be helpful to beginners. It is relevant to the Paiute as well, even though the Fig 4 is used for the demo. Good luck!

[youtube]83kczk2Jjtc[/youtube]


EXTRA CREDIT My full post is above but I didn't want to mix this in with the actual entry post.
I made these as demo traps to help with future challenges and stuff like that. Used the Esky for all parts requiring a knife.
The Esky is shown in the third vid. The two deadfalls are in part one and the L7 is in part three.

[youtube]OJAjxeO6wvw[/youtube]
[youtube]i9KiIjNlJhU[/youtube]
[youtube]KJokXgalnkA[/youtube]

 

[FAL'ER]

"I Accept the challenge" #22
FIGURE 4 DEADFALL
I've never done these before, This is the fig. 4 made from tree's in my back yard, Cherry and pacific dogwood.
I watched a Ron Hood you tube video and went for it, these are pictures from my first attempt.



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I went out to the woods and practiced last friday night and built another set of sticks. The knowledge and experience I gained there was brought home and used to alter my existing sticks, and I did it.

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Paiute deadfall
Watched a couple more you tube videos until I had an idea of how it was supposed to work. Wood is apple tree.


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That bic pen there, that is what i sprung the trap with. just kinda tossed it on the bait stick.


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I was real happy with how this came out, worked for me on the first try. this was way easier than the figure four because of there being less cuts involved, geometry is not my strength.

L7
Here's some pics of the first attemp out in the boondocks, right before I got bit.



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2nd attempt


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The trap has been sprung, I'd need to tinker with the sensitivity of it, but a pretty sweet snare.


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Overall I'd say I spent about 8 hours ish learning and executing these. I'm a fairly slow learner but you tube was a big help. Hope you like them, they've got blood, sweat and tears into them, well no tears but you get it.
And I'd like to thank Ethan for the opportunity. This is a pretty cool deal. Skills I wanted to learn anyway with the opportunity for prizes, pretty cool.

Promontory peg,or "THE Peg" extra credit
One of the Beckerheads is making his own cordage so I figured I'd better put out if'n I wanna win. The upright and bait stick are the same. supossed to be cut with a stone knife so I used the serrations on the BK3



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This is the You tube video I watched to learn this. I'm runnin out of time here so maybe you'll track it down and watch it.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/31_g_EQNXuM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Joezilla]

I like these over figure 4s. Once you get good with balance (which I'm not), they are still MUCH faster.

 

[Md 25v]

Joe, are you referring to the Paiute triggers?

 

[Joezilla]

Yes sir- I use my foot to hold them up, sometimes, while setting them.

Not to get off topic MD, but did you see this article a while back in TK, regarding Beckers and snake hunting? The online version doesn't have any snake hunting action pics that I took
http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/snake-charmers/

 

[Md 25v]

Cool article! I totally agree with you on the paiutes. I find them so much easier to tune and faster to set. In fact, aside from Riley's fig4 challenge, all the deadfalls I've posted actually taking game have been paiute triggers.

 

[Moosez45]

Yes sir- I use my foot to hold them up, sometimes, while setting them.

Not to get off topic MD, but did you see this article a while back in TK, regarding Beckers and snake hunting? The online version doesn't have any snake hunting action pics that I took
http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/snake-charmers/

Thanks for that post Joe, good read.

How ya's been?, I have been so busy, I been meaning to call and check up on ya. Gimme a shout sometime.

Moose

 

[NixKustoms]

So here are my entry traps. I hope you can see everything fairly well.

[YOUTUBE]oeL27d38h_w[/YOUTUBE]

I had a great shot for the L7 trap but with new camera comes new editing software, and new learning how to use it; I accidently deleted what I originally had. So this is what I did for the L7.

[YOUTUBE]bV7moZYmqGQ[/YOUTUBE]

Hope you guys like it and I also hope I did things right. This was the first time I made any traps, and I also made everything with the BK13.

 

[Moosez45]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

Moose

 

[Md 25v]

MWTIC- Great job!!! if this is your first attempt at trap making then your well ahead of the curve:thumbup:

 

[NixKustoms]

Thanks guys!

 

[Md 25v]

Hey Moose, when does this contest end, the 31st?


Everyone else- we need some more entries! Lets all do our part to make Ethan's challenges a success!