figure 4 deadfall - who used it actually?

M

ml100

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Jul 19, 2005
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I wonder if anyone here on the forums, ever used successfully a figure 4 deadfall. Does it really work? I would assume, that most animals are fast enough to escape. Am I wrong?
 
ml100 said:
I wonder if anyone here on the forums, ever used successfully a figure 4 deadfall. Does it really work? I would assume, that most animals are fast enough to escape. Am I wrong?
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How can there be any doubt?????


fig4-1.jpg


fig4-2.jpg


Doc
 
ml100 said:
I wonder if anyone here on the forums, ever used successfully a figure 4 deadfall. Does it really work? I would assume, that most animals are fast enough to escape. Am I wrong?
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Doesn't it kind of depend on more than just the trigger mechanism? I mean, it's one thing if you are trying to plop a narrow but heavy log on something that can escape any direction and quite another to drop a wide heavy log (or rock or whatever) on something inside a funnel you've created.

Are you trying to evaluate the figure four against other similar trigger mechanisms, or are you wondering about deadfalls in general?
 
Personally ive never used one, as its illegal in my area. But i cant see why it shouldnt work on small rodents and the like. I remember seeing Les Stroud using a Paiute deadfall trap to catch a chipmunk on Survivorman. He ate it all and had the bones for breakfast :D
 
G'day ml

ml100 said:
I wonder if anyone here on the forums, ever used successfully a figure 4 deadfall. Does it really work?
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I have taken 2 animals with a fig 4 and stopped using them a long time ago.

They will work, as long as you position the animal correctly & restrict its movements (as has already been mentioned).

I stopped using them when both animals showed signs of rupturing of internal organs :eek:




Kind regards
Mick
 
Its weird how there always seems to be a thread on W&SS for things that cross my mind on a given day. The past three days I've been really wanting to make some figure 4 traps, and boom - here's a thread.

Anyway, I'm sure that when it comes to traps - especially primitive ones; its a numbers game. More traps = more chance of actually getting something.

I haven't made a real one because if I actually killed something with it, I would feel obligated to eat it out of respect. And damnit - I just can't get myself to eat a rat or a field mouse the size of my thumb. When I have a perfectly stocked fridge right here.

If I was in the deep woods, and completely committed to eating whatever I happened to get - I would consider it, but probably not. As for the backyard, I'd rather just practice making them and testing the trigger with a stick, then actually leaving it up over-night.

Also, I don't think that its a very humane way to dispatch an animal - hence I would personally never resort to them unless I was in a "survival" situation. But I'll probably get flamed for saying that. And also - I'm a hypocrite. Because I really want to bow hunt(traditionally, no less) and you could argue that and arrow would be a shitty way to die too =P
 
midnite-penguin said:
Also, I don't think that its a very humane way to dispatch an animal - hence I would personally never resort to them unless I was in a "survival" situation. But I'll probably get flamed for saying that. And also - I'm a hypocrite. Because I really want to bow hunt(traditionally, no less) and you could argue that and arrow would be a shitty way to die too =P
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that's the point, I would not test it on real animals unless I really needed to.
On the other hand, if you do not test it, how would you know it works?
This is why I was asking if anyone had experience with it.
 
ml100 said:
that's the point, I would not test it on real animals unless I really needed to.
On the other hand, if you do not test it, how would you know it works?
This is why I was asking if anyone had experience with it.
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Because I've seen it work on TV?:p

It's a valid question, without a doubt. I guess I'm just trusting the books I've read(SAS/98.6/Northern Bushcraft), and youtube clips I've seen until I actually successfully kill an animal with one.

HOWEVER, I think a more valid question than "How do you know it works if you don't test it. Is "How do you know that you can make an effective one if you don't test it" And I think that question can pretty much be answered by building a few and testing them with a stick.

Another option I suppose would be to make one with "less than lethal" weight:D. (I.E. A heavy crate of some kind). And see if you can catch something with it, like a rabbit in your yard, or the neighbors cat:thumbup:. Just make sure you monitor it.
 
I have used them numerous times.. and adapt a 5-1 one rule..a wieght 5x the wwight of the target animal needs to be used.. also you need to set 5 traps if you want any chance of catching one animal.. I have used them primarily on squirrels.. sometimes the traps are triggerd and there is nothing there.. Sometimes the work but, but mostly they are undisturbed.. there are numerous tricks you can use to ensure the effectiveness of your deadfalls.. but I have used them they do work..10 million aborrigninals can;t be wrong..

although I love primitive trapping I'll go out on a limb and say with knowledge of how to maximize it;s potential the fig. 4 is the only survival trap you really need to know.
 
RescueRiley said:
I have used them numerous times.. and adapt a 5-1 one rule..a wieght 5x the wwight of the target animal needs to be used.. also you need to set 5 traps if you want any chance of catching one animal.. I have used them primarily on squirrels.. sometimes the traps are triggerd and there is nothing there.. Sometimes the work but, but mostly they are undisturbed.. there are numerous tricks you can use to ensure the effectiveness of your deadfalls.. but I have used them they do work..10 million aborrigninals can;t be wrong..

although I love primitive trapping I'll go out on a limb and say with knowledge of how to maximize it;s potential the fig. 4 is the only survival trap you really need to know.
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Thanks for the 5 - 1 rule, my son and I have often discussed the weight that should be used. We have built many as practice but never used one to catch an animal.
 
RescueRiley said:
I have used them numerous times.. and adapt a 5-1 one rule..a wieght 5x the wwight of the target animal needs to be used.. also you need to set 5 traps if you want any chance of catching one animal.. I have used them primarily on squirrels.. sometimes the traps are triggerd and there is nothing there.. Sometimes the work but, but mostly they are undisturbed.. there are numerous tricks you can use to ensure the effectiveness of your deadfalls.. but I have used them they do work..10 million aborrigninals can;t be wrong..

although I love primitive trapping I'll go out on a limb and say with knowledge of how to maximize it;s potential the fig. 4 is the only survival trap you really need to know.
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Good info thanks a loz.
I'll keep you informed about the neighbor's cat
 
Bowguy ( on BCUSA) had a thread about getting a squirrel or rat on his back porch with a figure 4 that used a cement ( cap ) block as a weight. I don't remember how but the rodent was making a nuissance and had to go so he set a trap and ( I think ) it worked on the second day.

David
 
Yellow Lab said:
I like the title of the book that was used as the weight, but the best is the expression on the stuffed varmit....:D
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Pierre is a professional trapee. He has more lives than a herd of cats. Luckily for him, he isn't very edible. ;)
 
Ok, just had an one hour break, so I went out and did my first figure 4.
Hasn't been so difficult, and worked nicely (triggered with a stick)
However, triggering took more force than desired.
So, guess I have to work on this.

The cat is mine:D
 
Damn, you get surprised every day. Didn't expect an animal care ethics response from Mick :D :D


SouthernCross said:
G'day ml


I have taken 2 animals with a fig 4 and stopped using them a long time ago.

They will work, as long as you position the animal correctly & restrict its movements (as has already been mentioned).

I stopped using them when both animals showed signs of rupturing of internal organs :eek:




Kind regards
Mick
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I think Mick was more concerned with the spoiling of the meat after coming in to contact with organ contents than the feelings of the animal..or maybe it was a bit of both.... LOL

ALso by using stake sriven in to the ground you can arrange them in such a way so that only the animaks upper body enters the trap..this along with other measure.. ensures a quick humane kill, as well as keeps the meat tainting fromorgan rupture to a minimum
 
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