My Trapping Thread

One thing that I did think about earlier,if your going to stick with trapping you really should invest in a few stretchers of different sizes and a fleshing beam.Fur prices haven't been that great for a long time but by throwing a fresh pelt in the freezer,your probably going to lose size and possibly grade,if your going to use the pelt yourself it's not a real big deal but it's still easier to flesh,stretch and dry a fresh pelt over a frozen one.
 
Adding to what grafton said, most modern traps especially for canines have built in offsets in the jaws anywhere from 3/16 to 1/4 inch and/or laminations to increase the surface area of the jaw where it contacts the foot. This has a two fold purpose. 1) In theory it allows more blood flow to the lower part of limb because numbness increases the chance of a chew out 2) On coil over traps it allows the levers to come up higher and lock in place better, which is a non issue on long spring traps(the kind the OP is using).
Also I noticed someone mentioned using 202 and/or 303 conibears over den sites. I assume this was a typo for 220's and 330's. Please, do NOT do this. For one, in most states coni's over 7 inches are not allowed in dry land(220's+). Even if your state allows it they need to be set with extreme caution as they will kill even large dogs dumb enough to stick there head in them. The last thing we as trappers need is more pets killed in front of people, because we did not take proper precautions to guard against people not following leash laws.
As for snares they come in 2 varieties, cable restraints and dispatch style snares. Think of cable restraints like a choke chain for dog collars, they are designed to not come off, but also relax when the animal stops fighting it. Is it that cruel if a dog was tied up overnight? Same idea with a CR. Dispatch snares are made to tighten down and not relax, it's honestly a pretty quick relatively painless way to go especially if there is entanglement allowed. Also most states that I know of require some sort of a break away device and/or deer stop(stops the snare from closing more than like 2.5 inches) to help reduce the risk of injuring non target species like deer/elk.
 
I have the same sportsman 999 .22, it's a fine gun but the one and only time I had it to the range the rear site kept working loose. I had to look for it in the dirt about 3 times, major design flaw for sure and extremely prevalent from what I have read, a real head scratcher.
Did you just loc tite yours?
 
Well, since people are going on discussing the ethic problem about trapping, so will I.

Of course, if you are talking to people actually using traps, they will tell you all is good. I recommend you make up your own mind though and do some research, as trapping animals is quite different from making a fuzz stick. In my opinion, trapping requires a very thorough consideration regarding the question if it is really necessary for you to trap animals. If it is just an outdoor activity, you can do lots of other, less cruel things.

It is interesting for me to see that if you are concerned about breaking the bones of an animal while trapping it in a foothold trap, you lose your concern after grafton admits that it actually happens. It might not be the goal, but it does happen, along with a list of other injuries, as this source suggests as well:

“Leghold traps can cause severe swelling, lacerations, joint dislocations, fractures, damage to teeth and gums, self-mutilation, limb amputation, and even death. The steel-jaw leghold trap has been declared inhumane by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and the National Animal Control Association, and has been banned or severely restricted by more than 80 countries and 8 U.S. states.“
(http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=53&more=1)

So if you are concerned about breaking an animals bones while trapping, and if you hear the concern is reasonable, as all parties agree, why would you still do it? If you look at the picture of the trapped raccoon, his paw seems to show a really ugly self-mutilation, at least I think that is what it is, grafton might correct me here.

SaturatedShadow said:
Trapping41.jpg
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I would not like this sight while arriving at the trap I set up, would you?

The other problem I learn about as I read is the accidental trapping of so called „non target animals“ (wild or domestic). What do you do with these if they are caught and hurt by a trap? If any animal smaller than the target animal is caught in a foothold trap, the chances for injuries rise even more. And then, with all these problems, why would you still want to risk shocked, severely injured or dead animals of all kinds just for a hobby? I must admit that this is hard for me to grasp. If you do this for ten years, how many animals have you shocked, injured or killed, although they weren't your target animals?

To get back to the main thread, I would be interested to know why the people in here place traps. Is it for the fur, for the meat or as a sport/outdoor activity? Are you living far out somewhere in the wild, where you have to trap animals to survive? I have the deepest respect for people like Heimo Korth, who manages to survive in the middle of nowhere. Also by using traps/snares, because hunting alone simply doesn't provide enough food. I think it is just important to remember that, as Thoreau puts it,

“The squirrel that you kill in jest, dies in earnest.”

Best regards,

ll.
 
I'm not sure if the above post was directed at me, but I will respond.
Firstly, trapping is an art that I would like to learn much like photography or leather working are arts that I would like to learn. They take a lot of skill to master.
But that being said, trapping is at a very low priority for me currently. I don't believe that I would trap simply for recreation. But if I had nuisance animals to kill trapping would be an effective way to do it. Say, if I needed to protect my chickens or garden from coyotes or racoons.

I don't see how I lost any concern for animals suffering. I was under the impression that leg hold traps were meant to break the animals legs. It turns out that they are intentionally built NOT to break legs.
An analogy might go something like this. I drive my truck, I don't plan on driving into another truck. But accidents happen. Should I avoid driving because of the potential accident? Or should I use technology to achieve my goal safely/humanely?

As far as traps being "banned or severely restricted" in 80 countries and 8 US states, you do know that there are 50 US states right? And more than 180 countries?

I don't think that any one (especially here) would argue with Henry David Thoreau. Killing is not something to be taken lightly.
 
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Yes, I had no argument against my friend. We both (ignorantly) assumed that the leg hold traps were meant to break legs. Now I know better.
To be fair though, my friend is a bit odd. He keeps chickens but doesn't eat the eggs or chickens. And his wife is a vegetarian. He is also one of the most honestly humane people I know. And one of the biggest lovers of animals that I've met. (aside from roosters) So I don't think that he would be swayed by the fact that leg hold traps weren't designed to break legs.
 
Chris Pierce said:
As far as traps being "banned or severely restricted" in 80 countries and 8 US states, you do know that there are 50 US states right? And more than 180 countries?
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Yes I know. ;) And do you know in how many states and countries it was not "banned or severely restricted" to trap animals 100 years ago? That is what we call a tendency, and there are reasons for it.
 
Yes there are reasons for it. And I think that you and I might disagree on what those reasons might be.
Personally I don't believe that because every else (or a small minority in this case ;) ) thinks something that I also must think it.
 
You are an animals rights activist and there is no way to reason with someone with such an extreme viewpoint. I will not waste my time with it. It is a shame that someone who is just starting out in a great outdoors activity has had his thread spiral into this. If I had a hand in that I apologize to him. It is always good to see the excitement level of someone who is just starting to trap and I appreciate him taking the time to share his enthusiasm.

If you are not comfortable with trapping then simply don't do it. You can follow your own bliss. People trap for a number of reasons, to name a few: tradition, recreation, fur, money, population management, research, damage control, predator control, meat, and to better learn about nature, and they are all good reasons. Happy Trapping!
 
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lightleak said:
To get back to the main thread, I would be interested to know why the people in here place traps. Is it for the fur, for the meat or as a sport/outdoor activity? Are you living far out somewhere in the wild, where you have to trap animals to survive? I have the deepest respect for people like Heimo Korth, who manages to survive in the middle of nowhere. Also by using traps/snares, because hunting alone simply doesn't provide enough food. I think it is just important to remember that, as Thoreau puts it,

“The squirrel that you kill in jest, dies in earnest.”

Best regards,

ll.
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I don't ever expect people that are obviously opposed to trapping to understand it but I'll give you some answers to your questions from my own experience.To begin with most trapping is done on private property and it's done with management of a target animal being the main purpose,the pelts at one time were the payback but because of all the negative publicity by people that know very little to nothing about trapping and fur trade,the price of pelts has been driven to a point where it's done as much for sport as anything but remember management is the reason.I trapped for about 18years,from the time I was 12 until I was around 30 and duties of life took up too much time for me to give trapping the time that it takes to do it right.I trapped on 250acres of our own farmland and a little on a couple of close neighbors properties,I mainly trapped muskrat,raccoon and fox,coyotes at that time weren't the problem that they are turning into now,in those 18 years,I NEVER caught an animal that wasn't a target animal unless you count the skunk and possums,in spite of the fact that there were hunters that hunted some of the same land,which we owned and were after the same fox and raccoons as I was.I never even caught a feral cat even though the area was a prime dumping spot for unwanted cats by city people that got tired of taking care of them and decided to take them out to somebodies farm and let them loose,so this nonsense about catching animals that aren't target animals is that just nonsense,don't get me wrong,I know it happens but not with anywhere near the frequency that opponents of trapping will lead you to believe.
 
grafton said:
You are an animals rights activist and there is no way to reason with someone with such an extreme viewpoint. I will not waste my time with it. It is a shame that someone who is just starting out in a great outdoors activity has had his thread spiral into this.
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I am not an animal rights activist. I eat meat from factory farming because I cannot afford free range food all the time. I have nothing against hunting, in fact some of my friends do hunt. In winter, I also wear a huge real fur coat, hah. Well, the good thing about a forum is that people have different opinions and attitudes. It's about learning and discussion. Without different points of view, there is no discussion. Whether it is your or my point of view that is extreme would be debatable.

beau5278 said:
I don't ever expect people that are obviously opposed to trapping to understand it but I'll give you some answers to your questions from my own experience.To begin with most trapping is done on private property and it's done with management of a target animal being the main purpose,the pelts at one time were the payback but because of all the negative publicity by people that know very little to nothing about trapping and fur trade,the price of pelts has been driven to a point where it's done as much for sport as anything but remember management is the reason.I trapped for about 18years,from the time I was 12 until I was around 30 and duties of life took up too much time for me to give trapping the time that it takes to do it right.I trapped on 250acres of our own farmland and a little on a couple of close neighbors properties,I mainly trapped muskrat,raccoon and fox,coyotes at that time weren't the problem that they are turning into now,in those 18 years,I NEVER caught an animal that wasn't a target animal unless you count the skunk and possums,in spite of the fact that there were hunters that hunted some of the same land,which we owned and were after the same fox and raccoons as I was.I never even caught a feral cat even though the area was a prime dumping spot for unwanted cats by city people that got tired of taking care of them and decided to take them out to somebodies farm and let them loose,so this nonsense about catching animals that aren't target animals is that just nonsense,don't get me wrong,I know it happens but not with anywhere near the frequency that opponents of trapping will lead you to believe.
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That was interesting to read, thanks for the input!
 
Would you feel bad if it was a rat in the trap? It's like banning guns based on their appearance, makes no sense in a logical and rational discussion.
 
Liam Ryan said:
Would you feel bad if it was a rat in the trap? It's like banning guns based on their appearance, makes no sense in a logical and rational discussion.
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Well to be honest I'm not keen on wounding animals and leaving them for a while. The typical rat trap is a kill trap. Which is ethical. So it's a poor comparison in my opinion.

I think the problem is that a lot of folks now a days don't think that people can be trusted. If you can't trust some one to do something correctly why allow them to do it?
To expound on your gun ban analogy. It's more like that magazine capacity ban, why do honest people "need" more than 10 rounds or 7 rounds or 2 for that matter? The obvious answer (using that "logic") is that they don't. Then by following the same logic these people don't "need" guns at all. And people who think they do cannot be trusted. So if they cannot be trusted they should have guns. It's an epidemic in our new progressive global culture.
 
If you hunt long enough, you will witness a bad shot that was not what you wanted. If you trap long enough, you will witness an injury that was not what you wanted. All you can do is your best. If you can't live with that, don't do either one.
 
I'll add to that. If you drive long enough you'll witness a crash. If you walk long enough you'll witness a fall.
The problem comes when folks think that they can tell us what we can or cannot do.
 
Chris Pierce said:
I'll add to that. If you drive long enough you'll witness a crash. If you walk long enough you'll witness a fall.
The problem comes when folks think that they can tell us what we can or cannot do.
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I think the problem comes when folks stop thinking about wether what they do is ethical. Maybe it's just me but I also think there is a fine line between walking and catching an animal in a trap to eat its own paw, just as a nice outdoor activity.
 
Important to note that the raccoon was caught in a coyote set. looks like a #3 double longspring. Larger traps have more space between the closed jaws and the base/pan. This space allows the raccoon to get to the numb area of its foot below the jaws. This area of the foot, once numb is basically a part of the trap as far as the coon is concerned. Raccoons are the only animals that will chew like this, it is uniqe to the species. There are ways to virtually eliminate this chewing by using a dogproof trap that encloses the entire foot or by using smaller traps like the #11 double longspring or #11 double jaw. These are great coon traps, however they are not coyote traps. You will have occasional foot damage to coons caught in larger coyote traps. If raccoons are in the same area that you are trapping coyotes you will encounter this chewing from time to time and raccoons will be attracted to lured or baited canine sets. Some people seem to have the impression that every trapped animal will be chewing its feet and that is not correct.

Trapping truly is a nice outdoor activity. Perhaps the nicest one I can think of. There is no better way to learn about animals than to try and catch them.
 
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