Snares according to Coote

[coote]

Good one!! It was good that you didn't lose blood.

I evidently had an ancestor or two that had their own ways of dealing with intruder cats. I have two brief family legends, but it may have been the same ancestor involved in both cases.

One incident occurred when an unwanted cat was discovered indoors. The man of the house pursued it closely, slashing at it with a sword and cutting the hallway carpet as a result. I think the cat got away.

The next incident also involved a chase through the house, but this time the cat was taken out with load of shotgun pellets as it cleared the window frame.

It is likely that some of my feelings towards cats are genetic.

 

[moon59]

I've done a lot of trapping and you can sure tell the difference between catching a pet and catching a feral cat.IMHO I don't think there's an animal out there that goes as nuts as a feral cat caught in a trap.MEAN CRITTER!!!

 

[coote]

What sort of stuff do you try to trap moon59? What traps do you use?

I agree, a trapped feral cat can really put on a performance.

 

[runningboar]

Hey all you trappers lets get more pics up, I have two live traps set now and have been doing OK. I will start taking pics with my next catch and keep it up when the season comes in. I really enjoy seeing the pics of sets and catches. Chris

 

[coote]

I'm keen to keep the trapping discussion going. Pics are good, but I am also interested to learn what the harvested animals are used for...and which ones are considered good eating.

Here is a picture of a snared possum telling me to go away:

These possums can be very nice to eat.

 

[runningboar]

I will be right here with you keeping it going, your possums look like ewocs (SP), ours aren't nearly as cute, or good to eat. Here is a crappy pic of one my dog treed. I will get a better pic soon. Chris

 

[coote]

Here's a picture which I posted on another thread some time back. The original picture is probably unavailable now because the host site has been shut down. This is the snared and speared pig that I have talked about earlier. I recall Mac asking me about my Missus' reaction to the soiled jacket. She is pretty used to this type of thing, and I am generally the one that does laundry duties anyway.

And here's a picture of a baby Ewoc in a threatening pose. I let this little bloke go on his way unharmed:

 

[DOC-CANADA]

I've done no trapping except for snaring a couple of times. However, I am really interested in different kinds of triggers, at least, triggers that can be made from natural materials. How about posting pictures of your favourites - I've been experimenting with the Arapuca bird trap that Pict posted earlier and I really like it. In fact, I'm planning on setting it up on my balcony tomorrow - tons of birds around here - the neighbour feeds them and I provide a vehicle for them to crap on. Any I catch, I'll let go though - just want to test the efficacy of the trap, at least the way I'm setting it up.

My favourite lifting type trigger is the nail trap. I have a modification that IMHO makes it work better:

Original

Modified

What the modification does is it prevents the loop going to the snare, from falling down the loop making it harder to trip.

Doc

 

[pict]

Coote,

We never ate anything we trapped for fur, possums, raccons, and red fox mostly. We would get the occasional weasel but they were rare.

I did know one trapper that would sell his possum carcasses to a certain ethnic community in town and made more from the meat than he did from the pelts. However selling game meat is against the law in PA. We never did it and we always had enough other traditional game meat; ducks, geese, geese, geese, dove, pheasant, rabbits, squirrel, and deer for the family's needs.

We had a killer goose blind and about 200 decoys if everyone showed up. Did I mention we ate alot of Canadian geese?

We also made three or four Atlantic deep sea trips a year and had a freezer full of bluefish, bonita, and mackrel to get tired of. They would hold us until freshwater fish were back in season and then it was trout, bass, bluegills, crappies, perch, catfish, and the occasional pike. None of that ninny catch and release stuff for my dad. He was an old man before we taught him that they continue to grow and can be caught again next week if you don't fry them this week. Mac

 

[coote]

I've used Canadian Goose feathers for my arrows, and they seem to work fine. It's a pity you didn't save some for me Mac...although our border patrol people would probably lock me up if I tried to import feathers. Did you ever eat any of those geese?

Doc... Up until now I haven't come across that nail trigger of yours, and it looks like it is well worth trying. The two anchor loops could be tied to anything like a root or the base of a tree...so you don't necessarily need to have any fancy whittled pegs for an anchor. And I can see that your variation is a good idea. A smooth, strong stick could be used instead of a nail I guess.

Below is a picture of a simple foot trigger. The snare can be laid horizontally as shown to catch big animals by the leg, or you could have a vertical snare either side of the trigger to catch the animal around the body. I have tried to catch big game in this, but so far have only caught two dogs. But I know that it should work. Danged small animals (possums) set these things off without getting caught when the noose is laid on the ground. Must give them a heck of a fright though. I came up with this idea when trying to simplify a spring up trigger. But I would be very surprised if other folks hadn't come up with the same idea years before me.

 

[moon59]

Coote,I go after muskrat,beaver,mink,red and gray fox,coon and coyote.I've eaten muskrat but the meat is real dark and I did'nt care for it much.Beaver and coon is very tasty.I sell all the muskrats and most of the coon I catch to a fur buyer.The rest of the furs are sent to a tannery,when I set up at shows the furs are tanned and ready to hang on your wall.I can get more out of them that way than I can selling them to my fur buyer.The traps I use ,#11's for coon and mink also 110 conibears.330 coni for beaver.For fox and coyote I use #2 coil springs with rubber padded jaws so there is no damage to the foot if I do catch a dog or cat.I also use some snares for coyote and beaver. Take care,Moon59

 

[moon59]

I need to prof read before I post,the 110 conibears are for muskrats and mink not coon. Later

 

[coote]

Those steel traps certainly do a reliable job. Leg-holds are common in my area, but I have only heard of the Conibears and other exotic types on the 'net. One trap I really like the sound of is a leg snare trap that gets used for bears (is it a Belisle perhaps?). I reckon that it would be good for pigs down here.

 

[coote]

Spring up snares with vertical nooses are a good option for bait-loving animals that might not be easy to catch in a simple snare. I would use more of them except for the fact that they take so long to set.

I have precut my anchor pegs and bait sticks in the past, and this certainly speeds things up... but it is still time-consuming to set up the barrier that ensures that the animal reaches the bait through the snare.

I could make a spring up trap that is surrounded by four nooses...and this would do away with the necessity to build the 'bait cubby'. But four nooses adds unnecessary complication.

I even carried some rectangles of wire netting with me once to make spring-ups, but they were a pain with the cut edges tangling with each other and snagging in my backpack and clothing. I've thought about getting plastic netting, or maybe sheets of plastic.

Another option might be to devise a way of using a tapered food container or flower pot that the holds the bait with only one entrance. These would stack inside each other and be relatively compact to carry. However I would then need to come up with a trigger that fitted inside the container, and I would probably need to anchor the container. I am sure that a four inch diameter entrance is all that is needed for a determined possum's head.

A bait cubby can be made with rocks and sticks, but a good supply of these is not always available. And I do not feel that I should be cutting young saplings to make the cubby. It would be different if it were my own property that I was trapping on. I feel quite happy to cut some pest species while making traps, but these only occur in some locations...and sometimes they seem just too prickly to deal with.

Any thoughts on making a quickie spring up for small animals?

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Spring up snares with vertical nooses are a good option for bait-loving animals that might not be easy to catch in a simple snare. I would use more of them except for the fact that they take so long to set.

Another option might be to devise a way of using a tapered food container or flower pot that the holds the bait with only one entrance. These would stack inside each other and be relatively compact to carry. However I would then need to come up with a trigger that fitted inside the container, and I would probably need to anchor the container. I am sure that a four inch diameter entrance is all that is needed for a determined possum's head.

Any thoughts on making a quickie spring up for small animals?

Hey coote,

Just a thought - what do you think?

This would make use of nesting containers. You'd have to make holes to drive the rods through into the ground, (also for the trigger cord to go out the back of the pail). They wouldn't have to be that heavy duty since the pail, flower pot, what ever, is acting as a cubby. The trigger mechanism is the aforementioned nail trap and yes, a wooden pin is used in place of a nail. The snare loop could be secured in any number of ways.

Try the trigger mechanism - it trips so easily.

 

[coote]

I think that you are on to something Doc. The Missus is just headed out the door so I might quickly round up an old flower pot and head out into possum country. If I tie a toggle to the trigger string inside the pot so it cant pull through, then I figure I don't need to anchor the pot. If the possum sticks his head inside and happens to move the pot backwards, or more likely sideways, whoosh goes the noose.

If I don't do it tonight, then I may get a chance tomorrow. I will be sure to try to get back to you asap with the results. I will have to invite you up for a possum dinner one night.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

If I tie a toggle to the trigger string inside the pot so it cant pull through, then I figure I don't need to anchor the pot. If the possum sticks his head inside and happens to move the pot backwards, or more likely sideways, whoosh goes the noose.

The reason I think you might need the stakes is if the critter smells the bait inside and paws the flower pot, say to turn it around, before he sticks his head in, there goes the trigger. And if you don't want to carry stakes, a couple of wooden ones on each side of the flower pot should suffice. Wouldn't have to be too fancy. Or maybe even a log or two laid on top of it.

I will have to invite you up for a possum dinner one night.

Sounds great, but a heck of a long way to go for a meal

Doc

 

[coote]

I think you are right about anchoring the pot. A couple of big rocks would do the trick.

I raced up the hill and managed to set two Doc-O-Matic traps before I had to race back down to go to a concert with the good lady.

I used wire-reinforced cord for the noose itself. This is just a bit of cord with some fine copper wire wrapped around it for stiffness. It holds its shape well.

Because my pots were so low to the ground, I felt I had to keep my anchor loops short... and that is a mistake with just one anchor point because they want to pull together..even with the spring-up cord hard down one end. To stop the anchor cord at the trigger end from sliding up the "nail", I whittled a taper on the end of the nail (stick). That did the trick, although I felt that it was harder to pull the trigger loop off than I would have liked. But it was all done in a heck of a rush. Next time I will think it through some more.

For my bait holder inside the pot, I split a small stiff stick and jammed my paste bait mixture into the split. This stick was tied securely to the trip line. The split stick ensures that the animal has to really struggle with it if he wants to get every last bit of bait out. (I first did this trick with the bait stick of the figure four trap I used for mice and found it to be quite effective).

My flowerpots had holes around the perimeter of the base rather than a hole through the middle. So I just used the "top' hole for the trip cord when when the pot was lying on its side.

I laid some rocks and sticks around the set as best I could to support the pot and discourage the possums from interfering with the back of the device. I also slightly tilted the pots upward in the hope that they looked inviting. I lay a big lump of bait just inside the pot, and spread a bit of lure on nearby trees.

With the tilt on the pot, and the short trip line, it is conceivable that if a possum puts a paw through the noose and stands on the pot, the trap will fire. So I hope his head goes through with the paw, although with the set-up I used tonight it is possible that the animal could be held by a paw.

It is very likely that the possum will poke at the pot before putting his head in. But he may not. In fact the possums may be elsewhere tonight. I will be checking them in about nine hours time.... but I may not be able to file my report until a bit later.

I now have to work on a way to make sure that the noose stays aligned over the opening of the pot. Blue Tack maybe?

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Because my pots were so low to the ground, I felt I had to keep my anchor loops short... and that is a mistake with just one anchor point because they want to pull together..even with the spring-up cord hard down one end. To stop the anchor cord at the trigger end from sliding up the "nail", I whittled a taper on the end of the nail (stick). That did the trick, although I felt that it was harder to pull the trigger loop off than I would have liked. But it was all done in a heck of a rush.

I'm not following this. I don't understand, the anchor cord sliding up the "nail" or the need to taper the "nail".

Just to simplify things, I've labelled the diagram.

Length 'A' should be shorter than length 'B', this keeps loop 1 up tight against loop 3, providing the leverage at loop 2 so that the trigger trips easily. That is to say, that when set, loop 3 is higher than loop 2.

Doc

 

[coote]

Ahhh... at last the Missus has got off the computer and gone to the dentist.

I checked the Doc-O-Matic traps this morning. They had been sprung, but nothing was caught. Bait was missing from both sets, so I guess an animal of some sort had paid a visit. I hadn't anchored the pots very well, and I think I may have set the trigger a bit lightly. Also, the pots aren't all that deep, so if there was a bit of slack in the trigger mechanism the possum may have had pulled the bait too far out of the pot when the thing finally fired. It would have made it jump though. So while I caught nothing and it cost me a few hours of walking and trap construction, I now know more than I did yesterday. Besides, I had been sitting at the computer for far too long and a man needs to balance his life with a bit of activity.

I intend going to a handy spot tonight to set some more traps, wiser from my own experience and Doc's latest post. I had it fixed in my mind that the trigger stick (or nail as I had called it earlier) had to sit parallel to the ground so that the lifting loop (loop 1) could be moved backwards and forwards to adjust the leverage. But what Doc has made plain now is that the trigger stick doesn't have to be parallel with the ground. It is best if it slopes downwards toward loop 2. Because I had it parallel (even though I had the lifting loop hard down at one end) the lifting loop (loop 1) was exerting enough pressure upwards to make the two anchor loops (loops 2 & 3) want to come together. I had made loops 2 & 3 shorter than is optimal to get everything low enough to line up with the flowerpot bait cubby, and this meant that the angles of these loops was too great. Longer anchor loops would have angles that weren't so badly affected in this way. And besides, I think that if I keep loop 2 shorter than loop 3, then the problem is pretty much solved.

While I've been waiting for the computer I have pre-made some components for the next trapping trial... anchor pegs, loops, and bait pegs. The bait pegs are sturdy little bits of barberry branch, bound at one end and split for about 3/4 of their length. I have jammed a pumpkin seed in each split to hold it open so it will hold plenty of my paste bait mix.

I have dipped the tripwire end of the trigger stick into hot wax to provide some lubrication. Possibly not necessary now that I will have a short #2 loop, but it wont hurt.

I have decided to support the snares outside the pot with traditional split sticks (or 'Tealers' as the Brits call them). So I've cut some of them as well.

Spring-up traps take longer to set than my usual plain snares...especially if I am working in a pine plantation where there are no saplings growing naturally to act as lifting poles. But for some reason I come across times or places where the danged possums go over, around or through the plain snares. So a baited spring up trap can be used to catch these tricky ones.

Thanks Doc. Watch this space.