Trap triggers

tholiver said:
Really? No trapping? I guess we are luckier here out east.
http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/hnttrapfish/trapping.htm

Hmmm Pierre gets caught again doc! But hes still your favorite P.E.T. right?
lol!

(Canadian in-joke)
Click to expand...

Hey th.

P.E.T. - good one, th. Here in Ontario, unless you're a licensed trapper, the only trapping you can do is with 22 and 24 (or is it 20 and 22) gauge wire and only for Snowshoe rabbits. You can't even use spring poles.

I once contacted the Ministry for an exemption for a primitive skills gathering we were doing and we wanted to use spring poles and natural cordage snares. He said it was possible, but we had to supply the list of everybody going to the gathering and that everybody there, whether involved with the snares or not, had to have valid hunting licences.

Tony, thanks for posting that.

Doc
 
Saving this for later, I'm supposed to be in bed already (class at 9 tomorrow :eek:). Good stuff so far, J. :thumbup:
 
traparapucawx4.jpg


The Arapuca is a very simple trap and trigger set-up that can be made without tools. The guy who taught me how to make this trap just used a sharp rock off the ground to grind the support notch in the "Y" shaped trigger piece.

Building and Setting the Arapuca Live Bird Trap

Mac
 
Thanks for posting that, Mac. Ever since I saw it here (courtesy of you) it has been one of my favourite triggers. Soon after I saw it, I set it up on my apartment balcony and caught some little unsuspecting bird - released unharmed of course.

My buddy, Phil, set it up in his back yard and caught a squirrel. He used a milk crate for the cage and the squirrel escaped through the hand hold, but he wasn't trying to keep it anyway, rather he wanted to try out the trigger.

Initially, before trying it out, it looked like it would be difficult to set, but that proved not to be the case. And the fact that you can quickly make it out of readily available resources, makes it a winner. I've been meaning to make a cage, using the same method, out of dried Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris) stalks. When I do, I'll post a picture.

Doc
 
great stuff guys...:thumbup:

here's a few...

bravo-1.
IMG_2730.jpg


IMG_2706.jpg


i think mr.pink already posted this one... figure 4 with a little help from an IZULA and NWA knife..
IMG_2831.jpg




and my 5 y.o. primitive boy CYPRESS, making some traps with dad...:D
IMG_2721.jpg


IMG_2711.jpg


this boy loves sticks..
IMG_2722.jpg
 
Mac,

Great YouTube video on the Arapuca. I've seen this one and made this one many times in SA, but your video is a great instruction piece.
 
R.A.T. said:
Good stuff. The split ring trigger is something I have used a lot. I have another way of doing it though and it makes it an easier trigger to release instead of putting all the engine tension on your release needle. When I get a chance I'll set one up and post a pic.
Click to expand...

Back to the top.

Doc
 
I guess yall think all I have to do is go out in the woods and take pictures. :D

It's actually real simple DOC. Run your small split ring all the way through your large split ring and double it back until it touches it's own cord (the cord holding the small split ring). At this stage any simple trigger will work to keep the small split ring in place and you can put a lot of load your cordage and the pressure it takes to release your trigger remains pretty much constant, unlike the split ring trigger shown above. This is similar to the system used on reserve parachute releases on some sport chutes. Try it, you will be able to easily pinch the ring together with your fingers and hold a lot of weight. While the simple split ring trigger shown above works great for most things the physics dictate that the more pressure you have on your trigger from spring poles, weights or other engines, the harder the needle is to release from the trigger. By doubling the split ring back, most of the engine is being held at the junction of the cordage and split ring instead of by the needle (trigger). Trigger can be a simple U shaped piece of metal or wood that holds the split ring to its own cord, or a broken-stick trigger, etc. the ways of setting this up are endless and it will support a lot of weight depending on the cordage used. Shit, I could have probably gone outside and set this up, took a photo, opened the photo in Photoshop and cropped it for the web, downloaded the photo to my server via FTP, and posted it up here by the time it took me to write this book. :D
 
But I was asking everyone else to do the work....;)
 
Nope. That will still cause the needle to have too much pressure on it that way.
 
Finally got a chance this morning to go out in the woods and set this up.

Jeff

trap_trigger.jpg
 
One thing I failed to note on the picture is the trigger stick took me about 5 minutes to build. It's not just a split stick. I split it then whittled it out so it would slip over the split ring and cord easily. I then took a piece of cordage from the inside of my main cord and wrapped the split so it wouldn't keep breaking down the split (that's the red stuff you see around the stick). Bamboo is great for this since it's easy to whittle out being that it's hollow.

Another thing I would suggest is if you plan on using these triggers for "survival" situations and you're gonna keep split rings in your kit, then make up the rings with some short cordage like show above. That way you can then tie vine, heavier cord, fishing line, whatever to your pre-configured trigger cords. Also, the snare loop split ring is not necessary at all. A simple loop in the cord works just as good. With that said, this whole thing is designed to be "modular" since you can have pre-configured bush hooks on a snap and snap them right in easily to this set up or to your trot lines, pre-configured snares...whatever. If your handy with tools you can even make up some nice triggers out of hardwood dowels to keep with your kit, or make them from some small bent clips of metal. The uses and ideas for this setup or endless.
 
Last edited:
Hey Jeff,

That for posting that. I don't know how often you get over to W&SS but in case you don't, here is another traps and snares thread.

Doc
 
C'mon guys. I'm sure there's more of you that have favourite trap triggers. There's lots of room left in this thread.

Doc
 
After "figure fouring" my hand in deadfalls a couple of times, I have been looking for as nearly "triggerless" improvised traps as I can find.

Here are two I mean to try out next summer, taken from F&S magazine IIRC.

First a simplified snare:

picture.php


Second, an alternate way to set up a deadfall:

picture.php
 
I have had limited success with a simple drag snare and no success with a sapling-fired twitch-up snare. I think using surgical tubing will change the latter.

I have had some really great results with a squirrel pole, have any of you ever used one?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top