Which Trap for small game??

W

wade

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Sep 22, 2005
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On my Dads ranch as a kid we did a lot of traping of animals that would try to get our chickens, and because my Dad wanted us to know how to trap. We would usually use a box trap and catch foxes, racoons, Opossoms, skunks, and of course kitty cats. We would also build figure 4 deadfall traps, they worked just as good as the box traps. This was the first trap I learned to build and the one that I have the most confidence in using. We would also use snares but very seldom caught anything in them. The baited spring snares would get set off but almost never caught the critter.

What traps would you most likely use or be first build in a survival situation? and why?

And anyone have the guts to eat a skunk? Everyone we ever caught always sprayed all over when they died, I cant imagine the meat smelling good after skining it.
Wade
 
The figure four deadfall is my favorite. I filled my tummy many times with this simple trap.




Ron
 
I would find or catch bugs, fish or small critters for bait and use gorges to catch bigger fish and animals or birds to eat.
 
It really depends on the animal.

Snares are pretty good for larger animals. I've caught more beaver in them than in anything else. Actually caught a coyote a couple seasons ago in beaver snare I set on a dam.

I also like conibears (you can probably tell that I do a lot of water trapping). A guy can bring in a load of muskrat with just a few of them, and muskrat is actually pretty tasty stuff. Around my area of the country a farm pond can have a huge population of muskrats.

Bore a hole in a log, drive two nails in so their points form a pretty tight V, put something shiny in the bottom, you'll probably catch a raccoon.

Shore birds are pretty easy to take with a slingshot.

Figure 4 for rabbits and squirrel and such.
 
In my area of Brazil the most common trap is the "arapuca".

The cool thing about this trap is that you don't need any tools to make it and they are realtively quick to make with sticks on hand. You do need string or cordage. I use #4 waxed line. These are used to catch birds. Mac

3dayarapuca17jz.jpg


3dayarapuca28vm.jpg
 
pict said:
In my area of Brazil the most common trap is the "arapuca".

The cool thing about this trap is that you don't need any tools to make it and they are realtively quick to make with sticks on hand. You do need string or cordage. I use #4 waxed line. These are used to catch birds. Mac

...
Click to expand...
Could you explain how the trigger works. Pic isn't very clear about it.
 
The trap is held up by a short forked stick. You don't have to have a knife to make the trigger but it helps a little.

Break off a forked branch so that the two top pieces of the "Y" are shorter than the long bottom part. The bottom part of the "Y" does not reach the ground or make contact with it.

The Y is placed under the lifted edge of the trap. On the side of the Y facing away from the trap you need to cut a small notch. Into this notch is placed a support stick. The weight of the trap wants to rotate the bottom of the Y in towards the trap and away from the support stick leaning in from the outside.

To prevent this from happening you take two, thin, light weight sticks and wedge them into the back corners of the trap and make them rest against the bottom, inside of the Y. The trap is htem balanced on the Y with the support stick pressing the Y in towards the trap and the two support sticks (wedged in the two back corners) bracing it from moving inwards.

The bird enters the trap headed for the bait in the center. He then tries to step up on either of the two thin sticks or bumps into them. They fall, the support stick and Y fold inwards and the trap falls.

Clear as mud, right? Mac
 
Bumppo said:
Looks like the figure four would work well for the arapuca.
Click to expand...

The problem is with the bait. The arapuca is designed to live catch birds that peck seed off the ground. Brazilians have a "thing" for birds. Most of the birds that are caught in an arapuca are sold as pets.

The figure four falls when the bait on the stick is tugged at. In the arapuca the bait is seed on the ground. The way the thin sticks are set up the bird has to be in the center of the trap before it falls. They are very effective. Mac
 
traps are specific to the animal or fish you are trying to catch, but generallyy speaking, as a rule of thumb, a 'dead-fall' trap(large heavy weight falling from a height) - is the most reliable, but it takes the most time/energy to build...I've found best thing to do is to lay maybe 10 snares targeting a small animal, bird or reptile that you observe regularly inhabiting the area you are in. Learn some basic tracking and that wil tell you a great deal about what the drinking and feeding habits of your target animals are, and this in turn will help you to position and bait your traps effectively. Basically, if you pplay the numbers, ten easy snares on a branch habitually used by birds (or a river bank used by reptiles) will yield a more consistent food source than placing all of your 'bets' on one big trap.
Also eat as many insects as you can if they are in season- heyy, some of them don't taste nearly as bad as you might think! - (but some of them are so gross that i'd ratehr starve..) :)
 
Mac... thanks very much for the explanation of the arapuca trigger. I have seen pictures of these traps, but was unaware of the cunning trigger mechanism.

Have you seen any good local ideas for trapping larger animals with do-it-yourself traps or snares?

Much appreciated. Best wishes... Stephen Coote, Nelson, New Zealand.
 
Stephen,

The coolest trap they use here is a killing trap used for birds. They take a sapling and stake it down on the thick end, flat on the ground. The other end is free to be lifted up like a big spring pulled up away from the ground. When released the pole will slap downwards with great force.

Alongside this pole/spring they build a fence of bamboo stakes that limits the birds approach to the bait from only the trigger side.

The trigger is a long thin stick resting against a toggle release. When the birds perch on the stick to feed on the seed at the base fo the bamboo fence, and there is enough of them, the end of the trigger "perch" slides off the end of the toggle release and the pole/spring slaps down.

They say one of these will produce morning and evening, several birds a day as long as you clean off any blood. Mac
 
Dang Ede... that looks like a dangerous pastime !!

I don't have broadband, and I had to wait for a long time for the video to download. In case others have difficulty seeing the video, it is about some guys building a hide and placing bait in front of it with the idea of grabbing a wild pig as it comes by. It is interesting to watch if you can.

Some of the pigs on this video seemed to be fairly big and tough.
 
Yes it´s a clip out of a comedy show in Germany, the man in the black suit is Rüdiger Nehberg, who is a famous suvival specialist in Germany. The other is the showmaster Stephan Raab. The titel of this story is" Raab in danger!"
But I think it could be a method of catching a wild pig, but beware of the mother.
Ede
 
Well, I haven't tried it yet, but I have heard "Buckshot's" snares are good. Unfortunately, I have had a great deal of difficulty contacting them to purchase any of their products. I heard Buckshot was relocating or having bad health....

http://www.buckshotscamp.com/
 
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