Trapping questions. Tracks and sign.

Jammer

Six Pointer
Man, quit using that rebar. Here is a pic from today of a yote that spent the night and ALL day (until 4:30 pm) in the trap staked with a 12" berkshire cable stake in sand. The ground was level yesterday when the trap was set. Look at how much dirt was moved with her trying to get loose.
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JoeR

Eight Pointer
Man, quit using that rebar. Here is a pic from today of a yote that spent the night and ALL day (until 4:30 pm) in the trap staked with a 12" berkshire cable stake in sand. The ground was level yesterday when the trap was set. Look at how much dirt was moved with her trying to get loose.

That's crazy! You'll need a bobcat to level that again. They sure do move some earth.
 

SkeeBo

Button Buck
Glad you got one to step on the pan but sorry to here about the staking issue.

A single rebar stake is usually OK to anchor a DP for coon because they are not prone to pumping the stake. The coyote will jump and with a short chain and single stake, even if he does not jerk it out of the ground right away, he will continue to jerk and pull the stake a little bit each jerk (what we call pumping the stake) until he eventually gets it out of the ground.

Rebar is fine to anchor canine traps but it needs to be 2 stakes driven in an X pattern so the chain does not pull parallel to the stake. There are several double stake swivels made to accommodate 2 stakes. JC Connors chestnut rings work well also. If the weight of the rebar is not an issue, rebar is one of if not the most cost effective way to anchor your trap in most soil types. And they are much easier to remove than most earth anchors.

And if you have more than 8" of chain, you need a shock spring as well.
What do you prefer stakes or earth anchors? Most folks seem to like the earth anchor....stakes are considered old school?
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
SkeeBo, I use both and I also throw some drags into the mix. Earth anchors are lighter to carry than stakes or drags but I trap off my side by side so the extra weight is not an issue. And stakes are much easier to pull when I am ready to move the trap.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
What do you prefer stakes or earth anchors?
Marshall,
Neither, I prefer drags. 95% of the time. Old school they used "clogs" made of a pc of log or rock.
Since I trap woods roads or woods edges, I PRE-HOOK drags so I don't have to look any further than chains length, 6 ft, so if a coon or cat climbs, I can dispatch easy, no more than head high.
Hvy Duty Berkshire earth anchors when not using drags--5%
I don't have theft problems either whereas some folks would/do.
Even before my back problems started, I was using drags. I don't want to drive stakes, and pull them later. I can make 3 sets using drags in the time it takes to make 2 sets using stakes--which need pulled later...more labor/time.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I usually pre-hook the anchor which keeps the critter within the length of the chain from the anchor point. As John said, it is quicker to make a set with a drag...no hammering stakes or earth anchors. It is also easier and quicker when you pull the trap.

But there are other benefits of using drags. It allows to animal more freedom of movement and may allow them to get out of the open and have some cover. And that IMO keeps them more calm and they do not fight the trap as hard.

It also allows them to get away from the trap bed so the area around the trap is not torn up like it is with stakes or earth anchors and short chains. That torn up circle around a short chained trap anchored solid is referred to as a catch circle or burn circle. It will smell like the caught animal but visually it sticks out like a sore thumb. Some critter are attracted to the catch circle but will not go into the circle itself.

I like being able to put the trap back in the same trap bed for the remake, especially on blind trail sets where I do not use and bait of lure.

There are disadvantages as well. If not pre hooked, some critters like coyotes may drag them a long way before they get tangled up enough to hold them. Then the trapper has to spend time trying to follow drag marks to find the animal and their equipment, hopefully still attached to the critter. Some drags leave a lot better trail than others and some will hang up a lot better than others.

They are another tool in the tool box.
 

JoeR

Eight Pointer
After traveling for work for a bit I returned Thursday. I set out 3 coyote sets.
One on the opposite end of the dam I was set up on before. This trap was tripped with nothing in it.
One in a new spot that had plenty of coyote traffic. This set was undisturbed.
One where I've had a shoulder buried for a while, and gets traffic, but no takers on the bait. This is where I had the pullout a couple of weeks ago, but last night I got my first yote.

I had some venison chunks from the butcher that I cut into 1" X 1" cubes. I set the bait out around the trap like it was a compass set. I also used only anchors and no rebar.

The anchor was about half way out of the ground when I got there. I was able to pull it the rest of the way out, so I have it double anchored there now. That ground must be really loose there. I was able to video the catch. It came in with another yote.

 

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JoeR

Eight Pointer
I watched the rest of the video of this catch. It was a couple of hours worth. I had 5 dogs at this set over the course of 2 hours. 30 minutes after getting caught, the dominant pair in the neighborhood showed up to kick her butt. She fended them off like a champion. I was wondering how she had poked a few holes in her belly, and wondered even more how there was blood outside the catch circle. Now I know. I'm as excited about catching this on video as I am about my yote in a trap.
 
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QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Congrats Joe! You have caught the hard one so you are ready to get after them now.

Great video footage as well. Perfect timing on the catch. Also thanks for putting the after catch footage together and sharing it with us.

And now you know why folks say if the location is good enough for one trap, it is good enough two or more. If you had two or three more sets close by, you would have had the chance to snag some more of the ones who were late to the party.
 

JoeR

Eight Pointer
Thanks Yancy. You're having a pretty good first year. You were at the Trapper convention this year, right? I may be mistaken, but I think we were both talking to Prune at the same time. You're a thin guy, little taller than average, and a full beard, right?

QBD, again thanks for the help. I've got 2 more night to trap and them I'm off to Chicago for a bit. I've got one trap about 50 yards from this one. We'll see what happens tonight.

TMC, trail cam pics are great, but I like videos a lot more. They sure do show you exactly what's happening. It's what has made me switch to compass sets. It makes them criss cross my trap to get to everything. It got this one caught.

Joe
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Thanks Yancy. You're having a pretty good first year. You were at the Trapper convention this year, right? I may be mistaken, but I think we were both talking to Prune at the same time. You're a thin guy, little taller than average, and a full beard, right?

QBD, again thanks for the help. I've got 2 more night to trap and them I'm off to Chicago for a bit. I've got one trap about 50 yards from this one. We'll see what happens tonight.

TMC, trail cam pics are great, but I like videos a lot more. They sure do show you exactly what's happening. It's what has made me switch to compass sets. It makes them criss cross my trap to get to everything. It got this one caught.

Joe
Yep that’s me Joe. Good memory. Imagine how confused I was when I knew everyone by their screen name on here and not their first name lol. I remember talkin w you but I don’t remember which day. Any ways, good
luck and safe travels.
 

JoeR

Eight Pointer
Yep that’s me Joe. Good memory. Imagine how confused I was when I knew everyone by their screen name on here and not their first name lol. I remember talkin w you but I don’t remember which day. Any ways, good
luck and safe travels.

I was the tall, greasy, Italian guy with a big nose, and a Yankee accent. I was by myself. I was out there the day they had the dinner at night. I stayed for that too. It was a nice event. I'll make sure I greet you if I see you again.
Joe
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
I was the tall, greasy, Italian guy with a big nose, and a Yankee accent. I was by myself. I was out there the day they had the dinner at night. I stayed for that too. It was a nice event. I'll make sure I greet you if I see you again.
Joe
Well fortunately I can relate on the nose and the Italian lol. Well, my nose is more just crooked from fighting when I was a hard headed youngster .My mother is Sicilian. That’s what’s great about trapping...all walks of life do it. Keep the posts coming!
 

JoeR

Eight Pointer
Last trap check before I travel again. Compass set comes through again! Finally got hold of this black female. I don't think she was in the trap very long because there was no trap circle at all. She was, however, in it long enough to get her butt kicked. She has a dime sized hole in her neck and there was some blood around the set again. I sure wish I was home a little longer to get my hands on the rest of them, but maybe it's good to let this area cool off a bit. No choice though. I'm off to Chicago!

By the way...my other traps were frozen solid. I had to beat on them in order to close them before pulling them out.


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Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
I had caught a young male a couple years ago that had is balls chewed off and his rear legs had some puncher holes. i figured another coyote had found him and went after him. nice videos.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
JOE!--in the video, where were the rest of the traps set nearby?
Most of us set 2-3 per location to get
a) multiple catches knowing they travel in family groups and
b) have more to make up for non-targets like coon, skunk, opossums, etc
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Last trap check before I travel again. Compass set comes through again! Finally got hold of this black female. I don't think she was in the trap very long because there was no trap circle at all. She was, however, in it long enough to get her butt kicked. She has a dime sized hole in her neck and there was some blood around the set again. I sure wish I was home a little longer to get my hands on the rest of them, but maybe it's good to let this area cool off a bit. No choice though. I'm off to Chicago!

By the way...my other traps were frozen solid. I had to beat on them in order to close them before pulling them out.


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Dang!!!
 

JoeR

Eight Pointer
JOE!--in the video, where were the rest of the traps set nearby?
Most of us set 2-3 per location to get
a) multiple catches knowing they travel in family groups and
b) have more to make up for non-targets like coon, skunk, opossums, etc

If you look st the video where I made the catch, you will see eyes in the background staying just outside the flash range of the camera. That's where I put a second trap. Unfortunately the only thing to visit that site was an Opossum, who helped himself to my bait while the traps were frozen solid.
I've gotten advice some several folks about putting more than one trap at every site. The great pictures of guys getting doubles is certainly supports that. I'll definitely do it from now on.
Joe
 
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