I have had a survivalist streak long before it was popular. With the uncertainty of today's world my inner survivalist is acting up. Back in the 70's and 80's I run a pretty decent trap line mainly targeting muskrat and mink . We caught coon with hounds and I caught a few fox . I am also halfway proficient with primitive traps . I have started ordering a few traps . I got a half dozen conibears in last week . I ordered a half dozen #1 coil springs this week. I am ordering when I find a deal. I would like to get 3 #2 coil spring traps for predators and 3 of the dog proof coon traps. ( Where were those back when I was seriously trapping) I am also looking at building better snares with locally sourced material . Tonight I built a jig and made a swivel for snares
OK....pic. One night's 'haul' from around the chicken house. Chickens locked safely away, dogs can't get in the chicken yard, but these guys find or make a hole or climb over or all kinds of Houdini tricks...... Another one about 10 seconds before lights out: "I store my feed in metal drums with lids to keep it safe"........ahahhahaa....yeah....sure you do.....ahahhaaaa
First attempt at more commercial type snares. Bent penny or washer for slide lock small hexnut fo stop home made swivel
Master the figure 4 deadfall and add it to yer arsenal of critter killers........ Can scale them from mice to elephants Had a piglet raiding coyote that I could never get in the cross hairs, he could smell trap steel or snare wire a mile away and was getting to be a real expensive problem lifted a old dead oak log up and rigged it with a figure 4 trigger, baited it with a half eaten piglet and two days later had a dead coyote crushed under the log. Must have been the right coyote as well since I lost no more pigs out of the nursery.
Good thinkin', Thunder5Ranch. Sometimes old school is still best. I find the Paiute deadfall works well for me. Had a salesman get away one time. Gnawed his leg off.
Traps - Figure-4 Deadfall How to Make a Figure 4 Deadfall Trap figure 4 deadfall trap at DuckDuckGo I was stuck thinking of the snare , gent showed me the deer trap he made with a snare and bucket for deer, in the Costco propane line up !!! Canada ya know , we Q for time. Sloth
I can make figure 4 and paiute deadfalls . I am decent on small game with improvised snares just upping my tools a little.
Only thing I dislike about the Paiute is it relies on some type of cordage that you may not have. While the 4 is just sticks with some notches. Paiute is a bit more sensitive and dependable, 4 is more basic and easier to assemble from tree trash and nothing else. End of the day they are basically the same design and principle just a different trigger mechanism. One other minor thing with the Paiute and again with the cordage is that it is difficult to remove human scent from the fibers. Not a huge deal with most coons, possums, muskrats, rabbits etc. Huge problem with Coyote, Fox and Mink. LOL for tree rats I just leave the cattle water trough half full and collect the drown squirrels. LOL found 9 floaters in it one morning plus two chipmunks hanging out on the squirrel corpse life rafts. (I do leave a piece of wood that hangs over the side they can climb out on now) but never thought of the water trough as a trap until the auto waterer failed to auto water one night. Course used to cut a hole in the side of a 55 gallon drum and throw carrots in it and either stick it mostly submerged hole up and maybe half full of water or leave it on the edge of the water and put some 2x6 ramps up to it and collect the muskrats every morning and the occasional coon or possum. Would clean a muskrat infestation out pretty quick and at $6-$7 per pelt back then made easy money in the pocket. Miss the days when one XL Coon Pelt paid for a Dozen 1 1/2 Victor Coils......
