Trapping books / diverse opinions

[ratboy]

I read a lot of trapping books and forum topics. I would like to put forth some info gleaned this way and get your feedback. Personal experience or reliable second hand info is what I want. I suspect some topics may be just opinions or hearsay so jump in with what you've seen. I also suspect there may be more than one way to skin a cat depending on the trapper's techniques/methods. On traps assume old traps  are as strong  by brand or modification as they were originally.

1. Muskrat live in bank dens and only inhabit muskrat houses during the winter.

2a. Double jawed traps were introduced and then discontinued for many years due to ( lack of sales ) from clogging and slower rising thru cover.
2b. Double jawed traps are recommended by BMP for raccoon. Also can hold muskrats even if they twist or chew their legs by virtue of the flesh swelling between the gap between jaws.
2c. Book recommended double jaws only for skunk as if they are the only species that chews out of a trap.

3. Drowning rigs are a waste of time as muskrat and mink will instinctively head for the water and drown and raccoon will head for land or sit on the stake.

4a. #1 traps are considered to have too small a jaw spread resulting in misses and most are too weak to hold raccoon.
4b. #1 traps result in pad catches, hold 30# coons and are the ultimate coon cuffs.

5. #1 1/2 cs traps break muskrat bones and they will twist off if not drowned immediately.

6a. Longsprings and jumps were made obsolete by the coilspring design.
6b. Coilsprings close faster and harder, but, the long springs by design/mechanical advantage hold  better. Jump traps lay flat and are a lot stronger than they look.

7a. I only use land traps for coon that are 1 1/2 or larger to come up through cover.
7b. Large traps for coon should only be used on drowning rigs,  I only use #1 coilsprings on land to provide less room for chewing.

[Bogmaster]

 My replies may be coming a bit at a time,a little here and a little there.And may not be in any specific order.
 By the way,welcome back ratboy,it's been 6 or 7 months since we heard from you.
 #1.Some rats build and live in houses, because the shorlines will not allow them to dig dens.Bog lakes and ponds are an example of this.Some may move to different areas in the spring and build dens.I am not real sure on exactly what happens. I do know a lot of rat houses are destroyed by spring floods.Even more are used by ducks and geese for nesting platforms.
 Tom
 

[Macthediver]

I can give some input on double jawed traps as I own and us many myself.

I would have to agree that lack of sale probably was why they quit making them. There are just not many out there so that would be easy to reason.

As for any animal chewing out of a trap.. any chewing takes place below the trap jaw where the foot is numb. I have never seen and have never heard of and  animal intentionally chewing it's foot to escape. I believe it is more they chew on something that will give, ie their own numb foot. That said a double jawed trap reduces the space below the jaws and pan that allows and animal room to chew. Where as a single jaw allows chewing simple because there is room for the animal to do it.

I have never heard of a muskrat chewing?

True Double jawed traps will not come up well through heave cover. I have however used mine at dirt holes for fox without issue, but with very light loose cover. In the water where covering a trap is less important I have caught raccoon, muskrats and mink with out problems.

TMTCW

Mac

[Bogmaster]

 While many mink and muskrat, head for water-not all do. Now most coon ,head down my sliders into deep water.
 For my mink and coon sets, I use 1/8 inch cable for my sliders. This heavier cable is not needed for mink,but most good mink sets,also take coon.And the 1/8 holds up well the larger animals, coon and beaver.
 If you are trapping rats in shallow water,or high entanglement areas--use a stoploss trap or a body gripper.#1!/2 coils are a very poor choice in these conditions--thats why the stoploss was invented.
 Tom

[trappnman]

My opinion:

1. Muskrat live in bank dens and only inhabit muskrat houses during the winter.

Bog covered this

2a. Double jawed traps were introduced and then discontinued for many years due to ( lack of sales ) from clogging and slower rising thru cover.

not really- double jaws were introduced for skunk trapping- wide jaws, real double jaws. They were discontinued because they really didn't serve a need, but are being reintroduced now. MOST double jaws on market today, are jokes- thin stamped DJ.

2b. Double jawed traps are recommended by BMP for raccoon. Also can hold muskrats even if they twist or chew their legs by virtue of the flesh swelling between the gap between jaws.

2c. Book recommended double jaws only for skunk as if they are the only species that chews out of a trap.


Coon can be held with several methods that reduce and eliminate chewing. The BMP protocal was done in a manner to induce the maximum amount of chewing by a coon. Poorly done in my opinion- GIGO.

Rats don't chew- DJ would do nothing to reduce twist offs. Another option that I use besides stoploss, are bigger traps- #2 on up- acts like a body grip and they go nowhere.

3. Drowning rigs are a waste of time as muskrat and mink will instinctively head for the water and drown and raccoon will head for land or sit on the stake.

100% wrong- coon on the bank are chewing machines- coon under water don't chew.

A drowning slide is the only 100% certain way of drowning mink and rats- but I seldom use slides on them, doing as Bog does- but coon- you bet.

4a. #1 traps are considered to have too small a jaw spread resulting in misses and most are too weak to hold raccoon.

true and false- most are plenty strong- its the size of the trap thats the big factor.

4b. #1 traps result in pad catches, hold 30# coons and are the ultimate coon cuffs.

see above answer- I've caught 100s and 100s of coon in #1- but haven't used one delibrately for coon for many years. You will have way too many snapped and empty traps.

5. #1 1/2 cs traps break muskrat bones and they will twist off if not drowned immediately.

False

6a. Longsprings and jumps were made obsolete by the coilspring design.


yes and no. Longsprings are certianly not obsolete, and many prefer them over coils. Jumps are a poor trasp in my opinion, and will no longer use them

6b. Coilsprings close faster and harder, but, the long springs by design/mechanical advantage hold  better. Jump traps lay flat and are a lot stronger than they look.

debatable. Coils are more compact, and make release of incidentals easier. Faster? hmmmn...

jumps? unstable and not a good trap, plain and simple.

7a. I only use land traps for coon that are 1 1/2 or larger to come up through cover.

I agree with that.

7b. Large traps for coon should only be used on drowning rigs,  I only use #1 coilsprings on land to provide less room for chewing.

smaller traps do give you less chewing when staked solid, in the open, no over head cover, no concelment, no outlets for the coon.  When using cover, moveable drags, etc- about the same.

If someone recommends #1 coils for land and coon- hes either trapping tiny coon, or not many.....trappnman