I’m working on ideas for next year. Going smaller on footholds to try. Going back to #2 Bridger and 1.5 Duke Double Jaws for land. Might get out the bigger for late season cat sets but going to start out on the small side. I’m also going to give the Trappers Caps a try for bedding. I think it’s more interesting when you shake up monotony a bit.
I ground what cat glands I had this morning and in an ode to Mark Griffith I just added them to some two year old cat gland. He used to mix fresh and aged cat gland. I don’t know how it’ll turn out but it’s pure catty if nothing else. This will be for my personal use so experimenting is on me, good or bad. I have eight ounces left of last years good batch in my pocket if it doesn’t suit me.
I went from over two gallons of ground castor lure last year to a half gallon today so I won’t have much for sale. I got some nice comments on the beaver lure and it certainly works for me.
I have a couple of the trappers caps I think. If you want to try them out, you can have e’m.
Yes, thank you.
The disadvantage of downsizing traps is usually just in are heads. Big traps have there place but it’s become way to much of a have to have mentality than an actual need.
I don’t have to tell you the loads of fur that was caught in stock 1.5 coils and number 2 dls with no mods!
The pans are inside the jaws and the jaws are big enough for the animals foot. Western trappers are high on big traps. For several reasons I’m going back smaller to try it.
Well for heavy soil and freezing or deep snow they have there place.
Also if I was killing coyotes that was actually actively hunting and killing stock I would want a big trap number 3 or maybe even a 4. Some of the western guys are doing extended checks on coyote lines too. That would make a difference as well.
Like I said they do have there place but are not a requirement in my opinion.
I remember back in the day when everyone would bring stacks of fur to E-town, and be there from before daylight till after dark selling it. I bet 95 % of it was caught in traps between #1 long springs, and #2 coils size. And if you ask around back then, I bet 1.5 coil springs made up the bulk of traps used during that time frame of say 1973 to 1983. A great thing about smaller traps too, is you can carry more in your backpack, or basket if walking the trapline very far. I have a friend that use to trap a lot, and was good at it too; he didn’t hesitate to set 1.5’s for coyotes, and caught a bunch in them! He had to hammer em back into shape sometimes, but they would catch and hold in most cases.
If you have it I would like another pint of your beaver lure
In Slim Pederson’s books he shows a lot of 1.5 coils and talks about using them. O’Gorman, from Montana too, says use the biggest legal trap you can. Montana used to have a five day check. I think they’ve gone largely to a 24 now, killing long lining.
What I definitely don’t like here are four coiled non laminated traps. Seems like that’s what sportsmans warehouse and other places want to carry. I’m going to laminate some 1.5 Duke double jaws if I can and try them. I think some places like no BS sells laminated 1.5 coils and they’re heavy made as well. The laminated jaws would help keep coyotes from warping them. Dukes have a heavy frame or base plate but probably thicker would help that too. I’ve seen Dude catch, and I’ve caught a few coyotes in the Dukes and they held good.
When setting for coyotes, and when he ran out of bigger traps, that’s what my buddy used; 1.5 Dukes. Some were beefed up, but most were stock traps.
I noticed when he used the smaller traps, he would often use them in a post hole set, where he dug a hole down about 10" or so deep, and then bored a mouse hole sideways about halfway in the hole, lured it, and set the trap in the bottom, and maybe one up on top near the edge of the hole.
It worked good; as I recall that he and a partner caught over 50 coyotes a year for about a 3-4 year period the last time he trapped, which was about 15 years ago.
That wasn’t ole’ Buckeye was it?
No; He’s the guy who has all the traps for sale. He is VERY GOOD at anything he does in the outdoor pursuits! He has killed more Big deer, won as many bass tournaments back in his prime, and caught as much fur as anyone I know!
Hope he makes the meet next month.
Me too! … I have been trying to get him to join UTK, but he gets Tournament Fishing on his mind from here till November, and then his every moment is all about Trophy Bucks till December! Then he’s busy with cattle and calving until spring, and the cycle starts all over again.
I contacted JC Conner about some of the flat lamination strips. Hope to get them from him at the NTA meet. These lay entirely across the top of the jaws, not just like a #9 wire on the edges. The #9 type lamination might be better on the 1.5 coils.
This is my opinion on laminating jaws. I think the area that will contact the foot is the main point. When one adds extra weight to the entire jaw,it kinda complicates the way the trap throws. It kinda makes the trap off balance if that make any sense. Really good springs comes into play as well. One might be limited on there options for a 1.5 size trap. Not try to discourage anyone from anything just recommend doing one first before jumping in head first on everything
Yes, I agree, the extra thick lams on the 1.5’s might be too much. I also don’t know if I could get them on the double jaws come to think of it due to the stamp out making them double jaws. I need to rethink laminating them if I do.
I found some 1/8 square stock at a steel place in somerset one time and haven’t found any since. You can bend 3/16 rod to the shape of the jaw and tack it to a flat piece and grind it flat on one side
Your beaver lure worked well against competition. Bigger traps and four coiled seems to be based[my opinion] is from the western guys working heavier soil and having the need for more covering. A couple of videos and demos at national conventions made it the rage. I had to buy MI castor, we had so much ice only bought 30 beavers and only caught 8 myself.
Thank you.I’m glad to hear that. We had bad weather here but I guess a long season. We had over 800 beaver at our sale.