[Dieseldemutis]

I went out during a break inbetween my classes to check my traps and on my last set my double hayset was sprung. The traps were tangled hay all over and on trap caught the other trap. I found black hair in the trap. So Im wondering how it got away and if this is a good sign?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Zrabfan30]

I don't think a sprung empty trap is a good sign. Sounds like whatever it was, was caught marginaly and pulled out.

 

[MountainMan108]

Sounds like you probably got a toe catch on a red fox... Like Zrabfan said, not a good sign... trap educated fox are a pain in the butt

 

[Dieseldemutis]

Sounds like you probably got a toe catch on a red fox... Like Zrabfan said, not a good sign... trap educated fox are a pain in the butt

Do you have a suggestions to set the traps diffrently to stop a toe catch from happeingin? I know the traps shut fast enough first hand experience from yesterday lol.

 

[Forestman3]

More pan tension.Are the traps regular or offset jaws?

 

[Dieseldemutis]

More pan tension.Are the traps regular or offset jaws?

Reguluar coil spring traps.

 

[NoMojo]

I had a sprung gayest last year and the problem I believe was I had to much hay over the trap and when it was set off it choked up the trap enough to allow a pull out. Now set them with the fines that I can shake from a bale

 

[charman03]

I think with a hay set its luck of the draw where he steps on the trap.

 

[Dieseldemutis]

I had a sprung gayest last year and the problem I believe was I had to much hay over the trap and when it was set off it choked up the trap enough to allow a pull out. Now set them with the fines that I can shake from a bale

It might of been that and my pan wasnt set corectly I'll check them tomorrow if its sprung again Ill take them home and adjust them and set them back out after school.

 

[mauser06]

you had em in 2 traps and it STILL got out????


you sure it wasnt stolen??? maybe it tangled just right to give it the edge to power out..or both werent caught good..hard to tell..



i started building my haysets with 1 trap...or 2 traps set so they are far enough apart the critter cant get in both...i had a yote tangle in 2 traps and didnt like what i saw..it was NOT going anywhere though..



i dont use hay/straw from a bail...being best friends with a farmer has its perks...i sweep the barn floors and use the fine loose stuff to make my sets...whatever is left at the bottom of my bucket is real fine stuff and that is what i cover my traps with..

i use the hay and my lure placement to guide them onto the pan...ive taken 4 yotes in hay sets and 2 reds in a similar set in my trapping adventures..

also make sure your traps are tuned good and have some pan tension..mine are all night latched with about 2# of tension..havent had a catch that wasnt buried in the trap and not going anywhere..

 

[Dieseldemutis]

@Mauser06
Yea my neighbors a farmer I'm sure hed give me the loose hay just didnt ask. I dont think it was stolen I never seen any other traps around but yea I dont understand how it pulled I caught two cats and there faster I think.

 

[mauser06]

Doesnt matter if youve seen traps or trappers in the area.....i had a deer hunter shoot and steal a coyote in a cable restraint last year....last day of that extended season here in 2B...

Anything.could have.happened...


What kind of traps are you using??? How old are they?? Brand? Size? Etc..

 

[Rups]

Be careful using the real fine stuff over your traps. If it gets wet it absorb water like a sponge and will turn into a solid block of ice. With the regular long stem hay a lot of the water runs off and isn't absorbed.Even if the long stuff does freeze it doesn't freeze solid enough to prevent the trap from firing.Just a little experence.

 

[MountainMan108]

I second the more pan tension. No matter how fast your traps fire, without the proper pan tension a fox or coyote could fire a trap without having all of its weight on the pan. Makes it easy for them to pull away as well. With the proper pan tension, about 2lbs like mauser said, even 3lbs is good, they will get all or most of their weight on the pan before it fires resulting in a good pad catch. Hope that made sense! Also what mauser said about using fine hay to cover traps is an excellent idea. I swept my barn floor as well to get the looser fine hay and I liked it a lot better