# Trap Recomendations



## gm42

For an extended backpacking stay in the wilderness (few months), what and how many traps would you bring to feed yourself? There are no beaver in the area but a lot of muskrats, raccoon, ducks, geese, fox. With all the other gear, weight is an issue. Not really interested in snares, just traps.

Thanks


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## Cleankill47

Snares _are_ traps, and they are much easier to carry, not to metion about 75% lighter, than, say, coilsprings. You can also get your hands on a dozen rigged for the size of most of the animals you have mentioned for about $15, and carry them in a small camera case or belt pack.

But, if you insist:

Conibear body traps fold flat, so you can strap quite a few to a pack. They also only need a funnel made around them to channel in game, and you usually make that out of natural materials procured on-site. The only things you have to bring with these are the trapsetter, extra springs, and some ground stakes, or heavy gauge wire and plenty of trees to tie it off to. You can use the conibear body trap to catch all kinds of game, including fish.

Also, since there are no beaver in the area and you will most likely target geese for their survivor's necessity(fat), you can dig a trench trap for them:

*Note: The following goose trap is designated for emergency survival use only in most areas of the United States, Canada, and many foreign governments, so check local, national, and federal laws before using this or any such survival trap.*

Find an area with plenty of goose droppings, and a source of food. (such as grain) At dusk, or when you see the last goose leave, dig a trench about a foot deep, a foot wide, and ten to twenty feet long (preferably twenty), making sure to have a gently sloping entrance on one end. Then cover your efforts, spreading the dirt in the field, or placing it in another location. After which, sprinkle grain inside the trap and either wait nearby, or stalk back in the morning. The geese feel safe because they can look up and check for danger, but in fact they are trapped because they cannot spread their wings to take off. I only suggest this trap because of your projected time of stay:


> (few months)


 Also, it's important to cover the trap between needed uses and to fill it in when you are finished with it, as you are not the only predator who will jump on the chance to get a goose. (Plus it's illegal to leave survival traps active)

Another way of getting your needed fat is to trap raccoon and opossum, which can be done by either body traps, snares, or a specialized trap called "**** Cuffs", which is designed to catch nothing but opossum and raccoons. They run about $20 apiece, though.

Also, don't forget that a good .22 rifle or revolver will get you quite a bit of game.

Why is it that you're not interested in snares? Professional, self-locking snares are the most energy and time-efficient game getting tools available. They set up quick, and with the self-locking varieties you never have live, suffering animals when properly set. They are almost effortless to set and reset, and don't require maintenance or replacement of springs, screws, rivets, chains, or bolts. They will eventually require re-tightening of the ferrules, which is done with a clamp or hammer, and inspection after each animal, but what trap doesn't need a look-over after use?

Try this site for trapping supplies: www.rpoutdoors.com
And this site for some reading up on survival trapping/snaring: www.buckshotscamp.com

Sorry to rant, but that's
My :2cents:

PM me with any questions. :sniper:

Whew!


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## gm42

Clean Kill, Great post! The reason for not snares is that I know a lot more about snares than standard metal traps. That's why just for information, I wanted to know how many and what type of each trap a person would need to carry to feed themselves. Just trying to gather some information.

Wilderness survival is my hobby and I am good at it. I got kind of bored with that, so I moved my focus into wilderness living. There is a big difference between wilderness survival and wilderness living. I have found that trappers really know a lot more about wilderness living than the survival experts. The major difference being food gathering. As a matter of fact, I have schedule a trapping weekend with Bruce at Buckshot's this September to learn how to trap from him. Bruce is a real nice guy and it should be a great learning experience.

What other natural traps can you give me insight in like the goose trap you mentioned? If you were living out of a pack what trapping supplies would you carry?

This was my first post so I did not want to seem like a survival wacko, I just love to hunt and love the outdoors.

Thanks,

Geoff


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## Cleankill47

Honestly, if I were living out of a pack, I would want no more trapping supplies than snares, two or three #110 body traps, a good skinning knife, and some kind of stretcher pattern to cut out of wood; or even some of those wire stretchers for the hides. You can use the hides to make almost any kind of pouch, bag, or emergency clothing item you need, and if you don't, you can always sell them afterward.

Natural traps:

*Note: These traps are designated in the United States, Canada, and several foreign countries for Emergency Survival use only. Check local, state, and federal laws before using these or any such survival traps.*

If you are in an area with grouse or other medium-to-fairly-large edible birds, you can make 'bird lime', which is easily made by boiling holly leaves in water with a little starch until it gets kind of thick, and then spreading it on the tops of branches of a known roosting site. When the birds land, they become stuck to the branches, and if you don't take the first ones off right away, they may attract more birds, and even predators such as bobcats, of which the meat can be eaten if necessary, or used as bait for other, larger predators; and their furs can be tanned, used for an article of clothing, or sold.

(Note: The bird lime technique can be used on smaller birds, but the reward is not always worth the effort in calories)

If you have fishing line, you can make a similar snaring system by making small snare loops close to the bark of a branch, and spreading the snares along the entire branch. You can also use a gill net spread between trees through a known flight route to catch unwary birds, or throw it onto a flock while on the ground.


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## gm42

Clean Kill, what rifle would you take?

Geoff


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## Cleankill47

Gm42, where in the country are you going to be? It all depends on your area and the creatures in it.

I would personally take my Henry lever-action .22, since I could use it for anything from hunting small game to checking traplines. Not to mention it's squirrel headshot accurate out to about fifty yards (haven't gotten the chance to use it past that yet) And in an *emergency*, I'm not saying it's okay otherwise, you _can_ take deer with headshots using a .22, but I wouldn't want any of my shots to be further than about twenty feet.

I would also take my 6-inch barrel, .357 Magnum Revolver, since I have one, and I know it's capabilities and that of my ammo. I would also buy snakeshot for both calibers, since it's a cheap safety investment.

If I absolutely had to take a large-caliber rifle, I would take the one I was comfortable with, which in my case would be a Marlin .30-30 Lever action with some of that new LEVERevolution ammo from Hornady for long-range shots, as well as plenty of plain old bonded lead core ammo for overall hunting, and some Barnes Triple-Shock X-Bullets for dangerous animals such as bears, and very large game such as elk.


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## price403

Here's a cool way to live trap turkeys. Dig a trench 12 inches wide and 9 to 10 feet long. Have it gently slope from ground level to about 20 inches deep. Make the last 3 feet level. Lightly sprinkle some corn or other seeds around the opening of the trench. Make a light trail of grain leading into the bottom of the trench and a small pile in the bottom. When the turkey gets to the bottom he can't turn around or spread his wings to fly since the trench is too narrow. Myself and my family used to do this every fall to get a fairly accurate count of the wild turkey population on our farm. For trapping grouse, take a 2 to 3 pound coffee can and open both ends. Dig a hole the same size and depth as the can. Make sure to fill in the area around the outside of the can. Sprinkle a little grain around the hole and cover about half of the bottom of the hole with grain. Once the grouse jumps in it can't spread its wings to fly or jump out. In both cases the birds will be alive to be released if you're not in an emergency situation. Be EXTREMELY careful when handling a live turkey. They can do a lot of damage when you grab them.


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## gm42

Price, great tip. Anybody else have any tips like thase?

Geoff


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## Cleankill47

So, you want more, eh?

One thing you can use for supplemental trapping is a squirrel pole. It is made using really thin wire, like chicken wire. (About 18-24 gauge, I think) and a pole. You make snares along the length of the pole, having the knot for attachment at the base, (underneath when you lean the pole on something) and have the loops for the snares bent on an arc over the top of the pole. The results should look something like this:









I've got a million of 'em.

:sniper:


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## gm42

Well then Cleankill, keep posting them. 

Geoff


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## price403

Here's a link to a pic of a Ojibwa bird snare:
http://www.americanlongrifles.com/album ... 0Tutorials\snare
Hope this helps...

Here's some good instructions from a web site on survival.
By the way, Ojibwa is pronounced wee jee. It's an indian tribe.

Ojibwa bird pole
Ok,, it's a fairly simple device here's what you'll need to make your Ojibwa Bird Snare....Anyone feel free to add/correct me if I miss something...

You'll need a pole, lets say 2" diameter or larger, 5'-6' in length. Nice and straight... Push it into the ground so it stands firmly upright. About 3-4" from the top, bore a hole 90 degrees to the stick,,all the way through.

I use my awl from my SAK,but for simplicity sake,,lets say 3/8" diameter hole.

Now you will need a nice straight stick(4"-6"),slightly bigger than the hole.Strip the bark off the first inch then test it.It should not go into the hole,,but more like rest on the edge of the hole.start off with a slightly over sized stick,,you can always trim it to fit.

Run a piece of string through the hole (thin). 1 strand or two of inner 550 cord will work nice,,but kite sting will do just fine. One one end of the string tie a snare loop (slip knot). Place the stick into position and lay the loop or snare across the stick, covering the majority of the stick.

Where the sting runs into the hole,,you'll need to tie a small over hand,simple knot. At the other end of the string tie a weight,,rock,log,,,what have you. The weight should hit the ground by the time the entire snare is in the 3/8" hole. This will take some fooling around to get set properly.

Lift the weight,hold the stick and the string in one hand,place the stick at the holes edge and slowly lower the weight until the knot grabs on the stick and the edge of the hole. The knot actually holds the entire contraption together. Place your loop over the stick and away you go...

If the loop tends to blow off,,you can glue it down with a little sticky pitch,,or spit. I like the pitch better if it is available. A little notch or a sliver taken off the stick will also do... A couple of drips of hot wax will also hole them in place

Place your bird snare in an open field or where you see a lot of birds hanging around. Birds will naturally land on it.

You can adjust your trigger so even the lightest birds will tip it. I usually set mine for song bird type birds because they are plentiful. When the bird lands on the stick,it triggers the snare,,the weight falls and the bird gets trapped by it's feet..Check your snares often, as birds land frequently on them...

You can practice this by setting them up around your bird feeders at home,,but don't make them for real,,only practice... Watch how many times birds land on the stick!! 
(Eric E.Noeldechen)


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## Familyman

Cleankill47 said:


> Why is it that you're not interested in snares? Professional, self-locking snares are the most energy and time-efficient game getting tools available. They set up quick, and with the self-locking varieties you never have live, suffering animals when properly set. They are almost effortless to set and reset, and don't require maintenance or replacement of springs, screws, rivets, chains, or bolts. They will eventually require re-tightening of the ferrules, which is done with a clamp or hammer, and inspection after each animal, but what trap doesn't need a look-over after use?


I am looking into snares and trapping for longer term use. I don't have any experience with either. I thought that snares can only be used 1-2 times and then the wire is kinked too much so they cannot be used anymore. I would love to use snares if they can be reused. From your post it sounds like that is possible. Please give me a little insite into the matter.


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## bobcatbo

if you make any deadfalls put the bait on the end of the trigger stick and not on the ground survivorman said so :lol:


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## guitarbuilder90

If you are in an area with grouse or other medium-to-fairly-large edible birds, you can make 'bird lime', which is easily made by boiling holly leaves in water with a little starch until it gets kind of thick, and then spreading it on the tops of branches of a known roosting site. When the birds land, they become stuck to the branches, and if you don't take the first ones off right away, they may attract more birds, and even predators such as bobcats, of which the meat can be eaten if necessary, or used as bait for other, larger predators; and their furs can be tanned, used for an article of clothing, or sold.

(Note: The bird lime technique can be used on smaller birds, but the reward is not always worth the effort in calories)
_____________________________________________________________
I have a few quiestions to ask and I hope you can repile Back soon.
1.How many Holly Leaves do you use? Like (exp.) Enough to fill fill the bottom of the pan or what?
2.How much Water do you need? Like (exp.) How many cups or what?
3.How much Starch do you need? Like (exp.) How many Tablespoons or cups do you use?
4.Can this be used in winter? Like can this be used when it's like 15* degrees outside and it won't dry out? how long could it last for?
5.Can this Really be used for medium-to-fairly-large edidle birds?I mean like it's not just for small birds?
and finlley 6.Is There A Way to take birds off the branch with the birdlime smeared on it you don't want Without harming Them?

I Hope You Can Email Me Back With The Answers As Soon As You Can Please!
Thank You!


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