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The best
all around trap
By
Buckshot, author of "Buckshot's Modern Trapper's Guide"- www.buckshotscamp.com
Only one trap
Asking a trapper what is the one trap he would take
into a camp is kind of like asking a gun nut what is the only gun to
take. I thought long and hard on the subject before coming to the
conclusion that for someone who didn’t know a lot about trapping, the
conibear trap is the best. Beginners have the best success with this
trap and I have some small ones I have used for over 20 years and
they’re still catching animals. First off, I will explain what the
trap does and the different sizes and their use.
The conibear was developed by a Canadian fur
trapper, Frank Conibear. He wanted a trap that would kill the animal so
that he could run more traps with only checking each set every 2 or 3
days. With a leghold trap you should check every day to be humane to the
caught animals. Well, his trap took off and is now a household name in
the trapper world. There are currently 6 different sizes ranging to
cover all the popular fur animals but for this article we will stick
with the 3 basic ones to avoid confusion.
The first trap is a #110 conibear, this trap is 4
½” by 4 ½ “ with a single spring. This trap is very popular among
muskrat trappers because they’re easy to use and reliable quick kills.
This trap can also be used for mink, rabbit, squirrel, and some of the
bigger weasels. The traps are relatively inexpensive ranging from $50 a
dozen new.
The
second trap is a #220 conibear, this trap is 7” by 7” with double
springs and requires a setting tool to compress the springs. This trap
is popular among the raccoon trappers. Care must be used with this trap
because if a dog or house-cat sticks his head in there, they will die
quickly just like a raccoon. Some states have regulated this trap. If
set on land they have to be in dog proof boxes or at least 4 feet off
the ground. This trap has been used to catch raccoons, otters, muskrats,
minks, squirrels, rabbits, and ground hogs (woodchucks). They run about
$109.95 a dozen new and around $75 used.
The
third trap is a #330 conibear, this trap is 10” x 10” square with
double springs, this is the most powerful and is NO kids toy. The same
setting tool that can be used for the #220 will work for the #330. THE
SAME CARE MUST BE USED WITH THIS TRAP BECAUSE NO DOG WILL LIVE THROUGH
AN ENCOUNTER IN THIS TRAP! What a wonderful beaver trap. I have trapped
100’s of beaver with this trap. The trap was designed for beaver but
can also be used for otters, raccoons, and snapping turtles. They run
around $200 a dozen new. I’ve had some for over 10 years and they’re
still catching beaver every year.
“What
the heck is he talking about, I thought this article was supposed to be
about one trap not three.” Well, just like the one perfect gun, it all
depends on where you are in the country. What animal has the highest
population in your area? A great beginners set-up would be 6 - #110 for
the smaller animals, 4 - #220 for medium size animals and 2 - #330 for
beaver size animals. This batch of only 12 traps should keep you in meat
and fur just about anywhere in America.
The
one trap I personally would have is the #330 because of the amount of
beaver in my area. For other parts of the country I would take the #220
because of the high raccoons, ground hogs, possums, and muskrats. With
the #110 traps so cheap, every one should have a couple at their camp.
This is really hard trying to predict what your area has the most of.
You are the best judge of that. What are the top road killed animals in
your area? This is a good reliable indicator of the animal population in
any given area. Just use your head. If you see 2 beaver lodges and 4
dams, there can be from 4 to 12 beaver but after you trap them out then
what’s left to trap? You see, it all depends on your area. I am trying
to provide you, a beginner, with the tools that beginners have their
most success with.
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