Rewind Arc. 1

On almost every trapline, a trapper is faced with the problem of pounding stakes into the ground and clearing brush, roots and debris from a trap site. This is not a major problem, because long before folks learned to make steel traps, they learned how to make hammering and cutting tools from the same material. Several different hammering/cutting tools are employed by trappers. Which of these tools is best adapted to the trapline, is a matter of versatility, portability and conditions. I've tried a lot of different tools, and I've finally settled on one that best suits my trapping needs. Before I reveal my choice, let's look at some of the more common trapper's hammers.

First, let's overlook items that have been used for hammering that are "tools" only in the strictest sense of the word. Many stakes have been driven with hand-held rocks and limbs. We can also exclude other tools that have served as hammers. Long handled trowels and tire-irons come immediately to mind. These tools are not uncommonly employed on the trapline, but the principal reason a trapper has to resort to these measures is that he forgot, misplaced, or just plain lost, his trusty hammer.

Probably the most common type of hammer/cutting tool used on the trapline is the hatchet. It is not surprising that this tool finds wide acceptance among trappers. It will handle most trapline pounding and cutting jobs as well as being a very versatile camp and survival tool. The hatchet or belt axe has been standard equipment for the woodsman for several hundred years.
A hatchet was part of my trapping equipment, and sometimes my only trapping equipment, for a number of years. When I ran my first muskrat lines, I used a hatchet to cut and drive stakes, and later as I graduated to less aquatic critters, I used a hatchet to drive steel stakes at my land sets. I soon learned that the rounded poll (hammer end) of my trusty hatchet had a tendency to slip off the rounded tops of my stakes. Several smart blows to the back of my hand convinced me that I needed a different tool.

I found a hatchet with a flattened poll, and used it until a piece broke off the edge and embedded itself in my cheek. This proved to be a cheap lesson about cheap tools. While almost any hatchet will drive wooden stakes, never try to drive steel stakes with a bargain-basement tool--unless you always wear safety glasses on your trapline. Cheap tools are made with cheap steel and are subject to shatter when struck against a hard object.

The last type of hatchet I used was a carpenter's hatchet, the type with an actual hammer head. It was easier to drive stakes down below the trap bed with this type of hatchet. But, as with all hatchets, I had to contend with the sharp blade bouncing around in my packbasket. On the other hand, the blade didn't stay sharp for very long. Chopping a couple of roots out of a gravel pit and rattling around with the traps and other junk soon took care of the sharp edge.

I guess all trappers get caught up in the "speed trap" on occasion, and I entered the race with a three pound engineer's hammer to drive stakes at my fox sets. This hammer was fast, but its value was directly proportional to the distance it had to be carried from the truck. It was great for those curbside sets, but one heavy piece of junk in the back-forty. Also, it lacked the cutting edge needed for that occasional root. I could have purchased one with a digging blade, but I had decided that the few extra blows the heavy hammer saved me, was not worth packing the extra weight with every step.

As I moved my traplines to higher altitudes, I found myself working along boulder strewn creeks and in soil that was 50% rocks. Driving stakes was difficult on land and impossible in the water. Using a standard hoe to dig trap beds here was out of the question. I needed a tool that would not only drive stakes, but also dig trap beds in the stones and chip rocks to make anchors. For one season, I used a straight claw hammer on this line. It was a little unconventional, but this hammer did an admirable job considering this was not at all the use for which it was intended.

I did feel a little silly using a claw hammer for trapping. One day as I chipped away at a square rock about the size of a large brick, I thought how a carpenter would cringe if he could see me using his tool to do a mason's job... Mason's job? Mason's tool. Mason's hammer! This little revelation started a little revolution in my trapline equipment. Now, a mason's hammer is standard equipment on my trapline.

Quite obviously, a mason's hammer is the ideal choice for chipping rocks, but its usefulness extends beyond this limited application. I can use this hammer to dig trap beds in anything except pure rock. The narrow blade digs between, around, and through stones and gravel. And it will just as easily dig a trap bed in sod, sand, or anywhere else. In fact, I no longer carry a hoe; this compact tool serves all the purposes of a hoe without the bulk of extra equipment.

This hammer has also found a home on my water lines. I've mentioned chipping rock anchors, but I've also found that wood yields just as readily to the blade of a mason's hammer. The force of the blow is concentrated in the narrow blade. It can slice off roots with one clean stroke and leave the surrounding area undisturbed. A mason's hammer is also very handy for making trap beds on logs. Again, the narrow blade makes a suitable substitute for a wood chisel. With a little practice, you can actually cut a trap bed on a partially submerged log without giving yourself a bath.

When it comes to driving stakes, the mason's hammer, while not as fast as the sledge, still has enough mass to do the job quickly. The square shaped flat hammering head has a large enough striking surface to make driving a stake easy. This is especially helpful towards the end of the day when fatigue is playing hob with your hand-eye coordination. The flat blunt end of this hammer is also useful for adjusting rocks in a trap bed. Instead of digging the rock out it can be hammered deeper or off to one side without disturbing the rest of the bed.

I still carry a good selection of tools in the back of my truck during trapping season. But the tool that resides almost constantly in my basket or bucket is my trusty mason's hammer. It serves as a hoe, hammer, hatchet, wood chisel, and ice chisel. On occasion, I have even used my mason's hammer as a mountain climbing tool to gain a purchase on a steep bank. Because it is a relatively uncommon tool, compared to hammers and hatchets that lie in the sheds and garages of almost every home, the mason's hammer has never gained popularity among trappers in general. Visit a contractor's supply store, or the hardware department of any large store, and you can examine and heft a mason's hammer. Use one on your trapline for a week, and you will probably be back at the same store buying an extra one to keep for a spare.

For more trapping equipment visit the "Tools & Gloves" department at the Supply Line

Make your own muskrat traps? Looking at one of the conventional foothold or killer traps, it seems you would need access to a machine shop to build your own traps. But, there is a type of non-conventional muskrat trap that can be built at home with a few simple tools and materials purchased from the hardware store--a colony trap. This trap is often called a box trap or cage trap, both terms that describe the wire enclosure of the trap. Each end of the trap is fitted with a gravity operated hinged door that swings inward when the muskrat enters and falls shut trapping the 'rat inside. Simple but effective!

The standard material for building colony traps is 14 gauge welded wire mesh. The 1 by 2 inch mesh size is suitable. The smaller 1 by 1 inch can be used, but it is more expensive. This wire can be purchased at local hardware and farm supply centers. Depending on the quantity purchased, it costs in the neighborhood of 25 cents to 40 cents per square foot. This translates into $1.00 to $1.60 per trap. The cheapest way to buy wire is by the spool, but it is only economical if a lot of traps are needed. One spool 4 by 100 feet will yield 90 average size traps. No matter what quantity is purchased, the 4 foot width is best because it will yield two traps (one 24 inches long and one 22 inches long) when it is cut in the middle.

Fast Forward -- I'm sure the price of this wire has increased over the past ten years. But you can still make these traps economically.

The two most elaborate tools needed for making colony traps are wire cutters and pliers. Side-cut wire cutters give a lot closer cut, but the cutters on a set of linesman's pliers will suffice. For bending the wire and closing the seams in the trap, a set of slip-joint pliers are useful because of their angled head. It is also handy to have a tape measure on this job. The wire can be measured by counting the spaces in the mesh, but a few times of losing your place makes a tape measure worthwhile. A felt tip marker can be good for marking your place when you do find it. A couple of sawhorses or benches and two pieces of 2 by 4 lumber about three feet long will be helpful in folding the traps.

The first step in making a colony trap is to decide what size trap you want. The minimum opening for a colony trap is about 4 by 4 inches. While there is no maximum size opening for a colony trap, a dimension any greater than 8 inches will yield a flimsy trap due to the flexibility of the wire. The average size trap has a 5 by 6 inch opening. The length of the trap can vary also with 24 inches being the average. As previously mentioned, buying wire from a 48 inch spool will yield a 24 inch trap and a 22 inch trap with 2 inches lost from cutting the mesh. Shorter traps reduce the multiple catch capacity and longer traps are unwieldy.

There is a preference for rectangular shaped colony traps as opposed to square traps, say 6 by 5 inches rather than 6 by 6 inches. While these traps will both cover a muskrat run equally well, the rectangular trap requires one inch less water to make a drowning set. Bulk can be a problem with colony traps but this can be alleviated by building traps in three different sizes. For example, traps can be 5 by 4 inches, 6 by 5 inches, and 7 by 6 inches. Increasing the dimensions in one inch increments allows the smaller traps to be stored inside the larger traps.

To determine how much wire to cut to make a certain size trap, add the two dimensions of the opening and multiply by two. A 5 by 4 inch trap would require a piece of mesh 18 inches wide. Measure this length around the roll of wire. When cutting the wire, a 1 inch tail must be left on one side to fasten the trap together. In other words, a 5 by 4 inch trap requires an 18 inch piece of mesh plus a 1 inch tail. Make your cuts close to the cross wires to avoid sharp stubs. Assuming the proper width of wire has been cut from a 4 foot roll, it can then be cut in half to make two traps. No tails are left on the ends of the trap.

At this point, it is helpful to lay the piece of wire on a hard flat surface and stand on it to remove some of the curvature, but it is not necessary to get all the bow out. The next step is to fold the trap. Take a 2 by 4 inch board and lay it between two sawhorses or benches. Lay the wire on the 2 by 4 and use another 2 by 4 to hold it in place. Starting with the longest dimension, let the appropriate amount of wire stick over the edge of the wood. Even up the wire and the edges of the lumber and pinch the wire between the boards with one hand while folding it over with the other. Repeat this procedure, remembering to alternate dimensions on rectangular traps, until a four-sided box is formed.

Bending Traps
It is easier to bend the square edges of the trap if you pinch the wire between two pieces of wood.

Next, pull the edges of the box together and bend the tail wire over the free edge of the box. The tail wire should be crimped tightly but does not have to be double wrapped. Double wrapping leaves a lump that can interfere with the nesting capabilities of different size traps. Now the trap can be racked square or flattened a little more if necessary.
The next step is to fit each end of the trap with a gravity operated swinging door. The door should be 1 inch narrower than the width of the trap and one inch longer than the height of the trap. A 6 by 5 inch trap takes a 5 by 7 inch door plus a 1 inch tail at the top to make the hinge. The long dimension of the mesh should run the length of the door. It is best to cut a strip of the appropriate width off the roll and use it to make several pairs of doors. These doors must work freely so the tail wires must be bent into open loops to form a hinge. On some sizes, doors may have a 2 inch tail wire. Only the first inch of this tail is used to make the hinge. A large spike can aid in making a good hinge. The bend is started with pliers then the final bend is made using the spike as a mandrel to form a round loop for the hinge.

Keeping the seam on the bottom of the trap, the door is slipped inside with the hinge loops pointing upward. The loops are hooked over the top wire of the opening and closed with pliers. These loops should not be crimped tightly but should form a loose hinge at the top of the trap. The loops or tail wires on the outside edges of the door can be bent or spread toward the sides of the trap to help center the door. Finally, check the door to make sure it swings freely with no binding. It may be necessary to adjust the loops or bend the top edge of the trap perfectly flat.

It doesn't take any particular mechanical ability to build a colony trap. This is a good backyard project for any muskrat trapper who can measure, cut, and bend wire. The do-it-yourself trapper might find trap making a good way to fend off the off season jitters, and the low-budget trapper will find the savings on these traps attractive. Besides this, there is also the intangible satisfaction of catching a critter in a trap made with your own hands.

For traps you don't have to build yourself visit the "Traps & More" department at the Supply Line

by Hal Sullivan
(This article first appeared in "The Trapper & Predator Caller" December, 1988)

One of the fundamental concepts in modern trapping entails using an animal's nose to get its foot in a trap. The effectiveness of this strategy can be gauged by the proliferation and brisk sale of trapping lures and other items that present an attractive odor to a target animal. Most trappers grasp the basic concept of the use of scent attractors -- place the scent so that the animal trying to reach it will step in the trap. This simple evaluation alone has, and will continue to, put a lot of fur on the boards. But within the limits of this loosely defined plan of attack, there are variations and maneuvers that can increase your chances for success, and pitfalls that can diminish the effectiveness of scent attractors.

To better understand nasal maneuvering, let's look at a classic dirthole set. This set has bait down the hole, lure underneath the lip of the hole on one side and a squirt of urine on the other side of the hole. There are three distinct points of aromatic attraction centered beyond the trap, as the set is freshly made. After a catch (a fox for sake of argument) the set can be remade using the same hole, and the same scents, even the same trap, and will continue to take fox. However, the aromatic complexion of this set has changed. The whole area smells of fox and urine. Applying more urine to this set would not be necessary nor would it be readily distinguished as a unique point of attraction.

This same argument holds true for lure to a certain extent, but here is where you can begin maneuvering. Using a lure that is loud, or very distinct, at the remake can overpower the lingering odor of fox and can again become a distinct point of attraction. However, this set can be remade with only the bait at the bottom of the hole. The bait, especially if it is tainted, can provide the spot attractor for the set because its odor is different from the fox type odors. Reapplication of lure and urine to the set will not diminish its effectiveness, but it will not have the same value that it did in the original set. The only way to restore the effectiveness of the attractors is to move the set to an uncontaminated spot.

The effectiveness of the dirthole set with this three scent pattern is unquestionable. Consequently, every critter in the neighborhood gets to see and smell one by the middle of the season. Those that don't get to see the inside of a fur shed, learn to approach some of these smells or combinations with caution. This calls for breaking the scent pattern at the set. Eliminating one or more of the smells from a set could relieve the anxieties of a wary animal. A late season set with just bait or just lure in the bottom of the hole could be more productive because it has less attractors.

The other aspect of using less scent attractors at a set is the possibility of adding new smells if necessary. If an animal works a set to its satisfaction without getting caught, it will often loose interest in returning. Now, a new smell could be added to the set to attract the animal back for another look.

The real art of working with a critter's nose begins when you move up from dirthole sets to above ground sets that employ no bait. Flat sets and post sets offer only a limited degree of visual attraction and rely primarily on the animal's ability to scent them. The urine post set is another trapline classic, but its drawback comes not from overuse of the set, but from overuse of the attractor. Mid season fox can be urine shy. Post sets can be a good place to use a curiosity or offbeat lure. Here again, this might appeal to an animal grown accustomed to the smell of regular lures. Using a dab of muskrat lure on a rock to make a flat set could appeal to an animal that wants nothing to do with holes, urine, or gland lure.

Fast Forward -- A dose of mink lure also works well as a curiosity lure for canines.

In all remakes, including post and flat sets, the catch area becomes a large scent attractor. Rebuilding a post or flat set within the confines of the catch circle is acceptable as long as the visual attractor is present. Using a louder scent on the visual attractor may be necessary to overpower the odors of the catch area and again draw the animal to the trap. The alternate method of rebuilding a set is to move the set to the outside edge of the circle. This may be a better idea for post and flat sets than it is for dirtholes because the visual attraction of these sets is less, and the set depends primarily on scent attraction.

Fast Forward -- Today, I do almost all my remakes as dirthole sets, using nothing but bait in the bottom of the hole.

The ultimate challenge in using scent attractors, is constructing sets that rely on smell alone to take an animal. These sets are commonly called invisible sets because they use little or no visual attraction. The animal in this case is led strictly by its nose to investigate the set. A typical scent-only set could be made in a pasture or hay field simply by placing a few drops of lure in a clump of grass and hiding a trap (with no exposed dirt) in front of it. The same set could be made in the woods by hiding the lure underneath the leaf mat and carefully covering the trap with the same material.

Using only scent to attract an animal calls for careful trap placement and certain natural guiding conditions at the set, but there are advantages to this method. There is no hole, worked dirt, or other dominant physical feature to alarm the shyest critter or alert the sharpest trap thief. With this method, you can make sets right under the nose of a passersby and use the nose of the critter to make the set work. For example:

Last season, I made a scent-only set in a leafy area at the intersection of two farm lanes. Tracks along the lane showed frequent use by other people, so I camouflaged the set entirely and hid the lure in a tiny hole at the base of a weed. Two days later I took the first gray fox. Now my subtle, one-scent set was a torn up circle of fox smell that was evident even to my nose. Furthermore, it would now be hard to hide my activity from the traffic.

Rebuilding the set within the circle was out of the question for two reasons. First, the odor of the lure would have to compete with the now present fox odors. I could have converted to a flat or dirthole set, but that brings up the second point. I knew I could not erase the catch circle completely, and I knew sooner or later some dishonest or curious soul would come poking around the circle looking for a trap.

Rather than give up the set, or my traps, I moved to the outer edge of the circle and made the same exact set. The old set was now acting as a call station. As the incoming fox circled this station, they picked up the fresh set. The crooks stomped through the old set and kicked at the old trap bed, but thanks to a limb lying towards one side of the set, I was able to guide their footsteps in and out of the area so they did not step on the new invisible set. After the third fox, the location went dead. The whole area was torn up and space for a clean set was at a premium. With a few days of inactivity, I pulled the set before the curious two-legged critters stepped in my trap by accident.

While standard and set patterns of using scent attractors are effective in most instances, varying their use and application can give the trapper an edge on the critters and the competition. Going beyond the fundamentals, trappers can employ fewer scents or scent alone to catch more animals. Nasal maneuvers are not hard to grasp or execute. It takes only the ability to analyze the situation, and a willingness to try something different.

For lures and other scent attractors visit the "Lure, Bait, Urine" department at the Supply Line

by Hal Sullivan
(This article first appeared in "The Trapper and Predator Caller" September, 1988)

To a non-trapping psychiatrist, "pan tension" might describe the affliction of an overworked cook. But any trapper knows that pan tension is the amount of pressure needed to depress the pan of a trap and cause it to spring. Adjusting pan tension was not a topic of discussion until the coming of the bolt and nut as pan fasteners. With this system, the trapper controls the pan tension by tightening or loosening the nut. But the question of "how tight?" or "how loose?" can sometimes give the trapper fits, in which case he may find himself on the couch with that overworked cook.

In general, pan tension should be set so the lightest animal you want to catch will spring the trap. Excluding weasels, mink are on the lowest end of this scale. A trap expected to take mink needs no more than the force of the dog in the notch to hold it up. Since mink are often taken along with muskrat and coon, adding extra pan tension at a water set might cause some missed mink. For this reason, the humped cross traps with non-adjustable pans are not objectionable as water traps.

The art, or mad-science as the case may be, of adjusting pan tension comes with land trapping. Here, there is a host of small non-target critters such as birds, mice, rabbits, etc., that can run afoul of traps set with light pan tension. Increasing pan tension and making the trap harder to fire can help to eliminate problems with these smaller animals.

Another reason for increasing tension on a land trap is to get an animal's foot committed to its downward travel as the trap fires. An animal that is wading in water, is used to having its feet sink into the mud and slip off of wet rocks and sticks. When this animal steps on a trap pan, the downward motion of its foot does not unduly alarm it. However, an animal walking on solid ground expects its foot to stay where it is placed. If its foot sinks, the animal may experience a falling sensation and draw its foot back merely to avoid a stumble. This could result in a miss or a toenail catch. With increased tension, the animal is more likely to think it has solid footing because the pan will not give right away.

The standard rule for figuring pan tension is to assume the target animal places one-forth of it's body weight on each foot. And this is the pressure it exerts on a trap pan when it stands flat footed at a set. In theory, a 10 lb. fox would have 2.5 lbs. of its weight on each foot; therefore it would spring a trap set with 2 lbs. of pan tension. This figure is adhered to by some fox trappers. However, this theory assumes the fox will be placing its weight only on the pan of the trap. Using a large pan cover that shields all the area inside the trap jaws provides this condition.

The increasingly popular method of bedding traps with a "trapper's cap" may require a deviation from the standard rules of pan tension. With the cap, many trappers are packing the dirt both outside and inside the jaws of the trap, leaving only the area directly under the pan hollow. Here an animal could step within the jaws of the trap, and place part of its foot on the pan, while the rest of the foot would be resting on solid ground. For the sake of discussion, let's say one-third of the foot is on the pan. If we are still talking about a fox with 2.5 lbs. on each foot, only one-third of this weight (less than 1 lb.) is being transferred to the trap pan. This is less than half the pressure needed to fire a trap with the pan tension set at 2 lbs.

To determine pan tension with the solid bedding method, the trapper not only has to determine how much weight an animal puts on each foot, but also how much of that foot he wants on the pan before the trap fires. For this example, let's say we want at least one-forth of the fox's foot on the pan. One-forth of 2.5 lbs is 0.6, or approximately 1/2 lb. In this situation, traps set with 1/2 lb. pan tension will spring when the fox has 1/4 or more of its foot on the pan, any animal weighing less than 2 lbs. will not spring the trap, and any animal in the 2 to 3 lb. range will have to step squarely on the pan to fire the trap.

Fast Forward -- In practice, 2 pounds of pan tension is not too much for a fox trap, even though the above example is true. If the trap does not fire when the fox steps on it initially, it will when the fox raises its other foot to take another step. In this condition (when the animal has only three feet touching the ground) a greater amount of weight is distributed to each foot.

Some experienced trappers can set pan tension by feel, but the majority would be well advised to actually measure this quantity. Since most trappers do not have a scale to measure pan tension, the alternative is to use an object of known weight to rest on the pan. Tools such as pliers or vice-grips can be used if they can be accurately weighed.

A pan tension tester can be made from a detergent bottle. For heavier tension, use a milk jug and rest it on top of a wood stick or dowel.

A fairly accurate pan tension tester can be made from a plastic detergent bottle. The bottle can be filled with a measured amount of water to give it a certain weight. A 32 oz. detergent bottled will test pan tension up to two pounds (32 oz. equals 2 lbs.). Adding water to the bottle with a kitchen measuring cup that is graduated in ounces will give you the desired weight.

Although this point may seem elementary to some, pan tension should be adjusted with the trap set. A certain amount of upward pressure is exerted by the dog resting in the notch. Pans that are adjusted with the trap in a relaxed condition will show a higher reading when the trap is set. Waxing can also effect pan tension. The safest route to follow is to adjust any trap in exactly the same condition it will be used in the field.

When testing pan tension on a set trap, it is not advisable to let the jaws snap shut on the tester. Pliers or vice-grips could damage the trap jaws, and a plastic bottle tester will not last long under this abuse. To test the pan tension on a set trap, throw the free jaw over towards the power jaw and use the tester behind this free jaw. The trap will fire and the free jaw will knock the tester away as it comes upright.

Pan tension is not a major cause of nervous breakdowns for trappers, but it can cause its share of headaches. Too much will result in the critters using the trap for a stepping stone, and too little could cause a curious mouse or even a heavy frost to fire the trap. The proper setting is determined by the size of the animal to be included or excluded from the trap and the habits of the individual trapper.

by Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "The Trapper & Predator Caller" October, 1988)

"Fur shed" is a generic term that describes the place that a trapper has designated for putting up his fur, and in some cases, storing trapping equipment. Some lucky trappers have outbuildings (actual sheds!) that serve this purpose year round. Others might clear out a corner of the old garage or an unused basement room to use for the season. However, a growing number of trappers live in modern homes with no outbuildings, no basements, and a finished garage. These conditions don't offer much chance for a genuine fur shed. But this does not completely eliminate the possibility for these trappers to have their own little place to put up their fur.

The main objection to a fur shed (by those with more delicate sensibilities than a trapper -- about 99% of the population) is the odor and the mess. If you are one of these trappers whose fur shed is in close proximity to the eyes and noses of other family members, you need to take some special precautions. But with a little planning and preparation, you can have a fur shed that will meet your requirements and the approval of your family.

First, if you're going to be working in a room or garage with finished walls and floors, they must be protected from the mud, the blood, and the grease that are the normal byproducts of fur handling. Sheets of plastic can be used to cover the walls. Most large chain stores sell plastic drop cloths in their paint department, and building supply stores sell plastic sheeting by the roll. This plastic can be taped to the wall near the ceiling. Don't use duct tape or other strong tapes because they may pull off the paint when you try to remove it. Use masking tape.

However, plastic does not make a very good covering for the floor. It's hard to keep in place, easily torn, and a greasy sheet of plastic is as treacherous as glare ice. Cardboard makes a much better floor covering. It will absorb grease and blood and minimize tracking it through the house. It is also easily swept off with a broom. Appliance stores, building contractors and recycling centers can be sources for large sheets of heavy cardboard. This cardboard can be cut and pieced together (here you should use duct tape) to fit the dimensions of your fur shed. It is wise to get twice as much as you need then you can replace the floor halfway through the season if it gets too grimy.

In-home Fur Shed Supplies
With plastic sheathing on the walls,
cardboard on the floor and a supply of newspapers and paper towels, you can successfully operate an in-home fur shed.

The household fur handler should have an ample supply of newspapers. Newspapers covering the critical areas of the cardboard floor like under the skinning gambrel, fleshing beam, and drying rack will absorb the major portion of the mess, and they can be changed daily. This will keep the cardboard from becoming soiled immediately and hold down on the odors generated by aging blood and grease.

While cardboard and plastic will protect the immediate area from damage, second hand dirt from the fur shed can get spread around the house. Door knobs turned with dirty hands, a glob of fat tracked across the floor, or a trail of blood dripped from the nose of a freshly skinned carcass has been the cause of domestic unrest for more than one trapper. Disposable rags or paper towels will help you keep up with the mess. A couple of 5 gallon buckets are useful items to have for carcass storage and removal. To help keep your feet clean put an old rug or doormat at the entrance to your fur shed.

To hold down on the spread of fur-shed dirt from soiled clothing, wear a skinning apron. Disposable gloves are also catching on with a lot of trappers. These gloves can be peeled off, and you have instantly clean hands. This is very convenient for answering the phone or the door. Wearing gloves also makes it easier to wash up after a skinning session. You save time not having to scrub your hands with a brush, and not having to clean the sink when your done.

To complete your fur shed, you need a place to hang animals for drying and skinning. A drying rack is no big problem. A board resting on the back of two chairs will be strong enough to suspend wet animals as they dry. However, suspending an animal for skinning requires a better arrangement. A good deal of pressure must be applied to an animal to remove its hide, and the hanger for this purpose must be sufficiently strong.

The best arrangement would be to screw a large size hook into a ceiling joist. This will provide sufficient strength and allow the trapper to adjust the height of his skinning operation to meet his needs. If this is not feasible, a combination skinning and drying rack can be constructed from two by four's to serve the purpose.

Skinned carcasses have a way of generating unpleasant odors. If this is a problem, remove each animal from the premise as it is skinned, or seal the remains in garbage bag to be disposed of at the end of the session. At this point, most household fur handlers will turn the pelts fur side out, seal them in a plastic bag, and store them in the freezer. If you have control over the garage, or a room totally isolated from the rest of the house (or an extremely tolerant family) you may be able to flesh, stretch, and dry your fur. While drying hides don't have a necessarily foul odor -- they ain't roses either. If odors are a major objection, stretching and drying hides might get you and your fur shed in the dog house.

There are some trappers who take their catch directly from the trapline to the fur buyer. Many of these trappers just don't want to skin their catch at home -- others aren't allowed. By taking some preliminary protective measures, and exercising a certain degree of cleanliness, some of these overruled trappers may be able to overcome the objection. A classic fur shed festooned with traps and hides hanging from the rafters is a luxury only a few trappers can afford. There is an old adage that says home is where you hang your hat. Likewise, the fur shed is simply the place where you hang your fur. Be it ever so humble -- there's no fur shed like your own.

For fur handling supplies visit the "Fur Handling" department at the Supply Line

by Hal Sullivan
(This article was first published in "Fur-Fish-Game" April 1990)

The basic concept in trapping is to capture a furbearer by catching and holding it in a trap. While most of the emphasis is placed on the skills used to outwit these animals, the function and reliability of the trap itself also determines how many animals you will catch and hold. With certain adjustments and modifications, the efficiency of a trap can be enhanced. Foothold traps, in particular, demand a trapper's attention to bring them up to proper working order. This requires just a few simple tools and some time in your shop or garage.

Although emergency adjustments are sometimes necessary on the trapline, most trap adjustments are a matter of shop work rather than field work. You don't have to be a mechanical genius to adjust a trap, and you don't need any elaborate tools. Basically all you need is a screwdriver, a file, and a pair of pliers. Bolt cutters can be useful, but a hacksaw is a good substitute if bolt cutters are not available. A bench vise is also very handy for holding traps while you work on them, but it is not an absolute necessity.

A trap can be changed, adjusted, or modified at any time; but the most logical point for beginning your work on a trap is when it is new, before it is put to use on the line. There is an old adage that no trap is fit to use straight from the box. Manufacturers make no special effort to fine-tune a trap on the assembly line. Therefore, it is not only a convenience to adjust a trap when it is new--it is a necessity.

The most fundamental adjustment that needs to be made to a foothold trap is to get the pan (target area of the trap) to be level with the jaws when the trap is set. If the pan is too high, it creates a couple of problems. First, animals usually avoid stepping on a high spot, and the pan is exactly where you want them to step. Second, by having the pan level with the jaws, the animal's foot will be down between the jaws when it touches the pan and fires the trap. A high pan would cause the trap to fire early resulting in a toe catch. A pan that is set too low can also be cause for trouble. If a small piece of solid material finds its way under a low-set pan, it could jam the pan up, and the trap might not fire at all.

To adjust and level the pan, bend the frame of the trap where the dog (small lever that holds down the jaw) is attached. Bending this arm in lowers the pan. You can get an idea of how level the pan is setting by holding up the pan of the unset trap with your fingers while you bend the frame. The final adjustment should be made with the trap set. You can still hold the pan up with your fingers, just keep them underneath the jaws. Leveling the pan is one adjustment that most trappers know how to make, but there are some other things that will further improve the efficiency of a trap.

A trap will catch more animals if it fires with a crisp and clean let off. Most traps are supplied with a deep notch to hold the end of the dog. The pan must travel a long way downward before the trap fires, and this could alert a wary critter. The edges of both the notch and the dog are usually rounded and misshapen in the manufacturing process, which further contributes to a sluggish let off.

Shortening and squaring up the notch will make the trap fire faster. A small six-inch flat file works well for this because it will fit inside the notch. You can file away most of the top of the notch. Then, turn the file sideways to cut a new clean groove in the deep part of the notch to accept the end of the dog. At the same time, you should file the end of the dog square and smooth so that it fits tightly in the notch. With a good square fit between the dog and notch, as little as one-sixteenth inch of metal at the top of the notch, or the thickness of a penny, will hold the trap set. This trap will then fire crisply when the pan makes even a very slight downward movement.

Night Latch Notch
A "night latch" notch

Fast Forward -- Today, I use a different type of notching system on my traps. It's called a night latch. In making this, it is not necessary to file away the old notch; just square up the end of it. Then at the upper end of the old notch, file a new, shorter notch. To set the trap, put the dog all the way into the old notch and pull down carefully on the pan. You should be able to feel and hear the dog click into the new notch. (This is why it is called a night latch. You could set the trap in the dark.)

Once the pan is leveled, the notch is shortened, and the dog is squared up, you may be able to make other adjustments to improve the firing qualities of the trap. Some traps are equipped with a nut and bolt that fasten the pan to the frame. By tightening or loosening this bolt, you can determine how much weight it will take to fire the trap. Leaving the bolt loose will cause the trap to fire with the slightest touch. This would be the proper setting for small animals like mink. Some trappers may think this featherweight setting is desirable for all traps, but there are sometimes advantages in increasing pan tension -- the pressure needed to fire the trap.

When traps are used on land, especially in canine trapping, there are advantages in tightening the pan bolt to give increased pan tension. Traps that are set to fire on the slightest pressure can be sprung by weather conditions such as freezing and thawing ground or heavy rains soaking the soil over the trap pan. They are also easily sprung by small non-target animals like mice. These traps can also fire when an animal steps on the trap jaws or levers and jars the trap. By tightening the pan bolt until the pan will support the weight of a small pair of pliers without falling, you will eliminate weather and non-target related misfires, and still catch any canine that steps squarely into the trap.

Another advantage of increased pan tension is that the animal will be applying more downward pressure to fire the trap and will be less able to pull back its foot and avoid the jaws. An animal stepping on a tight pan does not notice the unfirm footing until it shifts its weight onto that foot. At this point, the pan lets go, and the animal literally falls into the trap. If these traps are later needed for a lightweight animal on another line, it is a simple matter to loosen the bolt and decrease the pan tension. This is one adjustment that the trapper can make at will.

A word of caution is in order in regards to adjusting pan tension. The final adjustment and testing should be made with the trap in a set, and "trapline ready" condition. Both the pressure of holding the power jaw down and the application of wax or dips to a trap usually increases pan tension. Clean the wax or dip (if these are being used) from the pan notch and end of the dog and set the trap to make the final pan tension adjustment. As a general rule, it is better to have the pan tension too light rather than too heavy.

Adjusting the pan tension on traps with non-bolted pans can be a little more difficult. Most of the time, these traps are used in situations where pan tension is not a critical factor. You can increase the pan tension on these traps by bending the dog in the middle so it presses down harder on the jaw of the trap.

Fixing traps so they will set and fire properly will help you catch more animals, but you can further improve their efficiency by modifying your traps to help you hold those animals. When an animal is caught in a trap, it will twist, lunge, and roll in its effort to escape. The ability of the trap to negate these efforts will determine how long you can hold the animal.

Most of the problems arise from the animal rolling and twisting. If the trap and trap chain get snarled up, the animal can get a solid hold and pull out. That is why all traps are equipped with at least one swiveling point in the chain. The addition of an extra swivel in the trap chain is good insurance against tangle-up's. Swivels can be purchased from trapping supply outlets, and though they require an investment by the trapper, they soon pay for themselves in animals that do not escape. The commonly used box or double swivels, have two pre-bent rivets that swivel on opposite ends of a metal holder or "box". They are installed by cutting a link out of the middle of the trap chain, and reconnecting the chain with the rivets of the swivel.

While long chains are alright or even advantageous for water trapping, land trappers who are using solid staking should consider shortening the chains on their traps. Animals caught on dry land can lunge with the trap. With a short chain, the animal does not have as much room to get a running start. Fox traps can be shortened to three links of double loop chain, or two links with a swivel in the middle.

Another modification that will make a trap more lunge proof and twist proof is to attach the chain to the base of the trap directly underneath the pan instead of on the end of the trap. This makes the animal pull straight away from the trap with no sideways leverage. A cold-shut or lap-link can be slipped over the base to hold the chain. Make sure the fastener is positioned diagonally over the cross in the frame, or it will slide to one end and defeat your purpose.

At the other end of the chain, provisions must be made to fasten the trap to its anchor. The standard ring that comes on the end of most trap chains is suitable for water trapping where a trap is often wired to a stake, and the animal is to be drowned in the trap. A water trapper might also consider adding a drowning lock to this ring as a permanent modification. This can save time and confusion for those who use a lot of slide-wire rigs.

For use on land, trap chains are better equipped with a fastener that will accept a steel stake without slipping over the top. This hookup will allow the animal to circle the stake and tire itself. A box type swivel with one rivet removed makes a good staking device, and actually gives two swiveling points--the swivel box turns around the stake, and the rivet turns within the swivel box. S-hooks are also popular as stake swivels, and somewhat less expensive than box swivels, but they swivel in only one direction, around the stake.

Trappers who operate in poor soil conditions, or who for other reasons habitually use two stakes with a trap, may want to consider making a double stake fastener a permanent part of the trap chain. The simplest method of doing this is to add two s-hooks to the last link of the trap chain. But remember that this double rig will not circle around the stake and will require at least one box swivel between the trap and the stake for proper swiveling. Manufactured double stake fasteners are available with a rivet for fastening and swiveling the chain.

There are certain lines of traps on the market today that have some or all of these enhanced holding features built in. Short chains, extra swivels, bottom frame attachment, and stake swivels have all proved so beneficial that some manufacturers offer this in a special "canine" style of trap. This includes some traps with a shock absorbing spring in the chain that resists lunging. It may be more economical to purchase these special traps than it would be to convert and modify a standard trap.

Not all foothold traps are the same, so the degree of modification and adjustment will vary with the type of trap and the conditions under which it is used. A simple muskrat trap might require no more than leveling the pan, while a canine trap might require a complete tune up and realignment. In any case, you want a trap that will set and fire properly, secure a good hold, and maintain its grip on the intended species.

Covered here were the most basic and common alterations that are required in adjusting a trap. There are other more elaborate procedures. Adding extra springs, replacing and modifying pans, and thickening jaws and base plates are all possibilities, but they are usually reserved for more advanced trappers and sometimes require special tools. The degree of preparation that a trapper gives a trap depends on his skill and his resources. However, no trapper has an excuse for not practicing at least the fundamental forms of trap adjustment.

Sometimes en route to becoming a successful trapper, it's easy to overlook the simple factors while concentrating on more intriguing issues. Learning the habits of each furbearer will help you know where to put your trap, and studying the different kinds of sets will show you how to get the animal to your trap. But if that trap does not function properly, you get zero credit for your other skills. Proper adjustment and modification is a key element in meeting a trapper's goal of catching and holding animals in his traps.

For trap modification hardware visit the "Hardware & Misc." department at the Supply Line