Cable staked cable size for coyotes?

[Zagman]

I have noticed that many guys use 1/8th inch cable for their cable stakes vs. 3/32".......

I am curious as to why?

I am a proponent of "bigger is better" with traps and such, and certainly understand the feeling of confidence that the larger cable would give........

But is this use of the larger cable just that, a confidence booster OR is it from a bad experience with the lighter cable.

Also, I could see some value in larger cable if one tends to leave them in the ground and reuse them for many years.

I guess there is value as well if you pull everyone of them and the stress there of, but the stress should really be an the crimps, not the cable itself.

I make my own cable stakes with a bench crimper and use double ferrules on both the top and bottom loops. This connection is much stronger than the original IDS stakes I purchased from Snareshop and the crushed nut with no loop at the stake end.

I have been 100% cable for the last 7 years or so and have NEVER (hate that word) had a failure with the 3/32"........am I missing the boat here?

Zagman

[mike692]

Zagman, I've only caught 7 coyote in my life, most of which were caught last year. They were all caught in traps staked with 3/32 cable. Of those, one had frayed the cable to the point that if I hadn't checked that trap early in the day, I could have lost him. It may have been just a freak occurrence, but I'll be building my stakes with 1/8th cable from now on. It's probably not necessary but I'll sleep better. Besides 1/8th isn't that much more expensive and if you do leave them in the ground they'll last much longer.
And I agree that a loop on both ends is much stronger than just sliding the cable through and pounding a stop on the end.

[17kiss]

Zag , I have had a coyote(single)chew off cable aboveground and take off. Once is enough. The big advantage I see is being able to feel safe using same cable for a few years instead of recabling every year.Plus when pulling have had many,many 3/32 cable loops blow out from the stress. I am phasing 3/32 out as they are used and replacing all with 1/8 cable.Just what I have seen , it is different in different soil conditions.

[blakcoyote]

I only tried cable stakes one season back when the pogo stake first came out,before they made the improvements.I used 3/32 cable and didnt have a problem with the cable.My biggest problem was with rock.We have alot of rocky ground here,and sometimes the cable would get cut with the driver when trying to pound through this stuff.So I went back to rebar.But now about 11 years later I'm toying with the idea of going cable again,only using the heavy duty berkshires.I like what I see in them and they look like they would take a beating ib rocky ground well.So Zagman,do you reuse the 3/32 cable from year to year,because I'm debating what size to use also,and I'm leaning towards the 1/8",but if 3/32" is doing you well from year to year,I may go with it,being that,if I drive in a cable stake and it sets itself,I'll never get them out with all the rock.

[Stef]

Mark, I used pipe disposable stakes for + 10 years and I used to "CUT and GO" and the last years I used them, I was using 1/16th cable for saving a few $$$.
I use a crimper like you have and never had a failure.

1/16 breaks close to 500 pounds!

Stef

[mike692]

Duane I have the same problem here with rock. I have a bunch of Pogo's made up for next season, but I plan on driving a pilot hole before planting my stake.
You'll like the HD Berkshires. That's all I used last year and I recovered most of them.

[Zagman]

Blakcoyote:

I leave the bulk of mine in the ground......

Thus, further reasoning for spending as little as possible for the stakes....bigger ferrules and such cost pennies more! LOL

I use a variety of stake ends for different situations and have gravitated to Pogos and Berkshires due to cost and me leaving them in place..........

MZ

[blakcoyote]

Mike,The HD Berkshires look like they'd fit the bill.Do you need to pre-drive a hole for them also,or just the pogo's.

[mike692]

Nope, no pilot for the Berks. They drive nice, but if you hit a rock sometimes you can split the ends. But, they don't stick to the driver like the old style.

Zagman, do you pound a pilot for the Pogos?

[blakcoyote]

**Thus, further reasoning for spending as little as possible for the stakes....bigger ferrules and such cost pennies more! LOL**

They add up though,thats why I was wondering if a guy is further head spending the extra.

[MChewk]

Zags, I still have some of Bob Youngs original cable stakes from 90's in 1/8..still tough BUT in some ground would you believe I had some sort of chemical breakdown some stakes that I left in year 'round...weird. I use 3/32 now but will say feel better using the bigger stuff if leaving in year 'round. like Stef have also skimped when trapping out of stake and used 1/16 in a pinch with no problems.

[markymark]

I have used 3/32 and 1/8th, out west I never had a problem with 3/32 but here in the east I always use 1/8th. More rock that has freyed the wire, moisture has taken a toll on the weld or nut of the IDS in the east. I have been making some up on the bullet stake as of late with 1/8 stainless.

I had some out west on 3\32 that I used for 7 years and never had a failure. I also use a Sterling at the end of my chains and connected the cable with a cruchproof swivel. Why not try stainless steel cable.

[NEPISIGUIT]

I also have not had a problem with 3/32 cable. Darcy told me earlier this year that he recommended 1/8 cable because it stands up better following repeated catches. He also changed his BESISLE FOOT SNARES TO 1/8 cable for the same reason. Whatever works. I use pipe disposibles and 3/32 cable. No problem so far but then again i am not a big catch coyote man.

[Rob220swift]

Had a bad experience with 3/32 when a big male yote snapped cable and ran off with the trap on its foot. The cable was set in sand, so there was no rock abrasion that led to the break. Switched to 1/8 only because of that one incident. By the way, got the trap back the following spring.

[vttrapper]

I used 3/32 for a couple years with no trouble. Then was given a lot of 1/8. So i went to the 1/8th. Whe it runs out I still have the 3/32 and will go back to it.

frank

[briankroberts]

I have been using 1/8" , but got a fee 1000' spool of it, if I was cutting and going I think 3/32" would be fine, if I'm retrieving it like I do here in black dirt country 1/8" makes me feel safe.
All of my cable is underground so chewing is not a problem for me, I do notice where the rivet rides on the cable loop the cable gets worked pretty hard, but I've never replaced any because they looked to worn.
1/8" on over and over use seems pretty indestructable to me.....B.....

[guidestick]

I use 1/8" cable because I can get longer usage out of them. Besides when I need to pull them in a farmers field or such they don't seem to break as easy.
Ryan

[17HMR]

I used both last year and seen no diffrence.

[Darcy Alkerton]

Mark,

As Charlie said I have used 3/32 for years but have been changing out to 1/8. I went all 1/8 on my foot-snares and had my first chew out last fall. I think it is all to do with the animal. I caught several bears in foot-snares on 1/8 and then lost one in 1 hour and 15 minutes after he was caught. He never chewed anything but the cable and got away. I use 3/16 on the bears now and have not lost one yet (touch wood).

If you would like to see a pic Mark, I would e-mail you one of my set up for the foot-snare. I do not know how to post pics. Also have a pic of a 425 lb bear held by 1/8 cable. Nothing left standing in the area as he chewed everthing off.

In this case my vote is for Bigger Is Better.

Later, Darcy

[trappnman]

I 'm a rookie with cable stakes- but I'm missing something here. As Brian says- I don't get chewing cause my cables in the ground.

I used Berkshires- and started a short piolet hole, and drove rgewm in until the chian was going into the ground a little. Sure- the cables were pulled up a small amount with a catch- but not long enough to allow any chewing.

I could see where occacsionally a cable would come out enough to allow chewing -but would think this to be a rare event.

Fire away....