Empty Griz's

[bobm]

For those of you who have used the griz getrz quite a bit, how often do you have sprung, empty ones? I've had a few sprung the past week without anything in them and they are not moved. My first thought is skunks or deer are working them. What do you think?

[primetime]

Since it's not moved I'd have to go with maybe mice or voles. I could see them getting down into the bottom and firing the trap without getting caught. Is your bait gone?

[timwilcox]

Could be chipmunks or even red squirrels

[rk660]

could be coon, I get a high % of sprung traps with any dogproof trap. I know they will jack with them quite a bit and spring many in the process whether griz, cuffs or trapmasters. Why I get so many sprung traps and others dont(or just say), I dunno. Ive listened and tried what others tell me, and still lots or pulled out sprung traps.

[HappyPlumber]

I had the same problem. I was using a ground fish bait. Went to marshmallows and/or a combo of cotton balls and procoon. No sprung traps, just coon. HP

[bobm]

Thanks for the help

[foxtrapperwoman]

Stick bait all the way down in the griz, marshmallows seem to work the best. I tried the cotton balls with pro coon and those darn coons were pulling the cotton out without firing the traps! So it was back to the marshmallows and pro coon. Of course that location always has goofy coons at it, 2 seasons ago had griz's set late in season and had coons walking around the traps, but not sticking their paws in. Even the foxes are goofy there, must be something in the water LOL.

[rk660]

Ive tried the marshmellows, procoon sheepwool on trigger, tried to modify tension and, have come to the conclusion if I want to catch 700-1000 coon every year, it WON'T be in hole type traps. Ive seen too many times of 2-4 hole traps walked by on coon I-80 interstate trails and limp along catching 1 every other day, then thrown in good leghold sets and get a triple in 3 traps the next day. I try to keep an open mind to new stuff, and have tried to make them preform, but a guy can only "play and experiement" so much during fur season. I'd really like to go on someones line that used them and throws 50 coon a day in back of truck with them, maybe I'd learn something. But for now, I'm wasting my time and money dinking with them.

[Getrz]

Rich, It seems you and dog proof traps don't get along very well...LOL!

Here is a tip from one of the Missouri guys that caught over 1,200 coon this past season....77 coon out of 140 Grizz traps in one day......

Take a piece of cut fish bait,carp works excellent, cut it into a square or rectangle thick enough when shoved down in the bottom of the Grizz trap, the trigger just rests on the fish chunk when the trap is set. The object is that the coon has to "fish" the bait out from under the trigger without setting it off......99.99% of the time the coon loses.

Just a note: Cary Kohut from MO just uses fish in the bottom of the Grizz....no lure and no fish oil. He has caught over 3,800 coon this way....his losses are less than 1% using Grizz traps.

The above paragraphs are for information and a possible solution to a problem, NOT to start a pissing contest! Many times I usually don't post on a Grizz thread unless someone has a problem with them.

BobM, sometimes sprung empty Grizz traps are caused by mice climbing the side of the Grizz and stepping on the trigger end firing the trap from the outside. I bet the mouse takes a ride when the dog of the Grizz flings the mouse high up in the air...LOL!

Any more questions, please ask.

Getrz

[foxtrapperwoman]

No biggie catches here, but usually I do fine with griz when I set them ( except the late season leftover "seed" coons, and the pro coon on the cotton). I am using them where there are or may be dogs though, so I am using them in special curcumstance. There are simply not enough coons here to try big catches with, no matter what trap type is used. But I think I do as well with them as I would with dirtholes, pockets/ rock cubbies , and 160's or 220's at buckets. Trying griz at places where I can use no other trap except cages, I still get a good percentage of the local coons. They are certainly easier to set.

It is possible that coons have regional differences too. It is odd that griz traps set on a coon highway would have coons stick their noses up and walk by, but hey I might have dirtholes set on the same type spot here and get dug traps or refusals, then set in some griz and have them filled up the next few mornings in a row. ?

It is like me having 1 cottonball after another lifted out of the traps and left next to it, then I stick a marshamallow in there and have a coon the next morning.

[rk660]

Yes I think you could be right foxtrapper, Ive got 2 good coon trapping friends in south MN and both did over 400 in 80% griz traps. We talk all the time, use the same bait etc. they just plop them down and bingo, catch coons. Now funny thing around here and across river in IA. Guys I personally know that kill 800-1900 have the exact same problems I have, so it just aint me. These 3-4 guys can trap coon anyday of the week toe to toe with anyone in the country. we're not talking rank amituers. They have the same opinion of any hole trap also. I know guys in MN and WI can conibear bucket a lot more coon than you can down here, I think by virtue of the fact they have a heavyer feeding and hungryer coon than down here. Maybe same same. And we have all tried it all, bait under trigger, mashmellow under trigger, trap pegged down, trap laying on ground, trap straight up, trap at 45 angle, this bait that bait this lure that lure, yada yada.

[trappnman]

Actually- I think you boys down there do much, much better in buckets than anyone I've ever heard of here in MN. Don't really know any serious trappers that use many buckets here and I do know the boys you are talking about.

For sure we have a heavier coon- doubtful whether we have a hungrier coon- in fact, I'm the one that knows lure far, far outproduces bait in the winter Nov- Feb coon trapping.

with our colder, snowier winters, I also feel we have a much smaller coon population here in the hills- not like those slow flat rivers that are the staple of more southern coon trappers.

biggest problem I found with the grizs was visibility. Coon are a far more visual hunter than most trapper think- painting them white until shined up by the coon made a big difference.

[bobm]

Thanks again everyone. When they've been sprung, they've not been moved at all. It seems if a coon had sprung them, they would have been a little more persistent and pulled the bait out of the bottom. On all of them, they bait is still in the trap.

[Getrz]

BobM, check to see if the Grizz trap is out of adjustment. Your description sounds like the trap is misfiring on its own.

When set, the end of the dog should be 1/16th of an inch from the bottom of the trigger notch. If you speed dipped the traps, clean the dip off the end of the dog and trigger notch.

Rich, I don't know what to say. You already convinced yourself that "hole type" traps don't work for you. I talk to many big #'s coon men that DON'T want to be recognized that they catch big #s of coon in Grizz traps. They have their reasons and I respect their requests not to be identified.

Foxtrapperwoman, you pretty much nailed it in your post about coon behavior.....

More later.....

Getrz

[thefoxtrapper]

had about a dozen grizz last year at beginning of season, lost some along the way, so down to about half dozen, anyways, all I did was set on sign and use a sweet syrup off the grocery shelf with marshmallow and fish jammed down in grizz, I can tell you this, if I ever get back into trapping coon hard, I would buy a bunch of these traps, and just river trap sandbars, use some footholds blind, both sets are knocked out in less than 30 secs and gone, but got to set on good sign, not a track here and yonder, multiple tracks, and then pull in a couple nights, the grizz traps will murder the coon down here. I caught between 40-50 in those dozen traps last year with very little effort.....could do some serious numbers with them if I felt like getting serious, but look what we are talking about here, a simple stinking greasy COON......w

[kevinupp]

"I bet the mouse takes a ride when the dog of the Grizz flings the mouse high up in the air...LOL!"


Maybe you could rename it the Mouseapult.

I haven't had any misfire, but I also bury the dog in the notch.

I'm with Steve on painting them white. It really, for me atleast, far out-produces leaving them plain or rusty.

[thefoxtrapper]

isnt the paint all scarred and rubbed off and the trap muddy and grimy after one catch, all the ones ive spray painted black, were all shiny after the first catch.....also unless in an area where theft is of no concern, i can see problems with white, there is no substitute for setting on good quality abundant sign, Im talking right where the greasy bastads walk every night of their life, not try and pull him here or there, put the trap where he is going and you will catch more than you want to skin, w

[kevinupp]

Winston, Yes it does come off fairly easily. I just spray and set again. The smell of paint doesn't seem to bother them where I'm trapping.

Theft also doesn't worry me either. (watch they'll all be gone tomorrow) I use them around farms buildings. If somebody wants one they'll have to invade the barn yard to get them.

If I was trapping coon outside of the barnyard, I would not paint them white, just for the fear of them being taken.

[trappnman]

winston- exactly right- but in the deep woods where I was setting them in al lthe fallen leaves...they became invisible. I was getting zero action. I painted them white and started connecting- then as you say, not muddy and grimy but polished to a bright mirror surface that was as attractive as paint.

The white only lasts to you catch a coon.

the paint just lasts 1 or 2 catches- but for me was a needed jumpstart....trappnman

[primetime]

Why the needed eye appeal?

Steve you say that your dirtholes in ravines catch a good number of coon. Those are nothing more then holes under logs. Do you use some sort of eye appeal?

Would not a griz be nothing more then a Hole in steel. The scent will escape the hole under the log as easy if not easier than the hole in steel. Would it not be just as affective?

Just asking, because I'm going to be setting up both this weekend. 1 1/2 coils in Log/Stepdown areas and my Griz.