Making Weights

[primetime]

I think I've asked this before, but didn't get much feedback. I work for a precast concrete company, so I have unlimited access to rebar and concrete. I'd like to build some practical drowning weights for Coon, Mink, Beaver and was wondering what would go into the perfect weight. I can do anything, so was wondering how much I should make it weigh, how big, what shape, attachment ideas... You get the picture.

I want something that I can carry to the not so far spots, and also something that I can store in the off season. maybe designed so I can rap my cable around it with the deep end stake. Anything to make the task of setting up drowning sets quick and easy.

Later - PT

[trappnman]

They already make a good concrete drowning weight.

Square, easily stacked, etc.

LOL

Problem with premade weights is that they take room and time- and are work if not right along the roads.

You could make forms and add a semi corcle of rebar to them, and have weights. But round, oblong weights can often be probmatic for our streams...so you would have to make them rectangular, or square....

[Stanley]

I've made some out of coffee cans, with 6 inches of chain out the top of the cement. Work great . That's the big coffee cans. In shallow water I've had big beaver pull them up. But deep water they do the job. Those big plastic laundry detergent containers work good for heavier ones.

[oldmink]

I have weights left year 'round at some of my set locations. Now I use rocks that I notch off with a bricklayer's hammer. But you could use poured concrete weights too. If you want to take them up and store them at home more power to you. I don't need any hernias from carrying weights around. Seems to me there was wee banker fella who uses bricks that he lugs out in the field and gathers up at season's end each year. The local hospital had given him a gold card as a frequent hernia operation patient. He's had 2. No fooling.

But a good concrete form would be a number 10 tin can full of concrete with an eye bolt or a curved piece of rebar. I just don't advise lugging them to and from your sets each year.

[NittanyLion]

If the truth would be known it would reveal that the banker developed those hernias lugging the fur from the trap site to the truck. ;D

[trappnman]

I'm guessing thats a least an 8 lb mink you got in your avatar. I might be off 3-5 lbs- but I'm close.....

btw- been meaning to ask you- are those "sewer rats" norawy rats?

I catch a small rat in the water severla times a year- not a Norway rat- I always called them "woods rats".

Same?

[NittanyLion]

T-man, I honestly don't know. To me a rat is a rat unless it is a muskrat. I started to call them sewer rats to distingluish between a muskrat and a rat rat. I suppose they could have come from Norway or for that matter they may be from the New York subways, all I know is I've noticed a dramatic increase over the past couple of years.

[trappnman]

what I meant was- are they the regular old rat? the kind you see in cities and old barns?

The rat I get here is smaller, and not so "ratty" looking. they could be some type of big mouse for all I know- about 3/4 size of a regular rat and lankier.

[NittanyLion]

Damn T-man, I did not look at them that close, they were a freakin rat. Next season I will take some pictures of the little buggers and post them, maybe even enter them in the picture contest. ;D

[trappnman]

well for heavens sakes- are you sure your mink are really mink.....?

[HappyPlumber]

The best drowners I've seen for coon were a 1/8" cable hooked to a hardwood stake on shore and an earth anchor driven into the bottom on the other end in 2' of water. There was an L shaped clip with 3/16" hole in it on the cable for anchoring the trap. These could be reused from one year to the next and even stored at the location of the set. the guy that used them made big catches of coon. HP