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Post by JWarren on Jul 30, 2006 11:57:29 GMT -6
Now is the time to start building these. What are some of the different styles that you use and how do they work?
I am going to build some that look like scaled up funnel minnow traps. I have heard occassional reports that rats will check out the holes and get caught even if the trap isn't in a run. Anyone have experience with that?
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Post by rk660 on Jul 30, 2006 13:05:55 GMT -6
Ive heard that, but not compleatly sure I buy it. Ive caught 1000's of rats in gravity type door traps, most use at runs, but will block down small spring creeks here and there. You might consider making 8x8, 7x7, 6x6 if you make the square door type, so you can stack inside of each other to carry. use the larger ones where needed and smaller ones in nice clean cut runs.
Im sure the funnel type work well, and would have advantage of not plugging doors, and im sure they work well, but as far as attracting rats and drawing them in into it, say throw a 2' dia funnel into a 6' dia culvert and catch every rat that comes thro, doubt it.
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Post by mattduncan on Jul 30, 2006 15:31:26 GMT -6
i make most of mine 5x8 or 6x8 but i have them as big as 15x15 all depends on water depth some years when we have a dry late summer and early fall the water depth in my ditches is shallow and i can't use anything taller than 5 inches in some spots and from my observations rats swim on the top or bottom so i think a trap built wider than taller is a better use of wire as far as the hole in the funnel atractting them i have been told that but the few round ones i have used i awalys set in runs so i can't relly make a conclusion on that .
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Post by rk660 on Jul 30, 2006 16:09:58 GMT -6
Yes Matt, I'll make some larger too for blocking small streams, Ive even made up to 20" wide. On these wide ones I like double doors so 2 rats dont put it out of commsion. For runs I like the sq. ones mostly, and use some ex-wide for blocking off small streams. The funnels Im sure would work nice blocking some smaller stream too but think SOME fencing would be needed. One issue Im not sure of on funnels, they might be considered a fish trap in our state.
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Post by mattduncan on Jul 30, 2006 16:35:25 GMT -6
i've caught carp in them before and i know what you mean about the double door helps keep them from bitin on fastest way to put up numbers of rats for me as most of my trappin is done in drainage ditches
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Post by JWarren on Jul 30, 2006 16:51:16 GMT -6
Good point it might be tough to explain to the warden why you have a game fish sized minnow trap in the creek
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Post by rk660 on Jul 30, 2006 21:57:03 GMT -6
Might be worth checking into on you own state's laws before building a bunch of funnels.
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Post by musher on Jul 31, 2006 9:22:55 GMT -6
Did anyone ever try to make them out of chicken wire?
One circlular tube, two funnels, with a couple of stakes through the wire to hold it in the water?
I've seen such things be used for fish. I do know they can catch a 'rat. They fold rather nicely to carry but they can be a pain to unfold.
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Post by Mike Tucker on Jul 31, 2006 13:51:44 GMT -6
... i know what you mean about the double door helps keep them from bitin on...... Another technique to keep the doors operational when the rats 'bite on' is to cut the door in half, hinge it in the middle, and secure the top half of the door to the sides of the trap so that only the "bottom" half of the door opens inward. With the square type colony traps, the muskrats tend to bite on to the very top part of the swinging door, rendering it inoperable when they expire. With the inward facing door hinged in the middle and opening only on the bottom half, it still allows rats to enter the trap when others are clinging to the upper half of the door. Obviously, this modification would not work very well on the smaller sized colony traps, and would not allow the folding design traps to fold flat (unless the top part of the doors were secured in the field with wire ties - time consuming, but perhaps an option if one needed space in the boat ) Regards, Mike
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Post by iacooner2 on Jul 31, 2006 14:28:23 GMT -6
do you guys bait them?
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Post by Horn on Jul 31, 2006 14:38:02 GMT -6
I run a piece of wire across the trap about an inch or 2 down from the top and about 5 or so inches back from each end, This seems to help keep the rats from blocking the door.
most (not all) of the time the dead ones are clamped on the wire not the door. allowing the door to open easier.
I can not remember who suggested this to me but I tried it and was happy with it.
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Post by primetime on Jul 31, 2006 14:51:46 GMT -6
I don't like colony traps for that reason. I think the most I ever caught was 2. They ALWAYS are clamped on at the door and render the door useless. It's easier to just set more 110's. If they would indeed catch 4-5-6 rats at once, then it would be worth while.
I might try and make a big funnel type colony trap and see how that does. I could see how one of them may catch a lot more.
PT
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Post by pnwmtnmn on Jul 31, 2006 20:44:24 GMT -6
If you are trying to stop the rats from blocking the doorcover the top of the trap except for the center with something that the rats can't pull into the trap. The rats will go to the light in the middle of the trap and stay away from the doors. I've only had one or two rats actually block the door when dead.
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Post by pnwmtnmn on Jul 31, 2006 20:48:47 GMT -6
Mike, if a person used zip ties he could continue to use the folding type traps with only a thirty seconds to tie the top half of the doors. and about the same amount of time to cut them off when it comes time to fold them up.
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Post by mattduncan on Jul 31, 2006 22:53:54 GMT -6
hey pnwmtmn i'd like to ask have you ever wathed rats enter and expire in colony traps ? if so how many ? not trying to start a fight just wondering because in my humble obsservations the light talk is bs
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Post by mattduncan on Jul 31, 2006 23:00:52 GMT -6
horn the idea you speak of works the same as tucker's double doors he explain's it a lot better than i can ' primetime if you want to see the 3-6 rats a time in a colony on a 24 check come on up for a ride along i 'm not a pro but i can show you how to make colony traps work
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Post by primetime on Aug 1, 2006 7:07:09 GMT -6
I'd like to see that! I made up 3 last summer with visions of traps so full I couldn't lift them. After the first day I realized that it couldn't happen, because after the first one the door is blocked and after the second one both doors are blocked. I don't think I ever had one NOT block a door from opening. I've got a few ideas after reading these posts on how I might make my next ones better. Bigger for sure and with a door that can't get blocked so easily.
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Post by seldom on Aug 1, 2006 7:23:27 GMT -6
Hi Primetime, Here's a 4 bagger from last December. Excuse the poor pic quality, I found cell phone pics don't do to well with severe contrasts and cloudy mornings. I built the trap and it's a 6"x6"x24" to meet MI Regs. [/img]
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Post by primetime on Aug 1, 2006 7:29:37 GMT -6
Well I'll be....
Is that just a standard 2 full door trap? Or is it modified in some way?
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Post by seldom on Aug 1, 2006 7:43:41 GMT -6
Just a plain old-plain old.
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