Preferred weasel trap

[RiverRat]

Sitting here in between running out in the cold collecting hatching eggs ....Zags post got me thinking. I am pretty sure the good $$ fur trappin is done for while, I might just try my hand at weasels next yr. I got a pile of 1 longs and jumps but the more I read the more I am thinking that a little larger trap is the do dat. ??

and yes Bob I know there really hasnt been any $$ in trappin for a long time, allready know that, thanks anyway LOL

[thorsmightyhammer]

I use mostly the snap type trap because we can legally run extended checks on them and I am usually trapping weasels while trapping other critters that I run extended checks on ie beaver and fisher.

If I was trapping weasels only I would run every day and if was running every day I prefer a 1.5 long.

[mustelameister]

Thinking the same thing, RiverRat.

I've been tinkering with a box that has an enclosed #120 with pan trigger design. Just inside the hole is a 1" X 2" set across that would prevent a 'coon from reaching in, yet allow the weasel to drop down and scamper into the #120 to get at the bait in the back. This bar is at the same height as the hole.

No "snap trap" special regs that I'm aware of here in WI.

I'm also working on a "tip up flag" that would pop up when the bodygrip fired, thus allowing an easy check from the road with binoculars.

Tinkering is good this time of year.

[Rod S]

The 1 1/2 longspring makes an great kill trap for weasels. It has been certified as an approved kill trap by the BMPs and is legal to use on a 3 day check in MN when set in a weasel box.

[thebeav2]

What would happen If you had a pan operated 110 that was a fixed to Inside front of the box 1" below the bottom of the hole. The mink or weasel would enter and step down on the 110 pan. A coni holder could be screwed to Inside face of the box to hold the 110 In place.
The trap in this position would be out of the way If a coon would reach In for the bait.
Of course the box would have to be a bit deeper to accommodate the firing of the 110.

Mike you don't use tip up type Indicators on your 220 cages? I have used tip up type Indicators on my out of the way road line 160s for years. If you want to check at night you can build lighted Indicators. When the circuit Is broken the light goes on.

[trappnman]

The 1 1/2 longspring makes an great kill trap for weasels. It has been certified as an approved kill trap by the BMPs and is legal to use on a 3 day check in MN when set in a weasel box.

where does it say that? what stipulaitons were attached?

and why didn't it say that a few weeks ago when we were talking about this?

[JWarren]

I most have longtail weasles. A 1.5 isn't quite big enough. A 110 with a pan in a cubby works decent. I don't understand all the elaborate weasle box schemes, I've never had a problem with coons or anything else by the paw in a 110, why would you set a 110 cubby but make the hole so small that you can't get mink skunks or anything else that might come by?

[trappnman]

unlimited check days on unprotected animals

[farmboy]

The one-and-a-half makes a great body grip weasel trap. I set mine outside the box so that the weasel has to come in over the dogged jaw and under the loose one. That is, the loose jaw is cocked up and leaned against the entrance hole. Even a #1LS will work. Obviously the entrance has to be low.

When used this way, it fits the description of a "killing device" as laid out in the AIHTS guidlines. According to my local CO anyway.

I like to catch a few weasels when snaring coyotes, and this way I didn't have to re-tool with snap traps. Although I did buy a couple of dozen of those, too. Anybody know what to do with those fancy yellow pans when they snap off in the cold?

[thebeav2]

Ya but according to some mink trappers the #4 would have way to much spring strength to allow a mink to spring It.

[ScottW]

Feb 27, 2009 11:56:07 GMT -6 Rod S said:

The 1 1/2 longspring makes an great kill trap for weasels. It has been certified as an approved kill trap by the BMPs and is legal to use on a 3 day check in MN when set in a weasel box.

Use that method with descretion and take into consideration the area of the state you are in/primarily the other critters that are possible incidentals. This road has been traveled and I'm not so sure your statement is 100% true....but I am going to try look into it.

That said, as much as I love the 1 1/2 long, I'm beginning to think I almost equally love the yellow pan rat trap (with an extra chunk of wood under the springs to make it REALLY pack a punch).

farmboy,
As for what to do with the yellow pan and it's popping off in the cold, I have never had that happen from a catch....guess it doesn't get cold enough here! I have had em' pop off when I'm monkin' around with em' in the offseason, and once when I was pulling one out of the pile of traps in the bucket....in those cases I just popped it back on.

Happy trapping. ScottW

[Rod S]

Scott, I have checked it out and got it from the MN DNR. 1 1/2 long springs are body grippers when set in a weasel boxS. Others on another web site have been spreading false information.

[trappnman]

no- according to some mink trappers a #4 will not take every mink walking over the trap-

and you are having a 100% catch rate on mink using #4s?

very good!

[thebeav2]

The trap that takes EVERY mink that crosses It doesn't exist.

[farmboy]

Thanks Scott - I've had them pop off, but what I meant was when they break in two from the cold, or sometimes those little tabs that fasten onto the mounting wire will snap off when it fires. Now that I think on it, it seems to me that Stef had a thread about that some time ago. I'll search.

[northof50]

The problem in Canada is there only one trap that has meet the standard for killing in 300 seconds and that is the victor wooden rat trap. If you set using anything else targeting weasels you can be in ticket trouble depending on the CO. Because here it is classified as a fur bearer in most provinces. and rightly so since it has been paying more than racoon for the past 10 years......$ 10.75 this year.

[Rod S]

Have the canadians tested other traps? The last BMP report I read had the 1 1/2 long sping passing the US standards. Another trap I have used in weasel boxes is the old Victor 2 square jaw coilspring. It can be ajusted for a light pan tension but not to light to catch all the mice and shrews, it has a large pan for a large kill area, and the larger jaw spread gets a good body grip and a very quick kill. Nobody seems to use these old traps for fox anymore and there are usaully plenty of them at the conventions at a very reasonable price.

[trappnman]

The trap that takes EVERY mink that crosses It doesn't exist.


a trap doesn't exist tat will take very mink that crosses it?

no- but I'll take the % of a 1.5 over a #4 any day and so would you

I get one every so often in beaver sets.... we all do- caught 2 mink in #4 dls this year- both froze in beaver sets, that had the water drop and shelve ice over them, with a 8-10 inch air space-

both were- cool! when I chopped them out