ideas for making cement drags

[stickbowhntr]

I have almost daily access to waste cement and am able to cast several blocks daily to use for drags rather than just dumping over the bank, so what shapes and sizes would you recomend for say coons and misc same sized animals? I would make a form and have access to maybe 1/4 a yard daily [thats about 900#'s] at least 3 days a week. Good stuff just extra after our test samples. Was thinking of maybe ~20# weights say about 4 x 4 x 12"

thanks for your ideas.

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

will you be putting a dial in your form so when the concrete dries you have a hole in it or will you be adding something when concrete is wet to attach too.....i think they would hold up better at 4x4x12 if you would run a piece of something in the center like rebar or something....

[redsnow]

I've made a few boat anchors using the plastic tubs/buckets that 5=cent candy comes in. any C-store should have a bunch, just stick an eyebolt or loop of heavy wire in the wet concrete to attach to. I've used them a few times for drown weights. I prefer railroad plates, they stack better, don't take up as much room.

[stickbowhntr]

was thinking of using some 1/4 round rod in a ^ shapewhen casting that way could set up with a quick snap or something fast and remove later at end of season and leave the drag at site.

[stickbowhntr]

railraod plates here are hard to find, you better have a sales slip [lots being stole for drug money - scrappers]and about out of price range for any quanity and with the free cement.....well....

[robertw]

Do not use round buckets for your forms. A rolling weight just doesn't work as well as a flat one.

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

1/4 round rod will work but you better make the rod look like this
_/\_ so it dosent just pull out of the concrete....

[17HMR]

Inset your tie off point so they will stack flat.

[Danny Clifton]

If your going to use them on coons make them heavy. Aint fun when a coon gets up a tree on a drag.

[Zagman]

Just dig holes in the ground for forms......I throw sticks and rocks and ground duff in the hole first and then dump the cement. Makes them look less manufactured.....plastic buckets and such leave too smooth a look, though the animals probably dont care....

I had all sorts of old trap chains and the Berkshire Double stake rings attached.....while the cement was wet, I simply sunk the Berkshire into the cement as a deadman.

I left 8-9 inches of chain sticking out of the bottom.....my drags probably weigh 25-30 lbs.

They double as beaver slide weights on beaver jobs I can drive to....wouldnt want to carry them very far!
MZ

[Maineman]

Wasn't this a topic of discussion a couple years ago for trapping rock-quarries where it was tough to drive stakes and there was limited cover to have drags hang up? I agree with Mark that a non-uniform mold would be better from a theft perspective but the animals won't care...

Trapping before work, I don't have much time fro searching so need my critters at the set...On sets that I need to drag, I use 6-8 feet of chain and thread a RR-plate (or 2) thru the drag to add some weight...they lay flat, don't stick out...Like Mark, I wouldn't want to carry them very far...

Dave Z

[stickbowhntr]

I like that idea mark, will try to see what I can do this week.....every day I could pour a min of blocks and by weekend would have more than enough..........thanks Mark...will try maybe 25#'s I got several places around concrete bridges that I could set up much easier with these for anchors now.

[thebeav2]

I know some guys that backed up to a pile of Tie plates and It cost them $250.00 and they didn't get to keep the plates.

I have built forms and poured concrete on the job. I used 2X10s and nailed strips to the edges and ends so they were about 3" above the surface of the 2x10. then I placed boards at intervals to form the size blocks wanted. In most cases they were 91/2" wide 3" thick and 10" In length. I had access to forming oil so the concrete didn't stick to the form. I also placed dead mans In the concrete for hook ups. Another trick I used was to make a dead man out of #9g wire I made them so when i stuck them In the concrete they would be about 3" from the edge of the form and stuck up about 6" high and about 5" wide to form a hoop. When the concrete was removed from the form and when the concrete had cured I would bend over the wire at a right angle and I would have a instant handle for carrying the drag and also a place to hook up my trap or drowning cable.

[gcs]

Make them heavy enough!
I've had med. coon drag 20# train wheel brake thingees all over the yard.

[K-zoo]

I've made boat anchors out of large cans filled with cement. For attachment I sandwiched a large flat washer between two nuts on the end of a large eye bolt. Push down into cement so only the eye is sticking out and trowel top of cement in a dome shape so it won't collect water on top of can.

[trappnman]

I've had med. coon drag 20# train wheel brake thingees all over the yard.

put a couple of long bolts into it, so 1 or 2 is on each side- also stops the skidding problem on hard stream bottoms

[coydog]

I made a bunch up a few years ago.
They are around 35-40lb with a piece of 1" pvc molded in for lure/bait.
I haven't had a coyote take one more than 30-40 yards and coon don't get them anywhere.
Little heavy to lug around, but nice when the ground is rock hard.

[northof50]

A picture is worth the last 1000 words.

Little pieces of wire do act as hang-ups so do inc. them.

Note book entry when scouting----drop them at the set locations before opening day. One less thing to carry.

Find an edge of a pond and get some algae growth on them so they do not stick out.