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Post by coonboy on Jul 6, 2008 21:52:11 GMT -6
How well do they work ? Do they only work at den entrances or do they work in other sets too? Like a bottom edge. Do you use the 6X6X24 or the funnel type? Buy them or make them your self? Do you pick up some mink in them also? Any pictures of sets? Thanks
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Post by marbleyez2001 on Jul 6, 2008 21:57:27 GMT -6
In the right areas they are the best option. Bottom edge's are OK, entrances are great, funnel a creek down into a colony trap, or find a single culvert under a road and they really shine. Ive only used the funnel type, and made them myself. Ive never caught a mink in them, but many do pick up an incidental mink.
They are big and bulky to move around, kind of a pain if you are trying to run a river out of a boat.
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Post by coonboy on Jul 6, 2008 21:59:20 GMT -6
How big around do you make them? and how big is the hole for the rat to go in?
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Post by marbleyez2001 on Jul 6, 2008 22:03:24 GMT -6
They are round, probably 20" across, and the hole for the rats is about the size of a 110, maybe 4" across.
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Post by thebeav2 on Jul 7, 2008 6:42:40 GMT -6
WI Is talking about legalizing them I don't know If It will be this year or next. But our Max size would be 8" by 36" I'm excited about trying new things. I have no experience In this type of trapping so lets hear some tips on where, when and how. How about sizes and are funnel types better then the one way door system on each end.
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Post by 17HMR on Jul 7, 2008 7:26:38 GMT -6
All the funnel types I have seen also have a 1 way door at the end of the funnels. Peterson fur in SD had some for sale last time I seen him.
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Post by rk660 on Jul 7, 2008 8:31:31 GMT -6
89 rats out of 57 traps once, and the day i set I walked back and had 23 rats on way back from setting. seems on ponds and marshes, they work best in well carved runs. for huts with bigger entrances an 8x8 or 8x10 works better. make 5x5, 6x6, and 8x8 and 3 shove inside each other. made some 10x24 once with wings to funnel in more area. worked great on wide ditches as long as not too deep. if blocking creeks, culverts, you need a fairly high dive stick to keep rats from crawling over top. the extra wide ones i had double doors so first rat wouldnt plug door, as they die with their teeth clamped on door. get them a least 2" under water or they can get nose up and stay alive, then all look like ice out rats, torn up. they do run little more damage as some will always have a few bite marks. caught 16 in one of the 24" wides once, and 5 rats and huge male mink in a 6x6 once, not a scratch on any of the rats either. I liked them right after ice up when ice clear and not much chopping to set. Steal the kids sled and nail a box to it for hauling out on ice. you can also bait with corn and catch a few, although not near as effective as den setting.
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Post by northof50 on Jul 7, 2008 11:35:00 GMT -6
NAFA has some plans for the funnel traps. Check you reg's some jurisidictions do not allow multiple catch traps. I have made them with 1-2 in mink wire galv. The diameter is the same as a 5 gallon pail. Funnel diameter is so you can not get your fist into the hole. Flat black painted alunium for the funnel (cut from old bottoms of alunium doors). 1/8 in cable as lift ups. Put 5 feet away from beaver feed piles, curousity the mink and rats see a black hole and swim into it. I have never had any damaged rats come out of funnel traps. The otter do investigate them and move them around so therefor the cable. They do take a big ice hole and deep water to lift in the winter time. Old fridge rack screens do work as blockers when you have to narrow a channel. They are hard on jackfish spawning in the spring. Have the doors opening inward and overlapped 1 inch is size. Flip doors are always a pain unless you weigh the bottom with something so they or horizontal, if you are dropping them . If you are positioning in place they are ok to have. No sharp edges or wire ends or you will end up with HOLLY WADERS. They are bulky, but they do produce.
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Post by thebeav2 on Jul 7, 2008 11:47:54 GMT -6
If I built these traps 10x10x30 and had 6x10 door opening would the rats drown and float to the top and be clear of the doors?
Do you get a lot of junk jamming up the doors when setting In current like In a culvert.
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Post by northof50 on Jul 7, 2008 11:55:59 GMT -6
The rats do not float but sink. I have built little lofts above 2 by 3inches deep on the top so those tooth lockups don't hinder the swinging door. Bigger is not better 8=8 sq. is plenty. A word of caution if you loose them in the current or under the ice they do keep on catching and there can be a lot of wasted fur. That little nose can get through the mesh so have at least an inch of water over them.
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Post by seldom on Jul 7, 2008 12:00:49 GMT -6
If I built these traps 10x10x30 and had 6x10 door opening would the rats drown and float to the top and be clear of the doors? Do you get a lot of junk jamming up the doors when setting In current like In a culvert. Never had a "floater"! They always have their teeth clamped to the wire and can be a bitch to get them out of the trap! As far as junk plugging the upstream door, it depends really on if your water is carrying much. IMO, if you're trapping in water that has enough junk that'll load a body grip's trigger, it'll load up the upstream door on a colony and then it'll be held open to some degree.
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Post by northof50 on Jul 7, 2008 12:07:51 GMT -6
Lead tire weighs on the door bottoms does keep them flipping down. 150-200 gram types.
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Post by thebeav2 on Jul 7, 2008 12:13:00 GMT -6
Won't the extra weight also hold the door shut for the approaching rat or at least make It harder for that rat to push open the door?
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Post by northof50 on Jul 7, 2008 12:31:45 GMT -6
No when they are swimming on the bottom they exert quite a force, it's like get out of my way old beaver stick! Pre-marking runs is good for when the ice comes and they work under the ice. Then their air source is limited and you get a better grade rat. Theif is reduced unless they have an axe in the winter trapping.
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Post by mattduncan on Jul 9, 2008 18:54:57 GMT -6
it's to bad some places restrict size on them i like mine 30 or 36 long i find that 24 long most of the time you only end up with 2 rats i also make mine rectangle insted of squareas the rats swimming on the bottom so you are just as far ahead using the extra wire for the width to cover wider runs many times if the run is 2 wide use 2 traps also on silt bottoms look for the shiny spot in the bottom thats were they are swimming no need for blocking ,looks funny to have a 8 inch wide trap dropped in a 8or 10 foot wide culvert you would think the rast would go around but they are just like coon on a trail they swim the same spot all the time . hinging only half of the door also helps keep the door working when the rats bite on the bite on in the top half and the bottom is still freee to swing , cement box culverts are top spots for these also set on bottom tight to cement wall large traps like 15-18 inches wide will also take beaver if you build out of 4x4 mesh you can use for summer work on beaver when you want to release mink and rats
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Post by mattduncan on Jul 9, 2008 18:57:28 GMT -6
forgot to add if you have fast rising water from flooding better make sure they are staked down or you lose them due to debries building up on the end and then tey tumble end over end down the ditch or creek
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Post by coalking on Jul 9, 2008 20:16:19 GMT -6
I have used the ones Wickenkamp sells. They work.Coalking
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Post by coonboy on Jul 9, 2008 20:33:15 GMT -6
what do they look like?
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Post by coalking on Jul 10, 2008 4:58:06 GMT -6
They look like the ones in the pictures. I place them at den entrances. Coalking
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Post by seldom on Jul 10, 2008 5:49:45 GMT -6
Just a FYI: For a couple of years while working/trapping on the MSU Dioxin Project a young scientist fresh from the Netherlands was my helper. He explained to me that his uncle was the township's "Rat Master" back home. His uncle was paid a full-time salary and alloted 10,000 shotgun shells a year to rid the canals of rats. He walked and/or rode his bicycle along the dikes seven days a week. Also this "Rat Master" job was pasted down through the family by generation.
Anyway, he explained that where every culvert or bridge crossed a canal, the underside was turned into a monster size colony trap, spanning the entire width of the culvert or bridge.
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