over or between

[musher]

Depending on the species, trappers seem to have a preference whether to place the trap so the animal steps over a jaw or between the jaws.

Do you really think it makes a difference in catches made/missed?

[bobwendt]

if so, about number 28 on the list of why a miss. maybe number 128

[SgtWal]

The only trap where I pay any real attention is with some of my old single jumps. The rest of the time digging the trap bed decides which it will be. A rock in the wrong spot and the direction changes.


wayne

[bobwendt]

my kind of man. I tend to set at 3 o`clock, out of habit I guess, but I roll with the rocks too.

[thebeav2]

It makes a difference when your trapping short legged critters like rats and mink.

[dj88ryr]

Water critters between, land critters, mostly the dog at 10 and 2, but will also let the trap bed dictate, and it does a lot of DICKtating here in this rock in every scoop soil we have.

[musher]

Beav: Is a coon long or short legged? I'd say long but ...

An otter is short but it's kind of heavy to be thrown by a jaw....

[thebeav2]

Yep I would say coon are long legged.I would say if you compare rats and mink to otter and beaver that otter and beaver would be long legged.
But when I use a foot hold for otter or beaver I try and position the trap so the animal steps between the jaws. It probably makes a bigger difference with targeting the back foot of the beaver then It does otter. And I would say your right on the weight of the animal being a factor In something being thrown out when It's hit by the trap jaw. Look at how many beaver you catch across the pads and how many catches are made completely above the ankle.
It's probably a water thing versus a dry land thing.

[trappnman]

The biggest thing about short legged animals is they don't step into a trap, the CLIMB into a trap. I personally think that most misses on rats/mink are because they were coming over the trap, and the trap tips or moves and fires prematurely.

I do routinely place my footholds for these critters so that they come between the jaw- but thats happenstance. What I'm really doing is placing the edge of te pa- the part with the least amount of tension- in their line of travel- assuming that is, that they are along the bank.

On canines, out of habit I place my dogs 2 ways. On walkthrough sets, I always have the trap so the dog is at 6 oclock and the lure holes are at 11 and 2...the walkthough is on a path between 3 and 9. I did this with the 1.75s to prevent, as much as possible, a coyote stepping on the dog.

On stepdowns, for whatever reason, I put the dog tight to the lower right corner, making the dog at 3 oclock.

I do believe that with smaller traps- you get some misses caused by a poorer catch (when stepping on the dog when the trap fires) with the dog out in the pattern......but don't take that to the bank.....trappnman

PS- I'd have to put both beaver and otter in the short foot catagory.

[thebeav2]

That's why It's so critical to bed your traps as solid as you can.
Might even be more critical In the water.

Gary

[bobwendt]

lol, according to the gorrilla grip dombrowski theory, then beaver and otter must have dinky weiners.

[Stef]

What do you do when you use a dogless traps...Same thing?

[trappnman]

Stef......yeah, out of habit.

[dj88ryr]

Most of my traps are dogless, but use the dog position as a point of reference.

[Heavymetal]

I like my dog at the 9 or 10 o'clock position. But it really doesn't matter. Bridger pans are wider at 9 or 3 o'clock rather narrow at the 12 o'clock. Im going to the victor #3 softcatch and its got a big round pan has a nice kill area. I have caught setting all different positions though.

[tmalone]

Seems to me it doesn't matter at all how you set. On a dirt hole atleast. The critter may approach from the left, the right or any other angle, and probably NOT from straight on.