WI colony trap sizes?

[trappnman]

so no one uses colony traps enough, to have formed an opinion on what the best overall size is?


come on- someone somewhere has an opinion..................

I'd like to hear it

[thebeav2]

Ok
I'm no expert but you have to consider your water depth. You want to drown your catch. So In your shallow water creeks I would stick with a 6X6x30 This size would good for shallow water dens and runs. And you won't find to many runs or den holes that are going to be more then 6" wide.
Then for those culvert sets and bridge abutment sets I would go with something In a 8X8 X 30 size. the bigger opening would cut down on the amount of guiding you would have to do.
Just some thoughts.

[calvin]

Steve...or anyone new to these things.

I make two different styles of colony trap sizes in the following order: 5x5, 6x6, 7x7, 8x8 x24" These slide into one another for best volume. These are your typical run type traps. Depending on the size of the run, they all work well. The 5x5s are a little too small, IMO but still worth making as they slide into the 6x6 and will catch 2 rats still if you have a smaller run.

5x9, 6x10, 7x11, 8x12x24" for BE, neckdown and culvert sets. Again, all slide into the next size up so either the square or the more squat style has 4 traps in one bundle. Again, I find the 5" height a little too small but I always find use for them in certain areas where the water is low or you have half empty culvert. You need the top wire under the water to drown.

Doors: Make sure they are not TOO vertical. I/ve had mink (or something) push them out if they don't have enough slope as they the wire will bend some. Also with that, make sure you grind/sand the edges of the door nipples flat..or at the angle its laying. Any burs tend to hang the door up on the cage wire causing it to stick. This happens mostly on the bottom of the doors as the rats push on them. They lock the door to the bottom of the cage making it impossible for the next rat to come in.

Length: Depends on what you want. 24" is fine for the smaller ones. Once you get up to the 12" size the doors take up a lot of the interior space so longer may be of some value, but they seem to pile in pretty well anyhow. Bigger the door, the more weight they have to push, too. 30" size may be ideal for the larger ones. I don't see a benefit in the smaller run type sizes, however, as most runs are cleaned out with a few rats. I/ve had 6 rats in the 7x7s in the past. Not common but 4 or 5 is in the runs.

Style: Been debated before as I know Matt makes a double hinged door. It appears to be a nice design but I have not gone to it as I would lose my volume stacking capabilities with that style. Something to consider depending on how many you rats you have to work with vs traps you want out. For us boat trappers volume is critical. Something to consider.

Wire: I get mine from Fleet Farm. I use the 1x2" size as I think the 1x2 is less visable to the rat vs the 1x1 and catches less debris in running water. I can also stake the 1x2 with a lath or a 1x2 stake where the 1x1 size has to be staked with rebar or a fence post. Anything larger wont go through the smaller squares. You can either get the wire in 24" or 36" width. I/ve done both and I think the 36" is a tad more economical. I cut them 24" wide and use the remaining width for the doors. But the 24" is nice if you don't like cutting/grinding and sanding the wire smooth. Price vs labor, I guess.

Stake these things: In moving water, an unforeseen rainstorm will take these cages like a kite in the wind. Also you will occasionally get fish/beaver that will move them some. This is especially important around culverts. Not fun trying to dig a colony trap out of a culvert when it's now 10 feet under the road. At least wire them off by culverts. Even in still ponds, its not uncommon for the wind to shift and the next day you have algae all over the top of your traps. Good luck finding what you cant see. I have lost most every colony trap to just not being able to find it vs theft. I stake mine pretty visibly now.

[kelly]

I echo what Calvin just said as far as sizes go. Mine are all 30" length, except for 8 older ones that I've had for years are 6x6x24")and 2x1 wire-this year bought the rubber coated wire, which is black, in hopes of them disappearing to the rats/mink more.

I too stake mine and have it visible so one can find them. Seems when it blows snow into the water or ices over the surroundings change so much so that being off by a couple feet causes a lot of work/sweat.

In culverts one can stuff them full with other sizes till the area is completely covered. Make sure they have a wire on them as this past spring I had two set side by side in bottom of small culvert-18" type more than 3/4 full of water-with a fairly strong current. Came back next day to find both colonies inside the culvert-had 2 rats each. Had to come up with a long pole and hook on end to reach more than 10 feet inside culvert to retrieve them. Any farther and they would have been lost until they came out of bottom end. Then was able to stake them just on one end outside the culvert so they would not move.

I like the two step door like Matt Duncan uses. Attach the ridig part to the sides with zip ties when setting them. Then cut the ties for storage. This two part door really helps keeping the rats away from door when they die clamped on to the wire. Helps more so in the smaller sizes and does eliminate the overly large door on the larger sizes.

[TRAPPERBILL]

Beav, you mentioned culvert sets for colony traps. I just got the 2011 wi. regulations and you cant set a colony trap withen 3 feet of a culvert.

[thebeav2]

That's right for WI but we are just generalizing about what would work for different trappers In different states.

[thorsmightyhammer]

I make all mine collapsable so six by six and 8 by 12 pretty much fits the bill.

If I could only have one it'd be 8x12 but thats because the super majority I set is in culverts.

A 12 inch submarine type is murder on the rats as well but they take up too much room in the pickup imho.

When you go to the WI convention get a 100 foot roll of wire for a 130 bucks and a pair of crimpers for 14 bucks and 4 or 5 pounds of j clips for 10 12 bucks.

The heck with buying em pre made. They are spendy IMHO

[musher]

I've been reading as much about colony traps as I can. This thread, as well as an earlier thread, have been most useful. I do not live in a rat area and I do not devote much energy to catching them. However, I figure I'll try a few colony traps and see what happens. To be honest, I'm thinking BE mink and rats.

I invested $100 and got 2 25 foot rolls of wire, j-hook pliers, and a couple of bags of j-hooks.



I made my traps 36 inches long. I did this because the wire is 36 inches wide and the maximum length permitted by law is 36 inches.

I started off with a 5x5 with a non-hinged door. It was o.k. and I think it might be fine in narrow mink areas.

I then made and 8x8. This is the largest size I am allowed. Since the trap must be 1 inch under water I need a 9 inch depth. This does not always happen where I want to set them.

I also made a 6x6 but it does not fit inside the 8x8 due to the hinged door. I'd have to use the tie wrap idea that was mentioned earlier.

The hinged door gave me pause for thought. I finally decided to allow 2 squares (2 inches) as a top for the rats to grip their teeth into.





I had a 4 inch hinge on my first one BUT that means my 5 inch trap will not fit inside the 8 inch for storage. It does allow lots of tooth gripping room and 4 inches seems plenty big for the rat to enter the trap.

I added wheel weights on the door. I positioned them so they rest on the door and not under the door.

They are fairly long to make. The longest part is trimming the loose wire where you cut a square in two and wrapping the loose wire around an uncut square to firm things up.

[packerfan]

GREAT info calvin! Nice pics musher. Good advice Mike.........I have been making 5x5...5.5x5.5 and 6x6. but will hold off on the 6x6 untill this gets put in THE BOOK! I am shocked that Beav will be cheating with larger colony traps! LOL! jk.

[thebeav2]

so no one uses colony traps enough, to have formed an opinion on what the best overall size is?


come on- someone somewhere has an opinion..................

I'd like to hear it

Spin It any way you want Dan but I was just answering Steve's question. I didn't say I was using 8x8x30" sized colony traps.

[seldom]

Here's a tip for those of you who will be building your colony traps this year. The 1"x2"-style fencing comes in two wire gauges, I'd suggest to buy the heavier gauge because the welds will hold up far better to the abuse of repeated handling.

[calvin]

I think its totally dependent on the situation, beav. Personally, I think bigger is generally better as you need less (or no) blocking with the larger ones. However your limited on the size thing over there so run what you can. I liked the 6x6s in runs until I went to the 7x7s. Now I have runs that 8x8s rule...BUT there are runs that the flat bottom of the 8x8 doesn't set right in so you have to excavate or mess with them instead of just plopping them into....which causes sediment to raise and cloud your visibility for some time. I can see an advantage to the round bottom submarine type traps when it comes to run trapping but then you severely lose volume of traps with that style and I don' t suspect they would work as well as BE sets.

The nice thing about run trapping is you really don't need any blocking. Just put it in their way and they will run into the trap, most times. I do find the 5x5s a tad small but they do still work.

[packerfan]

Just yankin' your chain Gary. Thus the jk at the end of that. I would be shocked if any warden cared about the extra 1/8 on the 6x6. I made a bunch already, so I hope not. I am just holding off on making any more for now. Word on the street is that you guys are selling supplies now. Is this true? Will you sell at the State convention?

[thebeav2]

You guys???

I'm not involved with fur buying any more or selling supplies. I'm just going to trap and put up fur for who ever contracts me.
As far as I know pats not buying fur or selling supplies. Haven't talked to him In months.

[blackhammer]

7x7 24 long is what I use.I run a lot of small streams and they work in most all situations.Used that size in many culverts in SD and they did fine.Have caught a lot of fives in them and a couple times six rats.How six get in there with regular doors I don't know but they do.Can actually be hard to get out.But a problem I don't mind.lol May experment with a few bigger ones sometime although I guess I don't see the need.Can't leave well enough alone I guess.

[thorsmightyhammer]

paul, make some 8x12's.

You'll love em.

Fit perfect in a 15 to 18 inch culvert.

Come to the WI convention paul, you me and beav can shoot the breeze.

[musher]

Looking for your opinions here. I've been told that my long sloping door might cause rats to balk and perhaps turn around prior to being caught. Should I shorten them? I made them long because my wire is on the flimsy side (it was not easy to find this wire let alone the quality stuff you guys seem to be using) and I wanted the tunnel effect.

I also made my hinged section square to the trap openings. I've since seen where some people slope the hinged section at a 45 degree angle. Big difference?

Personally I don't think that it will make any difference, but I'd like opinions before I begin my second roll of wire.

Thanks.

[mustelameister]

Sept 4, 2011 10:05:56 GMT -6 packerfan said:

I would be shocked if any warden cared about the extra 1/8 on the 6x6. I made a bunch already, so I hope not.

PF: I inquired about the legality of a 6x6 colony trap with an extra 1/8" or whatever sticking out on a side as I was acquiring inventory for sale and for personal use. Here's the answer I got:

The FINAL WORD is; If you use a colony trap with any measurement greater than 6X6X36 you are in violation of state law and may be subject to enforcement action.

With that info I sold the remaining 6x6 colony traps I had and am loading up on 5x5 collapsibles.

If the information I received changes before season, meaning 6x6 colony traps which eek out 3/8 of an inch or so on a side will be "okay" to use. . . then I'm SOL.

This whole thing should have been thought through and run by many, many trappers before it went law.

Do you suppose anyone bothered to erect a collapsible 6x6 to measure the sides when set up before casting in stone the 6X6 measurements in the regs?

[thebeav2]

So you sold all your Illegal traps to some poor dork LOL
If you run ridged traps It won't be a problem. I can carry a ton of 6x6x30 on the truck rack with no problem. And If your running by boat just stash some at convenient places along your line. It's called PRESEASON WORK

[trappnman]

if the size on the 6 x 6 is the problem, couldn't you just knurl over one side from door to door?

doing so on opposite sides and one top, one bottom would reduce all 4 sides- wouldn't be collapsable, but..............