Gophers- cinchtrap

[Scott W.]

I too have heard that the gophers get smarter as the summer goes on, but I disagree. The dirt gets drier and easier to push, thus hitting the trigger before the gopher is in the jaws. This is evidenced by the increased number of front foot catches I get in my Albano gophinators. The other thing that happens as the summer wears on is that the percentage of young grey backs increases as compared to adults. Once I hair triggered my quicksets I started catching many more babies and quite a few thirteen lined ground squirrels on the way back down the hole.

Sorry I don't have much successful experience to share about the cinch traps, but I am still going to try to learn to use them.

[exmatador]

Scott, how do you like the gophinator? Only bought six to try last year in hard soil really like them so far because of less digging.. how do you stake them in fields? in lawns i have just been using a flag through the eye.. do you try to get the jaws bedded under loose soil also?
they are really light so i worry about a gopher pushing the trap befoe firing but you can also set them on a hair trigger with the flag to help stop movement.. no problems so far but only caught mabe 20 or so with 0 plugs and mabye 1 or 2 misfires..

[Scott W.]

I like them. I try to press them into the bottom of the run. I have a short length of 1/16 cable attached to them for staking. I stake them pretty securely because of canine and raccoon theives. I have two sizes. Regular and what I call magnum. I talked to Steve Albano, and he agreed that we have some of the bigger gophers here in the midwest, and therefore bigger diameter burrows that the regular size doesn't cover quite as well. The regular ones are great for the smaller burrows dug by yoy. They do take longer to check than the quicksets because I have to get out of the vehicle to peer down the burrow to see them, whereas the quicksets I can usually just drive by to inspect. I did have the oppurtunity to watch a gopher push and wiggle a gophinator and not get caught, but would not have noticed a difference by just looking at it during a regular check. Now that I have figured out how to hair trigger the quicksets I tend to use them more often.

[exmatador]

Scott, how do you hair trigger them other than pulling it back till it almost fires? seems to me sand gets in the spring area and its not as smooth. also dont like that loose trigger when puilled back.. would like to use the ones i have more just not confident in them.

[trappnman]

you bend the flat surface of the trigger- but unless really out of adjustment, its not a big problem- I'd rather start the trigger, than to have it too "touchy"

more importantly, it seems quick sets stiffin' up with use, and we spray them with WD on a regular basis- its a noticble feel to the trap, and we carry a can of WD and use as needed- same thing with death clutch traps- a shot of WD periodically, makes them more efficient.

2-3 times a year, we also WD all the pan traps as well

I've tried both wire and duct tape across the trigger, to increase grayback catches, but neither does enough good to make it worthwhile doing

I'm convinced with this type of trap, that the size of the hole, makes all the difference, to the point if I have too much slop in a hole, I'll build up the sides to decrease it

the best % for me, is to use the "right" trap for each mound- pan traps in split holes, quick sets in normal sized holes, and DC in tight small holes.

lets talk staking- I've tried wire and fastening to stake, but thats like having 150 coat hangers in the truck- more PIA than its worth. Easiest and fast way we now do it- have been using fiberglass fence poles for 20 plus years, but now only on the pan traps (ie traps with chain and ring) and we just loop the chain through ring, and pull tight on bototm of pole- this causes a ratching action when pulled up, and is a pretty decent method to secure traps from badgers, coyotes, raptors. on all the quick set type traps, we use metal fence posts, that have the metal triangle on the end, and use them upside down. Price oddly enough is the same as figerglass, and often cheaper.

We have tried lots of flagging methods- painting stakes florescent colors, etc - but what we have settled on now, is just using a strip of surveying tape on top of pole.

with all the strips, and various farms, maps are a must- and we mark them as following-

a dot with a circle on it is a set trap

that circle crossed out, is pulled trap.

A G by the trap is one reset with a gohper

A E by the trap is an empty- we leave empty traps for at least 1 night, and sometimes two if no other gopher caught close- I've seen it take 3 days for some to move, although of course the majority move daily

We set 3 ways-

#1- set up what we feel is each gopher with one trap. Sometimes hard to figure out, but time makes it second nature. Trying to cover ground, we try hard to not set duplicate traps

#2- set close- meaning lots of mounds in an area, so we set up each "gopher", plus a few extras inbetween.

#3- set heavy- small setups or in and outs- we set at least 2, if not 3-4 for each gopher

all setups have their place, depending on circumstances

We cut off feet, put into baggie with number of feet, bill out famrers direct (they never see the gophers its all trust) and then take them to the appropriate townships for bounty- some pay monthly (those I like!) some pay once a year in fall (coyote money)

[Scott W.]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fSZRsCbbjQ&feature=player_detailpage

This should explain it.

[exmatador]

Steve I know what your saying with size of the hole.. with the cinchs u can adjust the jaw spread to fit only takes a second.. Scott, with pulling the trigger back to hair trigger it, and placing it in the tunnel they were always firing on me.. very frustrating.. do you cut down the trigger at all?

as far as staking 10 to 12 in 1/6in cable to each cinch and a 3/8 rebar stake 10 or so inch long to stake 1 or both traps per mound.. and 1 surveyor stake with flagging plus wire flags for multiple sets at each "colony"..

[Scott W.]

No cutting on the trigger. And yes, they do get touchy with the hair trigger, but worth it IMHO.

[Scott W.]

Well. It's been over a month since my last post on this thread and the gophers are finally digging. Soil is wet and cold, and they are pushing a lot of dirt in front of them. High percentage of front foot catches in the Gophinators. So it goes.

[trappnman]

I got 1 day in so far- in last month, we got over 6 inches of rain, and probably 2 feet of snow.
last tues set up 2 small farms, pulled them weds, thursday got over a foot of snow on top of 2" of rain- waterways are filled to the brim- MAYBE I can get out this weekend

what a difference- fri we had a foot of snow on the ground and low 30s, monday all snow gone in town and mid 70s, today close to 80

[exmatador]

Set 4 cinch and 3 gophinators doing cleanup last week just to mess with the gophinators a little more. 3 for 3 full body catches with g-naters. and 4 for 4 with cinches on my big line. lol

[coonboy]

Steve how are you liking the Cinch Traps? I bought 2 to try and so far I really like them. Other than the price.

[trappnman]

we will find out today- finally got a day in yesterday- we set 124 traps on 8 small farms- 18 of those are cinchtraps.

[trappnman]

out of 18 cinch traps- 3 untouched, 9 plugged, 6 gophers

the plugs might be my fault- I was setting them hair trigger, and they might have been too sensitive. Reset yesterday with about 1/8th set back on trigger

[trappnman]

been rereading this post, and need to ask about the hair trigger-

day 1, set them very hair trigger. out of the 18 traps, I had 15 worked, and 6 gophers- 40%

day 2, set them between 1/16th and 1/8th- and had 71%

rain today, so tomorrow will tell more of the story-

so when we speak of hair trigger- what range are we speaking?

with Death Clutches- I bought 5 doz one year, and used them first thing, and slayed the gophers. 70% or more was the norm. I loved them- until it turned hot and dry and then for whatever reason, they failed miserably. they brought/vanished over the years until 2 years ago I had 2, and never used them. Then someone gave me a half doz, so reluctantly started to use them in those holes that were of the diameter one almost had to screw the trap in and low and behold they started popping again for me.

picked up another doz this year, and like having 4 (5 with a few box traps but not loving them at all) types of traps to choose from- so I'm probably running 50/50 with pan traps, or some type of kill trap.

[exmatador]

Steve, I like to set mine so the dog is a little less than flush with the trigger so I would say it is a very hair trigger... I feel when they just bump the trigger it fires... 99% of the time catch right behind the front legs.. With the straight dog and too much overhang on the trigger the dog has to travel to the top of the trap with the trigger to fire.. to much travel imo.. Are you setting the dog/trigger against the little cutout piece of steel sticking up or at the top?

[trappnman]

I'm setting it back from the piece that sticks uo a bit- and setting final trigger so just a bit of daylight shows before it fires. did abotu 50% with thme today, perhaps a little better I didn;t keep an accurate count. still getitng fired traps and no gopher in the misses so thats why I was wondering if TOO hair trigger, and the are bumping the jaws and thus pre firing the trap

[exmatador]

I set mine with the dog tight to that steel piece sticking up.. I feel that might keep it from misfiring until the gopher actually bumps the trigger by kind of binding it so it cant fire without a bump on the trigger. Sure wish I could post a pic. Not to handy with a computer.. lol

[trappnman]

that might be it- I think we are pulling everything tomorrow, suppose to be lots of rain sun nite through tues- when I reset, I'll try setting it tight to the metal piece, and see what happens.

have very few plugged when not snapped, so am determined to figure them out

[trappnman]

I'm getting frustrated- thought I had it if not down, and least gaining ground- but the last check had a lot of snapped and plugged, so back to that they are bumping them perhaps

the friend that gave me the traps, says its very important to make sure the eyes on the triggers, go a certain way- any thoughts on that?

I think in the end I will like them, cause I've had some good days with them-

so in bending down the dog- exactly what part of the trap are you menaing? I do make an effort after in hole, to hold onto final trigger bar, and slide the main firng apparatus back and forth making it smooth- and most ARE downward facing, simply because of the hole slant