110 triggers

[RiverRat]

I have always ran standard triggers on my 110s mostly BE sets. Am I missing anything by not doing something different. I am planning on picking up a number of the BMIs this summer they have the longer stock trigger. Any advice ??

[trappnman]

I don't think the longer triggers on 110s make all that much differencce. but am starting to become a beleiver that one misses a lot of mink by using 110s, if only on land or semi submerged sets. Several good mink men I know have told me going to a bigger trap, showed big increases in catches- that the larger trap size of a 220 seemed to eliminate refusals with the smaller trap. if buying 110s is for BE sets, I'd look for used dukes for probably the same price in the 220 size

[K-zoo]

What about Sullivan's circle triggers. Anyone have experience with them?

[Deleted]

From my experience a 110 size should only be used if you don't have a larger trap at hand for dry trail sets.  If using a 110 in a dry trail set I've found I did get avoidances due to the trap being too low as experimentation proved the cause.  For me to consistently catch mink in dry trail sets, I have proven to myself that the single most important component, other than setting in a mink's trail, is to give them "head-space".   If you set the 110 up say, 2" off the ground level avoidances drop drastically to extremely few.  When I changed and moved up to the 160's for dry trail sets I had NO AVOIDANCE issues whatsoever!!!  snow NEVER lies!!

If as in the original question about using 110's in BE's, most certainly when used in the "classic" BE set location(projections and points) as Smythe addressed in his book.  His success using 55's speaks volumes for the lack of need for a larger size than a 110 in the classic set locations.  As I've stated previously, I do jump up to a 160 size if I'm setting a BE-type set location that is linear such as along a bridge wall because I feel they are only being guided by the vertical structure.  Most of these types of BE's I set I actually place an obstruction of maybe 3"+/- between the wall and the trap rather than tight against the vertical structure.

In regards to the manufactured circle trigger.  I've used them years ago and have switch all of them out.  It's my opinion they're too thick and when used in a BE set I see no advantage whatsoever of a circle-shaped trigger.  All of my 110's and 160's now have my homemade triggers made from wire flagging wire and some with 3/32" welding electrode wire.  I want my triggers to be as thin and as stiff as possible and in a configuration that they might resemble a weed stem.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion as it should be and Steve mentioned using 220 size traps for mink and stated that some big mink folks were using them.  I believe that to be true but that philosophy and whatever manner of how the traps are used flies in the face of the folks that swear a swimming mink can slip though a 110 and not set it off with almost no sq" of free space!!!  Yes, yes, I've seen video of a mink doing that in a tank and years ago in a dry set 110 but in my experience, mock-ups are mock-ups trying to simulate field conditins and calling the mock-up results fact!  I personally know two trappers that catch mink in dry trail 220's(illegal in MI) set for coon.  So how do mink get caught consistently in a 220 with a comparatively huge amount of sq" of free space whether the trap is set as a BE or a dry trail set??

If folks are concerned with mink swimming around a 110 BE set in a classic location than they had better set a second trap side by side and prove or verify percentage of difference that they catch a number in the outside trap.  Be objective with conclusions not subjectiveness proported to be fact!!  I spent three years trappinng under 4 bridges proving that with overhead cover such as under a bridge, I caught more mink and rats(as low as 5:1 and as high as 8:1) in TE sets than BE sets because I used "stacked" traps !!!!!  

[K-zoo]

Thanks never. Excellent post.

[RiverRat]

I saw Kens VHS tape when if first came out, he was using a number of #55s . Now the rage is bigger is better ?