Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 393

What brand of live traps do you find will take the abuse from BIG coons??

I lost an egg stealer last night. My trap is made by BELL, was collapsable but I had to reinforce it with wire, and weld it together a couple of times. Its going in the trash!!

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 252

I make and sell my own live traps. I use redbrand wire so they don't really get trashed ever, and I make the frame out of 1/4 rod to reinforce it.

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Irish Creek Moonshine

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 393

Walkerdog101;

What type of mechanism do you use to spring and lock the door?? Got any pictures of them?

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 437

I had gotten a live trap from an old fella in virginia .... he had made it from scratch. It was made of re-bar and galvanized chain link. The pan released the gate .... which was weighted at the bottem with a double row of re-bar and had some big fat washers that rode down the bars when the gate closed. Had to put stakes on both sides when set so it couldn't be tipped over or the washers would ride back up to the top and the gate could come open. I caught lots of coons and 1 beaver, 1 snapping turtle and one dog in it. That thing was indestructable.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1076

Take a look at Tomahawk traps:
http://www.livetrap.com/shop/links.shtml

I also use some Havahart professional livetraps.
I make sure they have a wire mesh door and a steel rod connected to the pan. I've had very few problems with these but they do wear out.

Havahart experimented with sheet metal doors and cable connected to the pan. Both of these were bad ideas. A coon can wreck these types of traps in just a couple of hours.

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bruce ordway

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 393

Bruce,

Do you use the Tomahawk traps? If so what model do you recommend? I would like to try a double door model, have you ever tried one? I am just a little hesitant on these traps not being rigid enough and a big coon trashing them.

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Last edited by Huron on 03-21-2004 at 10:46 PM

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1318

Huron, in our business we have to use good sturdy live traps, I highly recommend that you contact Steve Smith in Va. as he manufacturers traps and can fix you up. Havahart is the tonka toy of live traps most any woodchuck will have the inside tore up in 15 minutes. Steve's # is 434-251-0217

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Pzazz!

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 393

Thanks Ray,

I thought you may be able to help me out on this one. I did wildlife removal for a while but don't remember where the traps came from. I do remember them having the two rings that slid down to lock the front door and I know the coons would sometimes learn to stretch out to keep the door open. I like the spring action doors but find that type of mechanism to be weak after a few big ones work it over all night. I will check these ones out.

Thanks again.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 393

Hey Ray, check out this trap that they sent me. I asked for a heavy duty live trap and this one sure is eh!!





Well I wanted to be sure to bait it up just right so that it would work the best on those critters that have been botherin us so I cooked up a big batch of scrapple just the way those good ole boys described, ya know what I mean. Well I put a big pile of scrapple on the trigger plate and WOW MAN!!!!

Take a look at what I caught!!



Well I figured this was serious. I didn't know those kind of critters were roaming my back 40, so I told the Mrs. to put a big sign up at the end of the driveway!!




LOL, just kiddin guys!

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Last edited by Huron on 11-23-2004 at 08:48 PM

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1318

Huron, that was too funny, good job LOL.

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Pzazz!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1076

http://www.livetrap.com/cgi/search....ngle+Door+Traps

I use those 108's.
Personally I don't like double door traps.
Just a personal preference, they work too.

I build a wooden box that covers the top, sides and the back of the trap.
Then I put the bait on a napkin outside on top of the trap, between the trap and the box.
Those coons start digging at the top of the cage and always trip the catch.

Sometimes I put a big rock on top so they don't try to knock it around the yard.

The box also helps keep them quiet and protected after they are caught.

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bruce ordway

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1318

Bruce, you'd be better off just buying plastic livetraps with metal doors, more economical and efficient. We have about 12 of them in different sizes, good for skunks as they don't spray in them.

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Pzazz!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1076

I've never seen plastic ones, where do you get these?

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bruce ordway

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1318

Bruce do a search for plastic live traps, there pricey on line, you can get them cheaper. They used to come black from a mfg in Minnesota, now this Canadian company only has white.

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Pzazz!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1318

Bruce do a search for " minnesota plasti-catch" as this trap has a much better trigger system than the canadian one, I wish theystill made them in black. I have some super small ones that do well for skunks but the 9x9 catches both skunk and coon and the 12x12 will hold any coon alive.

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Pzazz!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Posts: 6113

Did any of you see those live trap kits they are advertising? They look pretty good. You rivet the door and trigger mechanism to a five or six gallon bucket. I like the idea. They can't tear any wire up, can't drag a bunch of grass and crap inside the trap and polecats can't spray through it. Looks really good. Price is $20.

April issue of CB on page 120.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1318

Todd, I'll check those out when I get my April issue, I've seen some before sure wish they'd make a system like you mentioned for those square buckets. The price is sure right if they hold up.

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Pzazz!

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Bussey, IA
Posts: 125

i can get a picture of walkerdog101's trap if you need it, they are hand made, welded all the mechinisms are pretty simple and easy to use, they work very well.

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Gr Nt Ch PR Coon Creek Chubbs

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 6544

Bruce,

I have a tomahawk. That I bought about 3 years ago. Last summer I caught a little dry female coon out back. She pulled some of the welded wire loose all the way around the trap. She didn't weigh but 7-9 pounds.

I used the tomahawk traps when i did nuisuance animal control about 12 years ago. Never had one get tore up.

I think the problem is the welded wire mesh is a poorer quality than years ago.

THe 5 gallon plastic bucket traps look neat, but I would think they might be too small for some of Bruce's coons up there. Also, they use the washer door locks.

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Larry Atherton

Aim small miss small

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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Posts: 1814

I have two of the bucket traps that were advertised in the magazines and they work great. I've caught a grey fox in mine and still had lots of room, I think it would hold a 30 pound coon no problem. Coons can't pull trash in them like other traps and they are much easier to handle because they have two handles and you don't have to worry about the coon trying to reach through the wire at you.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location: (Richmond IN)
Posts: 967

Does anybody know who the guy is that sells live traps at Autumn OAKS every year I like his traps.IVE got 6 and keep them set all the time on the farm.I catch house cats and skunks .Coons and cheeze faces about every day.........CHET

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