I ordered some traps.

[stevelyn]

ive never tried them, but they make a tool for that. it, to me, essentially looks like a giant pair of pliers. im guess it holds the jaws open while you set the triggers and bait it?

They are called setters. They are used to compress the springs. Once the spring is compressed, you engage the safety hooks on the springs while you set the dog and trigger and place the trap on your set. Once the trap is secured, the safety hooks are disengaged and anything tripping the trigger will fire the trap.

Conibears generally aren't baited as they are placed in paths of travel. The otter guys will sometimes bait them with a small whole fish and set it upside-down in the water, but generally they are set up as cubby sets with bait or lure in the cubby or on a travel path on or around a beaver dam, culverts or ditches.

[Altarboy]

Good info. Thank you Stevelyn.