I ordered some traps.

[Altarboy]

They are pretty inexpensive. I ordered 4 mink size, four rabbit size, and four coon size. With free shipping, it came to 107.00. I live in the sticks, and figure they could come in handy if the deer hunting doesn't hold up in the long run.
L and M Fleet Supply has them if you are interested.

[5.56NATO]

A pellet rifle for small birds/other animals would go with that.

[skorpion]

Never hurts to have multiple means for procuring dinner!

[Altarboy]

Philosophically, I don't like traps. They will gather dust until we are hungry enough to need them.

[l921428x]

Philosophically, I don't like traps. They will gather dust until we are hungry enough to need them.

I agree with you 100%.

[shorthair]

I have traps, small and live traps. Just let a mouse go today.

[Altarboy]

Cody Lundin said the big rat traps are great for catching small game for survival. He was referring mostly to rats. Ew

[deth502]

i have a small roll of 7x7 cable and a bag of ferrules. very cheap and in shtf can make SEVERAL snares, as well as having many other uses.

i also have some foot traps and conibear traps, but for "prepping", imo, cable + knowledge = better. cheaper, easy to find, takes up very little space, and has alternate uses if needed.

[JTHunter]

I have already used the 2 sizes I have to reduce the surplus population of both squirrels and raccoons. The squirrels were finished with a pellet rifle at point blank (3-4") while the 'coon needed a "quiet" .22 @ 4-6".

Now, if I could just figure how to get the groundhogs digging the rock base out from under my polebarn. So far, they have ignored lettuce, cabbage, apples, peanut butter, dry dog food, etc. :think2:

[5.56NATO]

Cody Lundin said the big rat traps are great for catching small game for survival. He was referring mostly to rats. Ew

Stuffed mouse/rat was considered a delicacy in ancient Rome. Of course, they also had small rooms called the vomitorium in large villas, just off the dinning room. As you expected, this small room was used to hurl in so one could continue feasting for hours.

[FunkyPertwee]

Stuffed mouse/rat was considered a delicacy in ancient Rome. Of course, they also had small rooms called the vomitorium in large villas, just off the dinning room. As you expected, this small room was used to hurl in so one could continue feasting for hours.


It would be interesting to see how the Romans would react to the introduction of modern drugs into their society.

[5.56NATO]

It would be interesting to see how the Romans would react to the introduction of modern drugs into their society.

Drug use in Rome was huge, opium, hash, they had it all but the modern synthetic stuff. Also, they used lead piping, especially in the villas and palaces of the well to do, wich might explain why some of the rich were quite mad. In the movie The Gladiator when the princess makes the drink for Commodus, that was one such drug. They had apothecaries just like we do, and poisons of various types were available to the rich, it seems only poison was illegal in Rome, all other drugs were allowed.
Anyway, rat/mouse recipes may soon be back in vogue. I'd rather eat pigeon.

[Gunner1558]

I have already used the 2 sizes I have to reduce the surplus population of both squirrels and raccoons. The squirrels were finished with a pellet rifle at point blank (3-4") while the 'coon needed a "quiet" .22 @ 4-6".

Now, if I could just figure how to get the groundhogs digging the rock base out from under my polebarn. So far, they have ignored lettuce, cabbage, apples, peanut butter, dry dog food, etc. :think2:


Try marshmallows. I know they are great bait for racoons.

[5.56NATO]

A crossbow would be fun to add to the traps and air rifles.

[JTHunter]

Try marshmallows. I know they are great bait for raccoons.

Thanks for the tip Gunner. I'll give it a try!

[Altarboy]

Well they arrived. Man, I gotta say, setting one of these conibears is daunting. Especially the 330s. Jeez, if your hand ever gets in the way, you're not gonna have a good day.

[deth502]

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?

[Altarboy]

Yes, I have that. Still......

[skorpion]

http://i63.tinypic.com/2mcexqg.jpg

[stevelyn]

Well they arrived. Man, I gotta say, setting one of these conibears is daunting. Especially the 330s. Jeez, if your hand ever gets in the way, you're not gonna have a good day.

I've been pinched in a Conibear. The worst part was the jaw grabbing my stainless watch band and hanging up on it. The jaw was less painful. I use setters that I made with 1" flat stock. They are a little longer than the commercial setters, but they give more leverage for compressing the springs and they have enough heft that I can permanently knock out foxes and lynx in legholds with them. Wolverines in a leghold gets a .22 to the head.

With a little work, those traps you bought will recover what you spent on them.

[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.