What are you trying to trap? A dog proof trap for coons is 15 or less. A lot less hassle. A lot less time consuming. And you can kind of be selective on what it catches by what bait you use. Plus if you catch something you don't want you can release it with not much harm to the animal.
For coyotes, good luck getting one to go in a box. I mean, I guess it could happen. I've seen coyotes in cage traps before. But I am skeptical about them getting into a box hole in the ground.
Modern, offset, two coil footholds aren't that expensive. Under 10 bucks. And you can release the animals with little damage as well when they're set up right.
If you're dead set on using a trap you construct there are better options. Look into those rabbit guillotine door traps and upscale it for coons, possums, skunks etc. plus with your setup you're relying on the dirt to hold the animal in place. Lots of these animals are diggers. They may just dig out.
I'm not trying to discourage you or rain on your idea. I've made box traps and it's really cool to catch something in a trap you construct yourself. But I think you're more likely to get something with modern equipment and with a lot less effort and that will keep you interested in the sport.
Just my two cents.
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Cid - thanks for that.
Please understand my desire to trap comes from curiosity and my arrival at 'building my own trap' came from a lack of knowledge. I'm a fan of any live trap that's inexpensive. I'm pretty sure that any home-built trap would effectively cost me nothing based on what I have lying around. So, came from there.
As for what I want to trap, I think I'm looking right now for things that I can either eat - like rabbits - or pure nuisance animals that the landowner (FIL) hates - like raccoons. I don't think the coyote population is high enough and there's a risk of trapping stray dogs instead of them. Otherwise there are hogs and bobcats, but I'd need to graduate into that..
We quit trapping during deer season for that reason, don't know how many traps I've lost to helpful hunters blasting critters with a 30-06, not to mention the critters and traps that came up missing.
We quit trapping during deer season for that reason, don't know how many traps I've lost to helpful hunters blasting critters with a 30-06, not to mention the critters and traps that came up missing.
When I worked for the government I told my ranchers the first trap I had stolen or something shot in my trap I was gone lol. They made dang sure that didn't happen. The hunters were told if they messed with my stuff they were not to come back
Set 5 traps yesterday. One had a coon, another one was worked by a coyote but somehow he managed to miss the pan, the third one was activated by the pigs and two had no activity. I haven't been able to trap at all this season due to work.
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