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Build a Homemade Trap

11K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Dale S. 
#1 ·
Instructions For The Homemade Trap

1. Cut the two sides and top and bottom to length (top will be 1 ½" shorter than the bottom to allow for the door guide.

2. Using a 3/4" boring/paddle bit, drill a hole thru as shown. Be sure not to push too hard as this will cause splitting on the inside. You need this edge to be clean as this is the hole the trigger shelf sets in.

3. Use a 1" boring/paddle bit and drill hole for pivot bracket

4. Match the side and top/bottom together and drill eight 1/16" holes in the sides, four at top, four at bottom thru and into the top and bottom plate. This is easier if you just do the two ends and then go back and put in the rest.

5. Using eight screws per side, attach the side walls to the top and bottom plates.

6. Using 1" X 3/8" strips of the same material as the box, cut and attach the first door guides, flush with the end that does not have the 3/4" hole in it, with staples or finishing nails.

7. Measure and cut your door. It should be 3/8" smaller than the width of the opening. After cutting the door check fit. It should slide against the front door guides freely.

8. Check the thickness of the door and add 3/8". Attach the back door guides and recheck that the door moves freely. If it hangs, try a little sand paper on the edge of the door. Once you have the door to size, find the center at the top and screw in 1/4" "I"-bolt

9. Find three sticks (oak is good but any will work) One is for the trigger, one is for the pivot arm and the third is a forked stick used for the pivot bracket.

10. Using a sharp knife or hatchet cut to size and trim one end of the bracket to fit snugly into the 1" hole in the middle of the box. If it will not tighten up you can shim it with bark.

11. Cut your pivot arm to length and tie a 12" length of common garden string to both ends about an inch from the end.

12. Cut the trigger to length and carve a step as shown. This "step" will catch the inside of the ¾" diameter trigger hole. Screw in 1/4" "I"-bolt to the top of trigger.

13. With the trigger in the set position, tie the other end of the string from the pivot arm to the "I" bolt in the trigger, leaving about 1" gap between the top of trigger and the pivot arm.

14. Still holding the trigger in position, open the door to where it is about one inch from the top of the door guides. Set your pivot arm in the "V" of the pivot bracket and tie the string from the pivot arm to the "I" bolt in the center of the door.

15. Trip the trigger and check that the door falls all the way down without hanging. Once you have it functional, pull the trigger out and drill a 1/16" hole into the bottom and put in a screw (leaving ½" sticking out). When baiting the trap you tie your bait here or just shove a piece of a quartered apple on it, depending on the critter you need to catch.

16. Cut and attach the ½" galv. wire mesh to the back of trap using 1 1/2"screws w/washers in eight places minimum on a small trap.

17. Rub all freshly cut edges and the mesh/washers/screws with apple. This will encourage some surface decay and remove some of the scent.

18. For rabbit and critters of this nature I use apple/peach/pear. For ****, possum, weasel types I use chicken liver/parts. Squirrel, rats, possum, **** and Lord knows what else, try peanut butter in a nylon. Experiment with your bait but if you find your varmint is eating your chickens, then use chicken parts for bait.

19. To use as a fish trap, I build my door of galv. mesh and use chicken liver or corn tied in nylon to the trigger. Set trap in 4-6" of water (do not submerge). Make sure you weight the trap or anchor it when trapping fish as they will sometimes take quite a beating by large carp, bass or catfish and may turn.

These plans came from a gentleman who goes by the name of Wingdo.

I am proud of these little varmint catchers and nobody would believe me if I told them everything I've caught in them i.e.: skunk, opossum, ****, rabbit, dogs of all sizes, coyote, fox, snakes, chickens, my pets (more than once), squirrel, bob kitty, weasel, mink, quail, turkey, fish and a real dumb buzzard once! The best part is the small to mediums are made of old lumber, strings and sticks! Old lumber is best for these traps because you don't have to de-scent anything except the newly cut edges. This is done by rubbing the edges and possibly the wire with apples, peaches or pears and quickly removes or hides the human scent and encourages a certain amount of surface decay. Also, once you figure out the trigger and pivot arm, you can scale these traps to any size predator problem you may have by using 2" X 2" wire or plywood.

Anyone that can use a saw, drill and pocket knife can make these traps. The shelf on the trigger and the door are the only critical components and even they only have to be "close" to work perfectly. I have only one at this time that is large enough to catch a big dog but that is plenty for me. It stands 26' tall and is 48" deep and has served me very well in the last ten years. I also built one when I was about seven that was 4" tall and 8" deep to catch barn rats (just for fun) and it too worked perfectly. I still have it as a matter of fact and my grandson uses it to catch the stray mouse to scare his mommy! It is important to use a heavy wire mesh on the back of these traps to allow light and yet be stout enough to stand up to the small teeth of some of the small critters. I used some cold rolled (soft steel) mesh once and found the critters could chew out enough of it to escape in less than four hours, so I now use only galvanized mesh. They should be stored out of doors against the side of a building to offer a little protection during the off season. With a little practice and the proper bait they are very effective for anything from coyotes to skunks and can be used in the creek for a fish trap, although this is rather hard on them for extended periods.

Mac from the PIE board explains some of the details further: The door is just a piece of plywood or a board that slids up and down in a groove in the box. If you make the box of plywood, you use thin slats fastened to the inside of the trap to make a groove or track for the door to move in. You can see from the plans where to make this groove. The center post of the trigger is just a pivot. The longer top piece rests on this, with one end of the top piece attached to the door. The other end of the top piece is shaped so that it will fit in a notch in the vertical piece that goes inside the trap to hold the bait. Another notch in this vertical piece is shaped to catch the side of the hole through which it goes into the box. When an animal grasps the bait on the lower end of this vertical trigger piece it dislodges the long top piece and the door drops.
 

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