Staking

[1Shooter]

I know there are a few different ways to stake and anchor traps, and after trying to do some research online I came up dry. The #220 conibear I just got has a ring about 2" in diameter at the end of the chain. If a guy is planning on doing a bucket set off ground in a stack of hay bales, what should a guy stake to or how should it be done? I have heard of using aircraft cable (same stuff used for snares) to tie a conibear off to a tree or nearby post, but is there anything a guy could do to set up in haybales?

I also just got a duke foot-hold trap for coyotes. At the end of the short chain there's a universal swivel. How would I go about staking this? Just put the rebar straight through the swivel? Thanks in advance!

[Prairie Ghost]

Disposable stakes is the way to go however rebar does still work. That foothold trap should have some chain added with another swivel on it. Then you need to purchase some iowa disposable or high desert spears for disposable stakes and a driver. Since you are not set up i would buy fininshed stakes with the cable already put on for you. Call O'Gormans and get a catalog sent to you. 406-436-2234.

Conibers is just not my area lyonch or Levi or Coyotehunter can help you a little better in that area.

[lyonch]

When using a bucket set, you will also need to have your bucket solid. Look closelt at the pic below and you should get any of the info you are looking for. It show where to notch the bucket and i use the stake in the back of the bucket to hol my trap as well. You dont need to stake conibears really solid. i just push the stake in by hand.

[1Shooter]

Thanks guys! That looks like a good way to stake the bucket set lyonch; I'm going to try it. That's a big coon That's all I plan on doing with the conibear anyway is bucket sets. I wondered how much I would really need to stake them if they dispatch the animal pretty quickly. I don't have any of the square 4 gal. buckets, but have a couple round 5 gal. ones I'm going to try using. Are coons pretty leary of human scent or do you think I could get away without boiling and dying a conibear?

[lyonch]

First thing you should do is wash your traps in some type of degreasing solution. After all the oils and grease are off, then you need to let the trap rust. After the trap rusts and has a good coat on it, then you need to boil it in lodwood dye. Then let it dry. That is all you should have to do with a conibear, or thats what i do. You can also spray paint the conibear if you choose to do so. Coons dont pay too close attention to human scent, but you need to be concious of it. It is good practice to always wear gloves and be mindful of your sent. I personally think it makes a difference. Another way to set that conibear is in a trail set. You can also find where they are going to and from the hay stack or barn and set it right in the hole opening.

[LeviM]

Throw them in the dishwasher, or take them to a car wash and spray the grease off. I spray paint mine, some people do nothing.

[1Shooter]

That foothold trap should have some chain added with another swivel on it.

Would this work for the chain to add to the foothold trap? I've made and bought a couple swivels. If you can't read the words, the box says:
50 Feet Chain
-#3 Twinloop, Zinc.
-For padlocks, animal tie-outs and many other general-purpose applications.
WORKING LOAD LIMIT: 90 LBS.

I know I'd have to boil it with baking soda to get the shine off, but do you guys think this should work? It's the closest thing I could find at Menards to being the same size as what's on the trap.

[DustyC]

I wouldn't use that chain. A coyote could kink and break that pretty easy. I would go with #3 straight link. I can't remember, but In Hoofbeats Of a Wolfer, O'Gorman states that a longing coyote can produce over 200 pounds of pressure. Someone that remembers what he said please correct me.

[lyonch]

I would do exactly what DuctyC said. That chain might hold your pet, but it wont hold a coyote!! Your pet is usually leash broke and wont tug really hard on the chain like a coyote can. these are wild animals and have a lot more pulling power than one thinks.

DuctyC i think O'Gorman stated it is just over 400 lbs of pulling power a staked coyote has. I could be wrong though. I will have to look that one up when i get back from the classic. I think it was 3 or 4 feet of chain and the coyote sprinted all out from one end of the catch circle to the other.

[LeviM]

You already spent the money on the trap, dont get cheap now and put cheap chain on, this is very important!!!! You want a minimum of 3' of total chain length. I believe chirs is correct when he stated its 400 lbs of pressure, I beleive thats what I read in o'gormons, but again I dont read very well

[1Shooter]

Thanks for the quick responses guys, I'll have to take this chain back and get some #3 Straight Link like DustyC said. Thanks for that length approximation too LeviM, that was another guess I would have had to make.

[lyonch]

1shooter one thing you will notice when trapping coyotes is they will destroy things. The dog on the trap might bent in two, the trap will probably be chewed on, and your pan cover will be pretty much non existant (sp). They will chew anything they can there mouth on. They will also try chewing on the swivels and chain. Another hint for you is that you should spot weld all of your j-hooks shut so that the coyote can't open them up on you. Walking up to a set to only see the trap is gone because i was too lazy or cheap to do something, is something i personally hope i dont ever experience. Not saying you are, but just in general to myself.

[lyonch]

Here is a image for you. Its the best i could find in my collection that showed the chain on the trap. Focus on just the chain. Save the pic and zoom in if you would like. Take note that the trap goes directly to an inline swivel, then to a shock absoprtion spring, then another inline swivel, then at the stake, i have another inline swivel that goes to a flat stake swivel. This by no means the only way to set your chains up. this is just how i do it. Also all of my j-hooks are spot welded shut. The trap came with a factory chain about 1' long. I added 2' of straight link chain to that.

[DustyC]

I like a little lomger chain on mine. But thats all personal prference. I like about s5 feet total so they tangle up in the brush. I use at least 3 swivels per trap, sometimes 4.

[RandyRoede]

1Shooter chain length etc. has been debated since, well whenever, the longer the chain results in more energy at the end of it. If you are using a high end trap such as a Sterling or a beefed up stock trap they will take it, but an out of the box stock one will explode at times when forced to take that type of beating. That same trap on a short chain, 12" to 15" will hold up better. Some even use under 12", the trouble they seem to run into is fouled swiwels because trash gets in them and stake pumping from more of an upward pull. Long chains 3' to 5' foot on a solid anchor also tend to wrap in trash and foul swivels, most long chains are on drags etc in rock country. Most guys have settled on an inbetween length of 12" 18" of #3 chain with a swivel on the trap end, anchoring end ,with one in the middle. The choice can also be influenced by check times inbetween, the longer that is the better equipment you had better have.

If you start anchoring on a long chain you need to be aware of what an animal is going to get into in that catch circle, this is overlooked a lot!

As for conibears in bale piles, personally i cut all the chains off them when i get them and use cable extensions to anchor them. You could get your buckets up in the bales and run a stake thru them to get the bucket solid and then run a cable extension to the ground and a stake for an anchor, you usually don't need much but you never know. One thing that will keep your conibear solid in the bucket is to put a screw thru the bottom of the bucket inbetween the two jaws so they can't flip it, if you get it in the right spot that coni will be rock solid. The cable extensions are homemade anywhere from 6' to 10' and can be anchored to a rebar stake or any other thing nearby that is solid. I hate punding in or taking out rebar and always look for something already there to hook to. You just put tewo standard double ferrule ends on each end and run it thru each other on the trap end and you pull it all the way thru and anchor, if attaching to something you use a split ring ont the end to seal the deal. Very simple. I use them more and more for my snares when I am in country with something to hook to.

You have gotten a lot of good advice from a lot of different people, it's all good, you just have to sort thru it all and see what works for you. I commend you on asking for advice before jumping into it. Smart man!! You have many more options now than when you started the post. There are a lot of what ifs etc. in the trapping world, it's not black or white!!