a rant about duke traps

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YUP YUp Yup,,, sounds like BS!!!

[ozarkmountainman]

I think he means he SOLD the Dukes...?

You're right Mr. Moundmaster... We don't believe DICK about your beaver trappin' exploits. Except...

We trap crystal clear water in the little creeks around here, and I used to get a TON of refusals on BG's... I mean TONS. Put me on Flat Creek, or the Blackwater, Lamine or Missouri and I never had any issues. I HATED BG's in this clear water...

Then one day I had a looonnnggg talk with this long-haired hippy-freak from Minnesota. I told him of my aversions to BG's in clear water. He told me I was "nuts" and hadn't tried enough techniques to learn how to maker them work. Silly hippy-freak...

Except he did get me wondering. The next season I did some research, got to thinkin' (dangerous) and started over. Crap. Nowadays I hardly ever set a foothold. Just don't need to. The hippy was right.

Thanks, hippy-freak!

Nowadays folks call ME the hippy.


D.W. Verts- Bigfoot Trapper

[adccoyote]

Coonsnagger I have used bridgers and they work well and the springs hold up very well. In fact I got one out the other day that hasn't been set in a few years try not trap beaver if I can help it . Anyhow managed to catch an otter. The springs where compressed for all those years and when I went to remove the otter they where like brand new took some doing to get the compressed as I do not use setters on them . If you want the best 330's on the market the Belisles are just awsome traps and we had some 660's made when I did some beaver work for a living and they are as stout and good a kill trap out there, but you pay for them no doubt.

If it where me I would run bridgers as they have done very well for me minus the triggers but anything short of a custom trigger one just gets used to them being replaced in time. The CDR SS triggers last along time. FWIW

[tomolson]

Last thing I would ever use is a belisle or any mag 330.If you trap beaver in an area where the general public has access--the last thing you want is a tail or foot caught beaver .And that's what everyone brags about with the belisles.I want a beaver down and out--or not at all.Worst thing image wise for a trapper is a beaver caught by an appendage in a 330,and causing a big ruckus.
If I wanted beaver caught by a foot,I would still be using footholds and slide wires.
Tom

[coonsnagger]

No I work at a sporting goods store and we sell dukes. I'm also the only trapper here so generally I'm the one selling them. I downgrade them here because no one knows where I work or who I am really. At my job I talk duke up but honestly I feel bad selling a product I personally don't believe works well. But that's what I do.

[adccoyote]

Tom caught a few beaver by the foot in them you would other traps if they where like a Belisles There not so yes they go free. My point is I catch most of them down and out in them as well as any other brand and when I had Rich Kasper make up 660's I wanted max spring strength to push that much jaw so that is all I would use.

No to concerned with the general public when working beaver control jobs no much general public where I was at, but then again even elsewhere I would use what I thought was the most efficient . if I could use snares I would set them first fast and easy for me, then kill traps and even a few hancocks as well, foot holds the last on my list. I even shot gunned my share as well.

I am no beaver master that is for sure but ai can get the job done and to ME beaver are a job not a fun thing at all. The fur price to ME hasn't been worth it since well the 80's. I have known a few real good beaver guys like you one, has well over 12,000 beaver in his lifetime. He worked ADC on them for 35 years. Most people wouldn't even know who he is, as he was never a computer guy and retired back in 2007. never had anything to sell but I loved to talk to him about beavers as that made up the bulk of his work load for all those years.

he is opposite of you though 95 percent of his beaver came in snares.

[tomolson]

Montgomery 600 was the first magnum(total closure)body gripper.It was 8 1/2 x 8 1/2,I caught an awful lot of beaver in this trap,but the day I had 6 by the front foot,is the day I switched to 330s.
Many of the beaver I have trapped have been in areas where there are a lot of general public.There are 4 million people in the 7 county metro area I live in--15 miles from St.Paul and 25 miles from Minneapolis.
My buddy Mike and I trapped hundreds of beaver for a state park located near The big airport in the twin cities.With thousands of the general public in there every day,we could not afford to have live beaver drawing attention--thus no footholds,no total closure body grippers.
One day we actually had to wait to check traps,as the governor was visiting and would be within 75 feet of our traps.The park really didn't want us checking traps and hauling out beaver past the news cameras.
I much prefer the solitude of my more northern beaver trapping areas,but --you trap them when and where you can.
And I do love trapping beaver,and prefer skinning them to any other animal.
Tom

[coonsnagger]

Ill join in on this secondary conversation. I love trapping beaver. Something about them has always drawn me. I love trying to figure them out, when you think you did, bam another lesson and more questions. I think they are by far the most intelligent animal we trap. They say coyotes are smart but let's see them build a house like that. I honestly would be happy if I could only ever trap beaver but I can't help but love a good challenge learning all the other fauna. But I digress, I kind of like snares, a bit on the difficult side compared to conis but they are interesting. I've only been using them half a season and only got one beaver in them. But I greatly prefer conis to them. I think they are alot easier and quicker dispatch on the animal. And a conibear I just place use beaver sticks to keep proper up and chain off on a run and done. I don't have to figure the loop size, or get the wire stand at exactly 10 o'clock, or dispatch and animal when I get to it. But somthing about all those factors does make it more fun to learn.

[adccoyote]

Tom I remember the Monty 600's I thought they where a bad trap, the springs never went fully closed, due to eye holes on springs and jaw bends. They where far cheaper than victors I do remember but sold mine off fast. They where an 8x8 if I remember right? Only came with one notch in the dog and where a bit sensitive because of a very shallow notch as well.