I have never set them with a setter or rope always with my hands, I pull them up to my chest and compress the springs, I have set hundreds and never had a issue. To be safe I would suggest a rope as quickest and safest.

Guess it helps to have pretty big hands. I just squeeze the springs one at a time with both hands and then slide my leg along the safety to make it catch.

Thanks for that awesome video demo grod!

get a rope and look up how to set a 330 with rope i use it and its awesome because you have 1 free hand so if your caugh you can get out

How would you get caught setting the springs on a 330?? Maybe smash a finger, but the trap jaws wouldnt be set...


I set all mine by hand before I load them in the snowmachine.

I use a rope 90% of the time if theres a critter in the trap. It can be hard to manuever around a frozen beaver or otter doing it by hand...

use a rope and, as an extra help, use the rope to carry your catch.

you gotta have big hands. I can get the springs started and compress them and have them set in decent time. The guy I trap with says I am retarded and playing with fire, but I learned conibear trapping from my dad and thats the way he does it, so if the old man can do it then I can too

I use rope most of the time and that works well for me...However, I did pick up one trick that works pretty good when I have forgotten, misplaced my rope, or when it is just not convenient to use a rope...Keep in mind when I am using 330s I am usually trapping beaver so beaver chewed stumps are usually around...

On a fresh beaver chewed stump, place the spring eye ring of your 330, if you can picture that...The ring goes over the point, and then you can easily push down the spring with all your weight, if needed and simply hook the safety...The spring stays nicely secured on the point of the beaver chewing without kicking out as it would if just placed on the ground...I'll use this method even when I am removing a beaver from a trap if it is convenient.

Beaverpeeler, I'd like to see a video of you guys setting with your hands. I am getting the picture with your explanation, but I would like to see it done visually.

HaHa thats funny. LOL

rasbo..you never had much of a love life anyway.

I invite anybody that has a video camera to come out on the line with me and videotape it. If you could see how fast and easy it is everybody would do it this way. I have to say that at 19 I bought my first 330 conibears and bought a trap setter to go wtih it. Then this geeky chess playing freshman that had skinny white arms (but knew how to hand set them as I have already described) laughed at me and grabbed one and set one in a few seconds. I threw away the setter after that.

I should mention that the geeky freshman was NewHouse114 on the forum here,

He never lets me forget the time he showed me up on the conibears.

Just how are you setting your traps?Nah never mind.lol

Good video.Basicly do mine the same way.

Put the 330 jaws between your legs. Put the palm of your weak hand on the upper jaw eye, grap the lower spring with your strong hand & compress.
Oh, the new Dukes have a fat section by the jaw rivit. So you have to make the springs meet there at the rivit. Because the spring eyes will not go over.

Maybe next convention I'll do the 330 setting contest. I hope they use the new Dukey's.....

do mine the same way vinke even the wire part lol

i put the bottom of the spring on my knee and push down i have the locks on the bottom so i can lock the spring but it seems to get harder every year as im getting older but what the heck

was using my hands by stepping on the jaws then pulling up the springs, then a rope for a while until i got the setters. everyones got their own method of setting them... i just like the setters just its quicker.

If you have youth on your side, note the previous suggestions, and diddle until you catch on to it.

However, if you are anticipating setting a bunch of those stout springs by hand, there are options that are more prudent. If you want to bypass the training challenges to accomplish that, there are alternatives. Unless you want to prove that you are a bullheaded tough dude by trade.

There are methods and techniques available to keep your cold tired wrists, hands and fingers out of being trapped between those heavy jaws while setting by "hand."

To avoid the frustration of that in the fumble while in training, and to conserve your energy to be the most efficient on your line as possible, take a detour to consider the options afforded in this post/thread that I drafted for a reason a couple of years ago:

Conibear/Body Grip Trap Setting Methods

Jonathan

I use a rope, you guys are nuts. I've done it, and almost done it. It really sucks once you figure out that the safety is almost on but you just know you can't seal the deal. Rope is quick enough for me, just don't loop it wrong on some brands or it'll slip through the gap in the eye. Loop it the other way or weld the loop closed.

Going this week for an MRI. Will probably be my third rotator cuff surgery. I'm 63. I have set 330's by hand, but the rope is much easier. I've used a setter too. Had to paint my setter with day glow orange so I could find it when I had to walk back to the trap where I last used it.

Caught my dog by the neck in a 220 bucket set once. Glad I had the setter with me. She came out alright. Saved my marriage.