Hi all,
I am going to take up fox trapping this fall and have to get stakes, I plan on using rebar stakes and double staking them. I have three 1.5 cs traps to work with, what would you guys do to set these up with stakes. I have never done any kind of land trapping before, just water trapping, so I have a shovel, hammer, wire, ect. What would you guys set up with, all the traps are boiled and dyed and waxed but everything else is factory.
Thanks
Cole

Shock spring, double stake swivel, and lots of MB Crunch Proof Swivels! Oh and a tag.

You dont have to double stake for fox and if a coyote happens to get in one of those 1.5s hes not gonna be in it for long.

The shock spring would help though.

I wouldn't take chances with coyotes.One can easily pump a single stake out of the ground.I used to set a few 1 1/2's for fox when I was running out of clean coyote traps.I ended up catching several coyotes and held every one,though one had the stake pumped halfway out of the ground and that ground was frozen hard as concrete.

I would double stake and make sure the jaw ends are turned up.If it were earlier and you hadn't dyed and waxed them,I'd say get someone to bubble the jaw tips.If you have coyotes around,I would take the fur check money and get some bigger traps.

I don't know what kind of hammer you have but driving double stakes,a heavy hammer like the "sodbuster" that dealers sell is worth it's weight in gold.You may have already but make sure that the contact are of pan notch and dog are scraped clean of ALL wax-just that little contact area.Put some tension on the pan and make sure it's level.

I double stake like this with 1/2"x18" rebar stakes.Cut a 12" piece of 1/8" cable and 2 double ferrules for the loops.It finishes up about 6" long and has a little flex to it,plus a little scissor action if the ground isn't froze.Double stake swivels are good also.

If you have coyotes at all, double stake...and you don't NEED shock springs. You can achieve the same results by running a shorter chain.

I dont believe that. When you stake an animal to the ground with 6 inches of chain your asking for trouble in my opinion. They fight the whole time they are in the trap with little chain. If you give them a couple feet of chain they will still fight but not nearly as much and shock springs are very helpful especially when a bobcat gets in your set. Ive seen where when people had 6 inches of chain the cats popped right out of the trap leaving a toe behind. If there wouldve been more chain or even a shock spring i believe the cat wouldve been help by the toes.

You dont have to rig your traps like this but most of my cat and coyote traps have 8 to 12 inches of chain then a shock spring with swivels on both sides of it then another 8 to 12 inches of chain and a MB crunch proof swivel. Then i either cable off or hook to a drag or hook up a wolffang.

I've caught many a yote in 11/2 montys.....never lost a one

Things always happen on occasion. Toe catches are always a crab shoot. Bigger traps eliminate toe catches.

I/ve been shortstaking since the early 80s and I don't have issues. Maybe some do...I don't. I/ve also taken plenty of coyotes in traps that given more chain, would have disassembled the trap in seconds. Don't give them the inertia to get out and they won't. I/ve used rusty ol early 80s vintage 1.75s that wouldn't appear to would hold a muskrat, yet I/ve never had a jaw pop or trap failure. long chain, you better beef things up...cuz the train is coming. Thus the shock springs.

Heck, Wendt uses short chains (shorter than mine) and he don't lose many.

18" #3 chain and 3 MB crunch proof swivels

I/ve also taken plenty of coyotes in traps that given more chain, would have disassembled the trap in seconds.


Well it sounds like that might be your problem. I dont own a single trap that would be pulled apart and I think using a trap that could be pulled apart would be unwise to use. And juat think of it like this, If your trap was staked right to the ground dont you think that would cause problems? I think that the more chain you can use the better. Thats why im a big fan of cabling off or using a drag because animals can get into cover and feel safe.

More chain = more momentum when they reach the end of it.
I personally like 12 inches from trap to stake with three swivels.I sell mostly livemarket fox and this setup results in least amount of damage I have found.

Do you guys ever stake and drag?
Griz

Thanks for all the help! I will be setting out starting the 15th of this month. Can someone PM me to help with dispatch of fox? Thanks again
CD

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Things always happen on occasion. Toe catches are always a crab shoot. Bigger traps eliminate toe catches.
. [/quote]

Not only bigger traps but correct pan tension. It's over looked by a lot of trappers

X2

I use factory duke #2's for fox with the factory chain, i think its 12inches, and (one) 24 inch rebar stake, plenty of foxes on that setup never lost one. I got a 45lb male coyote this morning on that setup and believe it or not he was still there this morning when i checked traps, sure the stake was loose in the ground but for some reason he never pumped it out, very lucky and not recommended i know..but it can be done...

A single 16 inch 1/2 inch rebar stake with stock chain that are about 8 inches works just fine for me.

i just got the feet of a fox yesterday the trap was unbeded of coarse but the stake wasn't budged i have a 2 ft bar and washer on it.

Chain cost money and a long chain as others have stated only leads to problems. Use plenty of swivels and weld the J hooks plus double stake just in case. Yes you can catch yotes with a single stake, but sooner or later one will pull the stake leave with your trap. Same with unwelded J hooks. I have learned both of these lessons the hard way over the years. When coyotes might be caught as well as grey fox or red fox I go with a #3 coil spring trap. Number 3's will hold all of these critters and number 1.5 and 2's may not.