I have a victor 1.75 laminated regular jaw four coil in a drainage ditch across a levee from a pond everyday I go check the trap is set off sometimes on land sometimes in the water. I know there is otter mink racoon and nutria around. Any ideas on what it could be. No catch circle. That water is about six inches deep and the set is at an otter toilet.

Does it look like something has set it off or still setting in same spot you put it?

Trail camera time !

Sometimes it’s in the water some times it’s on the levee. Never where I left it but also no catch circle .

I'll go with a person or a coon
I've had both mess with traps

I don't know a lot about otters

Sounds like human interference.

Deer?

Turtle?

YB, try setting it more shallow, they may be springing it with their belly.

Change the trap
Sometimes they go off on there own

This was my first thought.

Not deer there not in that area it's possible it's coon I caught 2 on the other side of the levee. It shouldn't be human interference it's private property crawfish ponds so I'm helping my land owner and the surrounding land owners. Today was the first day it wasn't set off. New fox may be on to something. It's a weird spot to trap. Drainage ditch that drops six to eight inches directly down from the bank.ill let y'all know if it connects with anything. I plan on switching it to another trap tomorow

No muddy bottom in the water for tracks or sign? Any tracks around the trap on land? If not human I would say coon. They may be able to feel the trap or chain and many times flip the trap and then they can and will play with it too. If the trap is firing on its own then coon or otter can move them around after they are sprung. With a 4-coil trap I would assume the pan tension to be quite heavy so if animals are firing the trap they are not within the jaws when it fires.

Bryce

I would do three things.

1) Change out the trap. Sometimes a particular trap will just go off.I have some Victor #2 Long Springs that I had to modify as they would just go off. Unless you have a game camera on it, you will never know, so change it out.

2) Get that trap more shallow. If it is a good run just build up the trap bed with a little of that good Louisiana mud. A big fat nutria or otter will belly drag a trap that is too deep. Also, a mink will float across a deep trap. Look at the run at the animal's level and think about where they slid up on the run and place their front feet.

3) I would drop in a 220, 280 or 330 on the crossover where it starts to angle up.right where the levee flatens out.

One of my traplines is on muliple ponds with levees. When I find a crossover I set multiple sets, like putting out a mine field. If you get a gang of otters coming through you run a good chance of hammering one or three of them.

Make sure you have at least 2# of pan tension and off set to the left or right in the water at the bottom of the slide.