Home

Advice on mole traps

Posted By: jdl9986

Advice on mole traps - 06/10/12 03:00 AM

What are yalls opinion on the best mole and gopher trap?
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/10/12 03:03 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi1jnB1RuZ8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I like these in the shallow runs and Steve's mole trap in the deeper runs
Posted By: trapperpaw

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/10/12 03:25 AM

I don't have gophers but for moles my favorite traps are the old victors like Pesky had in the video and the out-a-site.
If I didn't have so many I would buy Steve Albano's. If I was going to buy new spear traps I think I would buy the sweeney brand. Use vaseline on the spears it preserves them and keeps the hole lubricated getting it to the mole.
I stopped in Rural King the other day and they had the out-a-sites for 8.99.
Thats the cheapest I've seen them anywhere for a while.
Posted By: BUD25

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/10/12 06:17 AM

www.trappinmoles.com
Posted By: trapper4hire

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/10/12 11:17 AM

pesky i just watched your mole video, what in the world is a "No see um" mole trap?
Posted By: TimsWildlifeCtrl

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/19/12 11:00 PM

out-a-sight.

http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/M...;Category_Code=
Posted By: Bob Jameson

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/19/12 11:13 PM

You will find you will need at least two or three types of moles traps to cover the various runs and deep tunneling areas. Any one trap is not always the answer.O/S and Albanos traps fill most of our needs. Spears will work very well on shallow runs also. Just need to become familiar with the mechanical functions of all the devices then learn the behavior of the moles habits and depths at different times of the year and what runs connect.
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 12:12 AM

I took a nice double With the Steve's traps today . I started just staking them right in that loop above the spring . I'm thinking this is working better for me . That was also in a very shallow run to
Posted By: wiggler

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 12:42 AM

i put a little zip tie and super glue them to lock them and it gives ya a little loop to stake my traps. easier than trying to stake through the end of the trap.
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 01:08 AM

They seem to bed down better for me , more secure . I have tethers on them . The extra flagging helps with the lawn mowers .
Posted By: Jeff

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 01:20 AM

With the Steve's traps i like to stake them right through the loop with little 6" tent stake or my flags...this helps to keep the trap solid in place from moving back if the mole is plowing his way through. This works very well for me.
Posted By: trapper4hire

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 02:19 AM

Originally Posted By: Jeff
With the Steve's traps i like to stake them right through the loop with little 6" tent stake or my flags...this helps to keep the trap solid in place from moving back if the mole is plowing his way through. This works very well for me.


I also stake them right through the rear loop with a marking flag.
Posted By: MoFarmBoy

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 04:41 AM

Personally, I avoid staking through the metal trap loop. It must be free to rotate since it is part of the right jaw, which performs most of the appoximately 90 degrees of rotation. The left jaw (mole's perspective) is part of the more stationary base. If you've wedged a Steve's trap in a deep clay run, you'll see that left jaw won't move much, since the spring handle is against the top of the run and the base is wide. I don't need anything more to impede or reduce the force of that trap (same reason I swing the T-handle up on a set spear trap or pre-fire OOSs.)
I use both nylon string and cable on Steve's, but the zip ties would work.
Posted By: wiggler

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 11:21 AM

ive been zip tie'n my steve's traps since i started using them. ive only had 2 live moles out of hundreds.. but i dont want to lose my traps. ive tried staking through the end of the trap.. but it just doesnt sit right when i did. some runs are deep and hard to find that little hole. (no pun intented) with the little loop, i have no problem staking them. just the way i do it
Posted By: Nic Pallo

Re: Advice on mole traps - 06/20/12 11:23 AM

Still not staking my mole traps, still not having problems whistle
Posted By: crossroads

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/07/12 09:07 AM

I've been having some issues with the sod plug being dry and crumbling and filing the trigger with dirt. Has anyone used wax paper to keep the dirt out of the trigger sort of like on a foothold set?
Posted By: Bob Jameson

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/07/12 12:46 PM

Running a staking wire like a surveying flag type to mark your trap does restrict the mobility and rotation of the traps function.
I also ran them initially with that system of staking until I ran into some misses often enough to realize something wasnt quite right. Once you analyze the traps function you will better understand the need for a tether of sorts is a better means of anchoring allowing better trap function.
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/07/12 05:46 PM

Yep I went back to the tethers had a job last week that had 4 out of 5 miss . , Im over staking threw the loop
Posted By: coast trapper

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/07/12 11:30 PM

I tether all my traps from steve because it seems when I catch a big mole the tether wire is always pulled tight back down the run. If it was't tethered I might have lost it. I trap only for golf courses and I either catch moles or gophers. I DO NOT ANCHOR MY TRAPS WITH A FLAG! A public place like golf courses have too many animal lovers present that like to pull the flags so I put the flag a few feet away and anchor my traps with a spike pushed in to the ground level so it isn't obvious, I then mark with marking paint a dot at the flag and about 1 foot the other side of where the traps are. The location of each set on the fairway is then noted in a daily log. I carry a metal detector to find that spike if needed. I have't lost any traps since I started doing this but still am losing flags.
Posted By: crossroads

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/08/12 01:06 AM

I like your idea with the marking paint. As for a tether I'm using 150# mono fishing line with crimped sleeves that I have lefty over from making my own tuna rigs.
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/08/12 01:29 PM

Might be a good idea to add a barrel swivel so the trap spins more freely
Posted By: Bob Jameson

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/08/12 01:48 PM

That should work just fine. As long as there is room for trap rotation to function properly alot of methods of tethering would work.
Posted By: crossroads

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/08/12 09:18 PM

The other day I had 3 out of 4 traps set off with nothing in them. So, I went with the theory of more is better and set 7 traps within about 4 feet of each other. I win!
Posted By: coast trapper

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/09/12 02:16 PM

I use the plastic coated flexable metal wire with crimps for the teather as moles sharp teeth can cut thru mono as I have found to my regret some years ago.
Posted By: bluebill

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/09/12 03:24 PM

Originally Posted By: Bob Jameson
Running a staking wire like a surveying flag type to mark your trap does restrict the mobility and rotation of the traps function.
I also ran them initially with that system of staking until I ran into some misses often enough to realize something wasnt quite right. Once you analyze the traps function you will better understand the need for a tether of sorts is a better means of anchoring allowing better trap function.
Fishing swivel on the end is fast and easy.
Posted By: Bob Jameson

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/09/12 09:43 PM

How are you attaching the swivel? With a split ring of sorts?
Posted By: crossroads

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/10/12 02:38 AM

I think he is talking about the snap swivel. Good idea!
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/10/12 03:00 AM

I haven't added a swivel yet , I was thinking of adding a barrel swivel to the fishing line , but then bluebill said fishing swivel which I think ment snap swivel . That would be very easy to add . I have some stainless steel snap swivels on the boat I think I will give that a try with no fishing line
Posted By: Peskycritter

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/10/12 07:46 AM

It's about the trap spinning around when it's fired . And not letting coons run off with your trapped moles . No one is having problems with moles taking off with the trap . The trap is made to spin I'm finding out . I just started using these traps this year . I thought I was reinventing the wheel by just staking the loop only to find that I started missing moles . When I used tethers I hardly missed any . Great trap by the way . Always wishing I had more .
Posted By: bluebill

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/10/12 11:23 AM

Yes I am talking about snap swivels. For the last couple years I was staking a survey flag thru the hole and did well, but I did have some unexplained misses. Adding snap swivels are cheap & easy insurance and have improved my catch rate.
Posted By: Bob Jameson

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/10/12 11:36 AM

I assumed you were talking about the snap type swivels but wanted to ask. The swivels with a heavy line would work very well also I can see. Very good idea to allow unobstructed trap rotation. I like the longer 1/16" stainless cables about 3" with ferruled loops. That setup usually gives me enough reach to connect both end trap cables from each trap with one anchor flag in most cases.
Posted By: Nic Pallo

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/10/12 01:06 PM

Originally Posted By: Peskycritter
And not letting coons run off with your trapped moles

Ah, got cha.
Posted By: crossroads

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/11/12 06:33 AM

My brother inlaw loaned me two of the trapline traps about a month ago and within a week caught 2 miles that had been filling my scissor traps with dirt. I ordered 2 dozen and last week has them all in the ground plus some scissor traps so I ordered another 2 dozen. Great product, surprised they don't come with a tether.Kevin
Posted By: Bob Jameson

Re: Advice on mole traps - 07/11/12 11:02 AM

Earlier traps that I purchased from Steve had them. Must just be to time consuming for him to install them I would assume.
© 2024 Trapperman Forums