Cage Traps?

Want to buy some used cage traps for raccoon and don't have a clue as to good ones. Any advise on size, make and type be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Klint

I like safeguards...

For pan/treadle fired traps, I like Safeguard, Tomahawk and Freedom Brand.

For wire trigger traps I like Comstock and Advance.

As for size, pretty much anything close to 12"x30" will work. A little smaller or bigger is fine.

Thanks,,will look them up.

WCS, the sponsor of this forum carries most of the traps mentioned- http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/removal/TrapsByManufacturer.html. ADVANCED TRAPS can be purchased from Kirk DeKalb- http://trappintales.com/AT/shop/?v=400b9db48e62.

Safeguard here as well. I have used the cheap combo traps at times for skunk and opossum with no issues. Wouldn't use it for coon though, used one for a coon job and walked up to this.

What gauge wire was the trap a coon tore up?


What gauge wire is used for the higher quality traps?

It is not necessarily the gauge. 14 gauge Chinese wire is of a lighter less dense metal even if it is cage quality. It may be 14 gauge but is just not as strong. 14 gauge cage quality American made wire is the strongest I have found for the gauge.

Sellers sometimes try to fool the buyer by saying it is the same because it is the same gauge. Galvanized after welded also adds to the mix. GAW makes the wire stronger and last longer. Some may say they use American made wire but it may be galvanized before welded and is not really comparing apples to apples. Powder coating or painting would hide that fact. Still others may use a foreign wire at a heavier gauge and claim their trap is stronger because of the gauge difference. The customer believing he got the best option when the lighter gauge American wire, may be as strong or work as well as the heavier gauge foreign wire.

Quality wire and metal is just heavier and more dense, making shipping costs and trap costs much higher, also

Most just don,t know and are at the mercy of believing or trusting the seller. It is much easier to believe the seller, if you think you are getting a better deal.

I'm not surprised, you get what you pay for.


I have very limited experience with wire meshes, but I have enough experience to know that quality wire and junk wire at a low price aren't even comparable. In my case, I only use Riverdale Aquamesh for my crab traps, bream traps, baitfish traps, colony traps, etc etc, and those are just for my own personal use. I don't sell anything. Hardware cloth from a big box store and hardware cloth from a good American company are like the wire....unless using it for crafts inside of your home, spend the few cents per foot extra to get the wire that'll actually withstand some abuse. I'll never buy wire from the big box stores again. Ever.


Whenever I walk by "crab traps" at big box stores, I can't help but feel the wire when I walk by. There's a reason why aquamesh isn't $29.99 a roll. The stuff is quality, and wire that's exposed to the elements, especially marine environments, has to be quality wire or it'll be failing the user in short order.

Low quality snare cable, low quality fishing string, and low quality wire all have something in common....I don't put in all of the effort in getting to the part of catching something to only let myself down by "saving" buck on the materials and losing my catch at the worst possible time.



If I kicked up a hornets nest by my comment, that wasn't my intention.

X2 on everything he said.

If you are buying quality traps from a reputable company, Chinese wire is not even in the discussion. Tractor supply, Harbor freight, Chinese. Don't hear much if anything about wire failure these days from reputable companies. What is important is species, application, function, comparing power doors to gravity, wire trigs to pans, lock up vs. not, door types etc. Those producing higher end ADC equipment are not apt to sacrifice reputation and scrimp on something as basic as wire when the cost of producing a trap is much more labor related than it is to the cost of materials.

I appreciate all the advise. Klint

..Single door !...unless Comstock or Advanced.
Or larger cages can have a sliding rear access door for easier transfer, etc.

There surely is a lot to consider for anyone starting out, stuff some might take for granted. Tons of options. With single door traps, straight back, slider transfer door, bottom hinged bait door, double door traps with external doors, flush mount traps on one or both ends, solid nose cones, wire nose cones, trap covers, 3 way nose cones, pans, wire triggers, lock ring traps, powered doors with lock bars, guillotine door traps, gravity doors, bifold internal doors, universal/multipurpose, double catch, repeaters, each available in many sizes and lengths, could be a bit overwhelming for anyone trying to figure out what best suits their situation. Love to see the new creations that seem to be quite frequent now.

Jim, I'll be making an order this week. I keep hearing great things about your traps!