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#502626 - 01/05/08 11:19 PM Long chain/ short chain revisited
newhouse114 newhouse114 trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 577 Loc: S.W.Oregon	There has been much debate on this forum about whether a short or long chain is best to reduce foot damage on trapped animals. While trapping cats I (in the past) have used mostly long chains and drags. This year I am running a few more traps and don't want to waste time looking for cats and drags in the western Oregon pucker brush so I have been staking my sets. I mean I am staking the trap with a six foot chain! I have had the best looking feet EVER with this method. There has been very little entanglement for the chains and virtually zero trap damage to feet. The darwinistic coyotes I have been picking up in my cat sets show the same result. Has anyone else seen this tendancy? I have also seen LESS extensive ground excavation by coyotes caught in traps with the longer chains. _________________________ Life Member NTA & FTA
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#502688 - 01/06/08 12:51 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: newhouse114]
cotton cotton trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 749 Loc: cripple creek va	have you had any cats or yotes pop out of the traps with them 6 foot chains? seems to me they would really get up a head of steam to hit the end of the chain?
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#502755 - 01/06/08 06:05 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: cotton]
TexA TexA trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 2079 Loc: Estherville, IA	Using Shorter chains, I think a JC Conner Spring helps a whole lot. I wouldn't use a drag around here for anything, I'd be looking for a long time for the critter. I don't like wasting my time like that.... PLUS, in the case of Coons, it give him something to pull against and that's not good when Coon trapping either. Short Chains for me! $\:\)$ _________________________ TexA Member Iowa Trappers Association National Trappers Association
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#502758 - 01/06/08 06:16 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: TexA]
tmrschessie tmrschessie trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1749 Loc: Near Red Cloud,Nebraska	I run short chains on everything except Badger sets, then I add a fout foot extention, so they don't have a chance to dig the stake. Tom _________________________ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U42PF4khOXc http://www.huntingne.com/forum
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#502782 - 01/06/08 06:45 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: tmrschessie]
k. miller k. miller trapper Registered: 01/04/07 Posts: 1309 Loc: Mapleton, Kansas	i use both....some of my cat ground is just too rocky to stake......i carry a small saw to cut drags.....or just find a good stout branch of wood and use that.....i also carry extension cables for securing off to trees if needed......if i do stake, i use a short chain _________________________
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#502863 - 01/06/08 08:02 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: k. miller]
huntinglonewolf huntinglonewolf trapper Registered: 12/27/06 Posts: 1908 Loc: Wyoming	Short chains with a shock spring for coyotes. _________________________
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#502867 - 01/06/08 08:11 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: huntinglonewolf]
big8s big8s trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1126 Loc: Green County KY	my yote traps have 12 inches of chain and I stake them with a single 24 inch stake or a 15 inch hd berkshire. Edited by big8s (01/06/08 08:11 AM)
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#502890 - 01/06/08 08:30 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: big8s]
bobCATching bobCATching trapper Registered: 12/26/06 Posts: 935 Loc: Nevada	I use 10' of cable rather than chain and I have the same results, good looking feet. If any occasional damage occurrs it is always the result of entanglement after the catch. The extra cable lets the cats have more freedom of movement and they usually make a "nest" and get comfortable. _________________________ Videos: bobCATching 1 and bobCATching 2 Trapline to the fur shed.
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#502910 - 01/06/08 08:53 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: bobCATching]
Cattrax Cattrax trapper Registered: 12/28/06 Posts: 3390 Loc: Wyoming	I use to use 3' of chain on all my traps, but this year I went to just 1' to 18" of chain and have had good luck with coyotes on them, but I never had any problems with the 3' either, on cats I just tie off to a tree or rock, have used cable and also #9 wire to tie my cat set off with, the cable has been a lot faster toput in, I use to use drags a lot for cats also, but with the country I was covering this year I didn't want to have to waste a lot of time looking for a cat on a drag, cause sometimes it takes an hour or better to find them, so I went to tieing everything off to a tree or a rock. _________________________ Muleys Are King!!!
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#502968 - 01/06/08 09:51 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Cattrax]
coon dog man coon dog man trapper Registered: 10/12/07 Posts: 17 Loc: algona, iowa	i use short chains because with a long chain they can get a good hard pull and with a short chain they cant that is my opinion _________________________ last season coon:203 griner:12 beaver:9 coyote:16 red fox:1 muskrat:13
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#502975 - 01/06/08 09:55 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: coon dog man]
mickeysdad mickeysdad trapper Registered: 02/26/07 Posts: 1005 Loc: Pine Haven, Wyoming, USA	Nice cat, congratulations, I remember the feeling!!! _________________________ Never try to teach a Pig to sing, It wastes your time and annoys the pig! Don't buy any Polaris products, they don't stand behind them
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#502988 - 01/06/08 10:02 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: mickeysdad]
Possumslayer Possumslayer trapper Registered: 11/02/07 Posts: 905 Loc: South Central Nebraska	I use both. Sometimes it takes a long one to find solid ground to stake, some times I want to keep the catch close. In my opinion they fight less with a long chain. _________________________ Brevior saltare cum deformibus mulieribus est vita
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#503062 - 01/06/08 10:43 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: mickeysdad]
Billfrank Billfrank trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 1185 Loc: TEXAS	Things I consider: On short chains, how many swivels and where are they? Is there a box swivel right at the first link off the trap. On short chains you will get the mounding effect around where the chain is staked in the ground usally in grassy areas this will lock up the mid point swivel and the swivel at the ground. You better have a swivel at the trap or something is going to give. Short chains have the probabilty of stake pumping if using stakes. Pumping has never been a issue with cat catches but yotes always like trashin my cat sets. On long chains you can avoid the mounding affect which leads to swivel clog up, but you have to deal with the acceleration factor if your chains are to long, which leads to shoulder damage or foot damage on yotes. This is where shock springs come into play. Basicly my yote traps are my fox traps and my fox traps are my cat traps and vice versa. I usally run 18" chains with 3 swivel points making sure that there is a box swivel at the trap. _________________________
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#503084 - 01/06/08 11:02 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Billfrank]
tmrschessie tmrschessie trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1749 Loc: Near Red Cloud,Nebraska	Good point, I also run three swivels on my 18 inch chains. One at the trap, one about half way down, and the last one at the stake. Also, using smooth rod stakes I have very little pumping of the stake. Tom _________________________ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U42PF4khOXc http://www.huntingne.com/forum
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#503088 - 01/06/08 11:05 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Billfrank]
newhouse114 newhouse114 trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 577 Loc: S.W.Oregon	I guess the main point of my question was: for those that have used both long and short chains, have you noticed ANY difference in foot damage between the two. I do not use shock springs and have had zero pull outs, even with a couple critters, both cat and coyote, caught by two toes. With the long chains, 5-6 feet, I am seeing much less fighting of the trap. I have had the opposite result using a mid length chain in the 2-3 foot length. With the long chain the critters seem to not give a direct pull on the stake but go in circles. I'm sure there would be variations depending on habitat types. _________________________ Life Member NTA & FTA
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#503153 - 01/06/08 11:54 AM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: newhouse114]
Possumslayer Possumslayer trapper Registered: 11/02/07 Posts: 905 Loc: South Central Nebraska	I have had less foot damage with long chains definately. They work around then settle in. I have had to hunt down traps and stakes with short chains after they pump the stake out. They look like they panick more and fight if held close on my short chains. Even with swivels in the middle and ends of my short chains I do often find this...... Long chains don't get tangled as bad. For me it still depends on what I am trapping and the location I am trapping in. I don't trap yotes though so can't help on the chain issue with them. _________________________ Brevior saltare cum deformibus mulieribus est vita
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#503173 - 01/06/08 12:04 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Possumslayer]
Gage Drift Gage Drift trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 486 Loc: WY & OR & IN	Gary Jepson recommends 6' chains when staking in his video Trapping The Elusive Bobcat. _________________________ The Human Race is breeding itself into extinction. Big families reduce wildlife habitat. Mindless Self Indulgence
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#503190 - 01/06/08 12:09 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Gage Drift]
KYBOY KYBOY trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3379 Loc: East, Kentucky	This is my usual set up. 6" chain and drag(not always THIS particular drag and trap). With it it seems like my foot damage is usually about 0% but then most of my traps are laminated or cast jaws too. Still I like long chains and drags regardless. _________________________ Take life by the throat, then choke it until it spits up what you want!
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#503209 - 01/06/08 12:17 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: KYBOY]
Billfrank Billfrank trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 1185 Loc: TEXAS	I have also found that using sterling swivels on short chains helps to reduce the trash build up at swivel points. _________________________
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#503378 - 01/06/08 01:49 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Billfrank]
Kevmill Kevmill trapper Registered: 12/26/06 Posts: 375 Loc: Central, Pennsylvania	hey KYBOY in the off season you can use that to anchor your boat while fishing...lol _________________________ My daddy taught me how to hunt and how to whittle, Taught me how to work and how to give just a little. Thank God I'm a country boy! John Denver.
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#503414 - 01/06/08 02:04 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: Kevmill]
possum5676 possum5676 trapper Registered: 01/02/07 Posts: 936 Loc: kansas	dryland coon keep better in 3 foot chains on big coyote traps in the fall, 3 feet works pretty good, on staked cat traps later in winter 5 foot is a good one staked, coons stay well in those to, no difference in visable foot damage on yotes and cats long versus short, as lat january gets around i end up with alot of 10 foot chains with the grag driven into the ground and then buried over the top, lots of times cats dont get the drag out and remain staked solid, no visible difference in damage as well, coyotes look the same as well but most times get the drag out and really get going for a bit before heading to cover to shake off the black thing chasin them. im a big fan of many different lenghts of chain from a few 6 inch ones to 12 inch then 3 feet and then 5 feet on staked sets. _________________________ none
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#506037 - 01/07/08 07:13 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: possum5676]
goldy goldy trapper Registered: 12/31/07 Posts: 1210 Loc: minnesota	I had a grey fox go nuts one time when I approached . I had long factory stock chain. He came at me then went full steam the other direction, popping a jaw right out of a 1 1/2 victor coil. But guess what? I caught the same fox two days later in the same set with the same bait and lure. Had him by the opposite foot than I had him before. How dumb. Since then I have shortened my chain to about 10 inches, including swivels. I don't like the momentem animals get with long chains.
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#506142 - 01/07/08 07:48 PM Re: Long chain/ short chain revisited [Re: goldy]
fiftylizzy fiftylizzy trapper Registered: 11/21/07 Posts: 260 Loc: westmoreland co, pa	i just listen to ron and pete leggett's fox book and charles dobbins book about trap adjustment. they say to use short chain, and i think they know what they are talking about because they used to catch a LOT of animals.
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